What Happens After Your Immigration Medical Exam?
Summary:
Completing an Immigration Medical Exam is an important step in many Canadian immigration applications, but the review process continues after the initial appointment. Medical results are submitted to IRCC through the eMedical system and reviewed by medical officers as part of the overall application. Applicants may see status updates while the review happens, and sometimes, IRCC may request additional tests or information before the medical section is finalized.
Estimated Reading Time: ~6 minutes
What You’ll Learn:
What information is submitted to IRCC after your Immigration Medical Exam
What common medical status updates mean in your IRCC account
Why additional medical tests (“furtherance”) sometimes happen
What can affect processing timelines, and how long medical results stay valid
Next Steps:
Check your IRCC account regularly for status updates or requests
Keep your IME information sheet and medical identifier for your records
Respond quickly if IRCC asks for additional tests or documents
Book your Immigration Medical Exam with an IRCC-authorized Panel Physician if you have not completed it yet
Completing your Immigration Medical Exam (IME) is an important step in many Canadian immigration applications. But the appointment itself is not the final step. After you’ve completed your exam with a Panel Physician, your results still need to be reviewed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Many applicants expect to see results right away. In reality, several steps happen after your exam before IRCC completes the medical review. This process often takes time, and it is normal not to hear anything immediately.
Understanding what happens next can help you feel more confident while your application moves forward. It also helps you know what to do if IRCC asks for more information.
What Gets Submitted After Your IME (and Who Receives It)
When you attend your immigration medical exam, the panel physician collects several types of information. Depending on your age and immigration program, the exam may include a physical examination, blood tests, urine tests, and a chest X-ray.
Once the exam and any required tests are complete, the clinic compiles the results and submits them electronically to IRCC through a secure system called eMedical.
What the Panel Physician Sends
The submission to IRCC usually includes:
The physician’s medical examination report
Laboratory results (such as blood or urine tests)
Imaging results, including chest X-rays if required
Notes about medical history or follow-up recommendations
Panel physicians are responsible for submitting the medical report directly to IRCC. Applicants do not need to upload these results themselves.
Most clinics submit the completed medical file within several days once all test results are available, although official guidance allows up to about ten days for submission.
What You Receive After the Exam
After your appointment, you will usually receive a medical information sheet or confirmation document that includes your Unique Medical Identifier (UMI) or IME number.
This document confirms that you completed your exam and may need to be uploaded with your immigration application if you completed an upfront medical exam.
What You Can (and Can’t) See
Many applicants expect to see their full medical report immediately after the exam. However:
The official medical report is sent directly to IRCC.
Applicants usually only receive confirmation that the exam was completed, not the full report.
Detailed results may be available from the clinic upon request, depending on the clinic's policy.
Once submitted through eMedical, the medical file becomes part of your immigration application for review by IRCC medical officers.
Understanding the Typical Status Flow After Your Medical Exam
After your Immigration Medical Exam is submitted, the results move through several review stages inside IRCC’s system. Applicants often see these updates in their IRCC secure account or application status tracker.
While every application is different, the medical section of your file usually moves through the following stages.
1) Waiting on You
This status appears when IRCC is waiting for the medical exam to be completed.
You might see this status if:
You have received your IMM 1017 medical instruction letter
You have not completed the exam yet
IRCC has asked for additional medical tests or documents
Once you complete your exam and the clinic submits your results, the status will usually change.
2) In Progress
When your panel physician submits your results through the eMedical system, IRCC begins reviewing the medical information.
At this stage:
Your results have been received
An IRCC medical officer is reviewing the file
The medical section of your application is being assessed
Applicants often receive this update within about 30 days of the exam, though the timeline can vary.
During this stage, IRCC may decide that:
Everything is clear, and no further action is needed, or
More medical information is required.
3) Waiting on You (Again)
Sometimes the status returns to “Waiting on you.”
This usually means IRCC has requested additional medical information, sometimes called furtherance.
This may include:
Additional laboratory tests
Another chest X-ray
A specialist report
Updated medical records
This step is fairly common and doesn’t automatically mean there’s a problem with your application. IRCC simply needs more information before completing the review.
4) Completed
When IRCC finishes reviewing the medical results, the medical section of your application will show “Completed.”
This means:
Your medical exam has been reviewed
IRCC has finished assessing the medical portion of your application
At this point, the medical requirement has been cleared, and your application continues through the remaining stages, such as eligibility checks and background verification.
Realistic Timelines After a Medical Exam
One very common question many applicants have is: “How long does the medical review take?”
The honest answer is that it depends on the situation. Medical exams are only one part of a larger immigration application.
