If you are already in Canada, you may not need a new medical exam
If you live in Canada and are applying for permanent residence or a new permit, there is a good chance you do not need to complete a new immigration medical exam — even if your previous results have expired. IRCC’s temporary public policy exempting eligible in-Canada applicants from a repeat IME has been extended until October 5, 2029, and has already benefited more than 286,000 applicants since it was first introduced.
Most eligible applicants never hear about this exemption until after they have already booked and paid for a new exam. This guide explains exactly who qualifies, what the four conditions are, how to claim the exemption when submitting your application, and what happens if IRCC determines you do not qualify after you have already applied.
For a full overview of the immigration medical exam process, see our complete guide to the Canadian immigration medical exam. For background on how the streamlining policy began, see our post on IRCC streamlining immigration medical examination requirements.
What is the 5-year IME exemption?
The 5-year IME exemption is a temporary public policy introduced by IRCC in October 2022 and most recently extended until October 5, 2029. Under this policy, certain foreign nationals already living in Canada are exempt from completing a new immigration medical exam when applying for permanent or temporary residence — even if their previous IME results have technically expired.
The policy was originally introduced to reduce processing backlogs, ease pressure on panel physician clinics, and eliminate redundant medical screenings for applicants who had recently been assessed as low risk. According to IRCC’s official extension notice, the policy has already streamlined processing for more than 286,000 applicants and continues to be extended based on its operational success and public health effectiveness.
The exemption does not eliminate medical screening — it eliminates the need to redo a screening that has already been done recently and showed no concerns. IRCC uses the results from your previous exam rather than requiring a new one.
The four conditions you must meet
As confirmed by IRCC’s official guidance, you may be exempt from completing a new IME if you meet all four of the following conditions:
Condition 1: You applied or are applying for permanent residence or temporary residence. The exemption applies to permanent residence applications and most temporary residence applications — including work permits, study permits, and visitor visas. It does not apply to applicants seeking entry at the border or to situations outside the formal application process.
Condition 2: You already live in Canada. You must be physically present in Canada and residing here at the time of your application. The exemption does not apply to applicants applying from outside Canada, even if they previously lived here.
Condition 3: You completed your previous IME within the last five years. The five-year window is measured from the date of your previous immigration medical exam to the date you submit your new application. The previous results do not need to be currently valid — results expire after 12 months under normal rules, but for the purpose of this exemption, IRCC looks back up to five years, not just 12 months.
Condition 4: Your previous IME indicated a low risk or no risk to public health or public safety. If your previous exam results were classified as low risk or no risk — meaning no finding of medical inadmissibility and no significant public health concerns — you qualify on this condition. If your previous results led to a finding of excessive demand, a public health concern, or a requirement for medical surveillance that you did not complete, you do not qualify.
All four conditions must be met. If any one of them does not apply to your situation, IRCC will require you to complete a new IME as part of your application.
Who does not qualify
Several categories of applicants do not qualify for the exemption even if they are in Canada:
Applicants who have never completed an IME. If you have never had an immigration medical exam, there are no previous results to rely on. You must complete a new exam.
Applicants whose previous IME is more than five years old. If your last exam was completed more than five years before your new application submission date, it falls outside the exemption window. You must complete a new exam.
Applicants whose previous results were not low risk or no risk. If your previous exam raised medical concerns — including a finding of excessive demand, a public health risk, or a public safety risk — you do not qualify. Applicants who were required to complete medical surveillance and did not do so also do not qualify.
Express Entry upfront medicals. The 5-year exemption does not apply to the Express Entry upfront medical exam requirement introduced in August 2025. Express Entry applicants must complete an upfront medical exam when applying for permanent residence — the exemption policy does not override this requirement. See our Express Entry upfront medical exam guide for how that process works.
Applicants outside Canada. The exemption is explicitly limited to applicants who live in Canada at the time of their application. An applicant who lived in Canada previously but is now abroad does not qualify.
How to claim the exemption when submitting your application
Claiming the exemption is straightforward but requires one specific action: you must include your previous IME number — also called the unique medical identifier (UMI) or unique client identifier number — in your application.
As IRCC’s guidance confirms: if you completed an IME within five years of submitting your new application, include the IME number from your previous exam in your current application. This is what triggers the exemption and allows IRCC to locate and rely on your previous results rather than requiring a new exam.
