3 Medical Reasons You May Be Denied Entry to Canada

Immigrants are an important part of Canada's development. As Canada plans to invite 1.23 million immigrants to Canada by 2023, it's not just anyone that will have the opportunity to make Canada their new home.

There are requirements that need to be met, to ensure that the immigration plan not only benefits the economy but citizens and permanent residents already living in Canada, as well as some amazing systems it has in place, which makes Canada such a great place to live, like its education and healthcare system.

Canada is world-renowned for its healthcare system. As a publicly funded system, Medicare services over 38,163,381 people in Canada. The Government, therefore, has to make sure that it is not put under too much strain.

There are various medical reasons that you could be denied entry to Canada. In this article, we’ll take a look at the 3 main reasons, break down what they mean and how they could affect your Canada immigration.

Top 3 Reasons You Could Be Medically Inadmissible to Canada

1. Danger to Public Health

Canada’s main priority is making sure that its citizens and permanent residents are well taken care of. It, therefore, makes sense that it needs to regulate who enters the country and determine if they will be a risk to the health of the population. How does the Government do this?

Whether or not you will be considered admissible to Canada, medically, depends on the results of your medical exam.

Canada’s immigration officials will consider:

• your immigration medical exam results, including
• laboratory test results by third party physicians that we designate
• any other specialist reports that our medical officers request
• whether you may have certain infectious diseases, such as active tuberculosis or active syphilis, or whether you’ve been in close contact with others with an infectious disease
• how your disease could affect other people living in Canada

Where can I get my medical exam done?

There is a specific panel of doctors that are allowed to do an Immigration Medical Exam (IME). To find out where you can have your IME done, simply visit the Government website and type in your country or territory to find a registered doctor in your area.

What is included in the medical test for Canada?

Firstly, you will have a general physical exam. This includes having the doctor:

• weigh you
• measure your height
• check your hearing and vision
• take your blood pressure
• feel your pulse
• listen to your heart and lungs
• feel your abdomen
• check how your limbs move
• look at your skin

Other Possible Tests

• breast exam
• Chest x-rays or laboratory tests at a clinic or laboratory; or
• Specialist testing depending on the results of your medical test results.

How much is the medical exam for Canada?

This will depend on the country or territory you are having your IME done in.

How long are medical exams valid for Canada?

The IME is valid for 12 months. If you don’t go to Canada within this time, you will have to get another IME.

2. Danger to Public Safety

If the Government feels that you may be a risk to the safety of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, you may be denied entry to Canada. This will also be based on your IME results and includes:

• sudden incapacity (loss of physical and mental abilities); or
• unpredictable or violent behaviour.

3. Excessive Demand on health or social services

As mentioned previously, Canada has one of the world’s top healthcare systems. To prove that your Canadian immigration won’t affect the high standards of its healthcare and social services, you will need to take an IME. The main reason for this is to make sure that wait times won’t be long and that it won’t cost more than three times the average cost for health and social services.

Once again, you can use your IME result as proof. You will be considered an excessive demand if

• the health or social services needed to treat your health condition would negatively affect wait times for services in Canada, or
• the services needed to treat and manage your health condition would likely cost more than the excessive demand cost threshold

The 2021 cost threshold is $108,990 over 5 years (or $21,798 per year). If your medical bill exceeds this threshold you may be considered inadmissible and could potentially be denied entry to Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions: Medical Inadmissibility?

1. How can I overcome medical inadmissibility to Canada?

If you are found to be medically inadmissible to Canada, you will get a procedural fairness letter explaining why. However, this is not the final decision on your Canadian immigration application. You will have 90 days to provide information that may change the outcome, like:

• if you’ve received treatment to cure or improve your health condition
• if your doctor has changed your medication
• if your doctor has switched your medication to a lower-cost equivalent

You may also be asked to send a mitigation plan. This explains what your plan is to make sure that you won’t be an excessive demand on the health and social services.

2. What medical conditions disqualify you from Canada immigration?

If you are considered a danger to the Canadian public or have a pre-existing condition that may be an excessive demand on the health and social services, you may not be able to enter Canada.

This could include illnesses such as mental health issues that could make you hostile or disruptive eg. impulsive sociopath, illegal sexual behaviour such as pedophilia, substance abuse that can lead to physical damage to others like, impaired driving or violence, or other diseases such as active pulmonary tuberculosis or untreated syphilis.

3. Who is exempt from medical inadmissibility to Canada?

All people who want to enter Canada as a visitor, student, worker or are applying for permanent residence, will need to have a medical exam done. The following people, however, are exempt from the excessive demand threshold:

• refugees and their dependents
• protected persons; and certain people being sponsored by their family, like dependent children, spouses, and common-law partners.

Next Steps?

To improve the chances of success in the application process, you first have to ensure that you are considered admissible to Canada. One of the requirements is to be in good health and to prove this you will need to have a medical exam done. This exam will determine whether you are a danger to the health and safety of Canadians and if you will be an excessive demand on health and social services.

If this is not the case, and you meet all the other requirements you will be able to apply for your visa with confidence, whether you want to work, study, travel, or make Canada your permanent home, there are over 100 options to choose from. The choice is yours. Make it today.

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