Typical Medical Processing Timeline
Clinics usually submit medical reports within 5 to 10 days after the exam, once all test results are ready.
IRCC systems may show medical updates within about 30 days of the exam.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that this timeline is not guaranteed.
Why Processing Times May Vary
There are a few things that may extend your timeline. These can include:
Additional medical tests requested by IRCC
Background checks in your immigration application
Delays in laboratory results
High immigration application volumes
Often, the medical review happens quietly in the background while IRCC continues reviewing the rest of your immigration file.
How Long Medical Results Are Valid
Immigration medical exam results are generally valid for 12 months from the date of the exam.
Your results must still be valid when IRCC makes a final decision on your application. If processing takes longer than a year, you may be asked to complete another exam.
What “Furtherance” Means and Why It Happens
You may hear the word “furtherance” in relation to your immigration medical exam or application. In simple terms, furtherance means that IRCC wants more medical information before they make a final decision about your health.
This might happen if:
A test result is unclear or outside the normal range.
You have a medical condition that could affect public health (for example, certain infectious diseases).
You have a health issue that might require a lot of health or social services in Canada, and IRCC needs more information to determine whether it could cause “excessive demand.”
Some information in your original exam is missing, incomplete, or needs clarification.
If IRCC asks for further information, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your application will be refused. It usually just means: “We need more details before we decide.”
Read More:
What to do if IRCC Asks for Additional Tests
If IRCC needs more information, they usually send you a letter or message in your online account. It’s important to respond quickly and follow the instructions carefully.
Here’s how to respond:
1) Read the letter carefully
Check what tests, specialist reports, or documents are required.
Look for any deadlines or dates by which you must complete the tests.
2) Do only what IRCC asks for
Do not book a completely new immigration medical exam unless IRCC clearly tells you to do a new one.
Instead, follow the instructions in the letter. For example, a repeat chest X‑ray, extra blood tests, or a specialist consultation.
3) Contact a panel physician quickly
If possible, contact the same clinic that did your first exam, so they already know your IME number and history.
Tell them that IRCC has requested additional tests, and bring the letter or upload it when booking, if the clinic allows that.
4) Complete the tests as soon as you can
Appointment availability, tests, and specialist visits can take time. The earlier you book, the better.
After you complete the tests, the panel physician or specialist sends the new information to IRCC using the same IRCC‑approved methods as before.
5) Keep checking your IRCC account
IRCC will update your status or send new messages once they have reviewed the additional information.
Make sure your email address and contact information are correct in your account so you do not miss updates.
What You Can Do While You're Waiting and How to Keep Your Application Moving
Most of the process is out of your hands once the exam is done, but a few things are worth staying on top of.
Keep your contact information current. IRCC communicates by written notice. If your email address or mailing address is outdated, you may miss a request for additional tests or a Procedural Fairness Letter with a 90-day deadline.
Check your account regularly. Log in to your IRCC secure account or tracker and look for updates and new messages. It takes a few minutes and can save you from missing something time-sensitive.
Respond quickly to requests. IRCC often sets deadlines for submitting additional documents or completing further tests. Make sure that you respond to any of these requests as soon as possible to keep your application moving.
Hold onto your IME Information Sheet. Your IME number connects your medical results to your immigration file. If there's ever a question about whether results were received or linked correctly, that number is what you'll need.
Don't book a new IME. Unless IRCC tells you to, don't redo the exam. Doing so without instruction can create confusion in your file and won't make anything move any faster.
If you have a known pre-existing condition, the waiting period is a good time to gather medical records and treatment summaries. You might not need them, but having them ready speeds things up considerably if IRCC does ask.
How Panel Physician Handles Submission
As an IRCC-authorized Panel Physician clinic, we handle the entire submission process on your behalf. After your appointment, we transmit your results to IRCC electronically through the eMedical system, typically within 5 to 10 days once lab results are back. You don't need to send anything to IRCC separately.
For upfront medical exams, we'll give you the IMM 1017B form you need to include with your application. All results are tied to your unique IME number to make sure nothing gets separated from your file during processing.
What we can't do is influence IRCC's review or the admissibility decision. That part of the process belongs entirely to IRCC's medical officers. If you receive a Procedural Fairness Letter or have questions about your admissibility, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant or immigration lawyer is who you'll want to talk to.
You've Done Your Part
Once your exam is complete and your results are submitted, the next step is IRCC's. For most applicants, the medical portion of the process moves through without any issues. The key things to stay on top of are keeping your contact information current, watching your account for updates, and responding quickly if anything comes in.
Still need to book your IME? You can schedule an appointment online or at any of our locations. And if you have family members who also need an exam, we can often see multiple people on the same visit.