Your IME number appears on the Information Printout Sheet or IMM 1017B form that was given to you at the end of your previous exam appointment. If you cannot locate it, it may also appear in your IRCC online account or on any IRCC correspondence related to your previous application. See our guide to the IRCC client identification number for how to locate these reference numbers.
If you cannot find your IME number, contact IRCC through your online account or their client support centre before submitting your application. Do not submit without it — without the IME number, IRCC cannot verify your previous results and may contact you for a new exam regardless of your eligibility.
What happens after you submit
You do not need to do anything else to trigger the exemption beyond including your IME number. IRCC reviews the number, locates your previous results in the eMedical system, and assesses whether the four conditions are met.
If IRCC determines you qualify, your application proceeds without a new medical exam. Processing is typically faster for these applicants because the medical component is resolved immediately rather than requiring a new appointment and submission cycle.
If IRCC determines you do not qualify — for example, because your previous results did not meet the low risk threshold, or because additional medical information is needed — they will contact you with instructions for completing a new exam. You will be given a deadline to complete it. Use the IRCC Doctors directory to find an approved panel physician near you if this happens.
How this exemption interacts with the 12-month validity rule
A common source of confusion: the 12-month validity rule and the 5-year exemption are separate policies that apply in different contexts.
Under the standard rules, IME results are valid for 12 months from the date of your exam. If your application is not decided within 12 months, IRCC will request a re-medical. This applies to applicants completing a standard IME.
The 5-year exemption operates differently. It allows IRCC to rely on results from an exam completed up to five years ago — even though those results would be considered expired under the standard 12-month rule. This is possible because the exemption is a separate policy instrument, not an extension of the 12-month validity window.
In practical terms: if you completed an IME three years ago, your results expired after 12 months under standard rules. But if you are now applying from within Canada and your previous results were low risk, the 5-year exemption allows IRCC to use those three-year-old results for your new application.
How much does this save you?
If you qualify for the exemption, you avoid the full cost of a new immigration medical exam — approximately CAD $250 to $400 for an adult in Canada, and more for families. See our immigration medical exam cost guide for a full breakdown.
You also save the time of booking an appointment, attending a two-to-four hour clinic visit, and waiting for results to be submitted to IRCC. For families, the savings multiply across each family member who would otherwise need a new exam.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a new medical exam if I am already in Canada? Not necessarily. If you completed an IME within the last five years, you live in Canada, and your previous results were low risk or no risk, you may qualify for the exemption. Include your IME number in your application and IRCC will assess your eligibility. If you are an Express Entry applicant, the upfront IME requirement applies regardless of this exemption.
My previous IME results expired. Can I still claim the exemption? Yes. The 5-year exemption explicitly covers results that have technically expired under the standard 12-month validity rule. What matters is that your previous exam was completed within five years of your new application and that the results were low risk or no risk.
How do I find my IME number? Your IME number appears on the Information Printout Sheet or IMM 1017B form given to you at the end of your previous exam appointment. It may also appear in your IRCC online account or in correspondence related to your previous application. See our guide to the IRCC client identification number and IME numbers for more detail.
What if I cannot find my IME number? Contact IRCC through your online account before submitting your application. Do not submit without it — IRCC cannot verify your previous results and apply the exemption without the IME number.
Does the exemption apply to my spouse and children? Yes, if each family member independently meets all four conditions. Each person’s exemption eligibility is assessed separately based on their own previous IME results.
Does the exemption apply to Express Entry applicants? No. The August 2025 upfront IME requirement for Express Entry applicants is a separate policy that the 5-year exemption does not override. Express Entry applicants must complete an upfront medical exam when applying for permanent residence, regardless of whether they previously had an IME within five years.
Until when is the exemption available? The exemption has been extended until October 5, 2029. IRCC may extend it further — it has been extended multiple times since its original introduction in 2022. Check canada.ca for the most current status before submitting your application.
What if IRCC decides I do not qualify after I submit? IRCC will contact you with instructions for completing a new exam and a deadline for doing so. Use the IRCC Doctors directory to find an approved panel physician near you and book promptly — missing the deadline can affect your application.
Still need to complete a new exam?
If you do not qualify for the exemption, use the IRCC Doctors directory to find an approved panel physician in your city or province. Read our step-by-step booking guide to know exactly what to prepare and what to expect.
Last updated: May 2026. The 5-year IME exemption is a temporary public policy currently extended until October 5, 2029. Always verify current eligibility requirements at canada.ca before submitting your application.