IRCC requires upfront medical exams with Express Entry PR applications effective 2025-08-21 and has updated completeness-check and medical-issuing instructions. During transition, applications submitted without medicals should not be rejected as incomplete; affected streams: EE-FSW, EE-FST, EE-CEC, EE-PNP.
Soheil Hosseini
October 15, 2025
Jurisdiction
Federal
Week
Week 42
Impact
Moderate
Programs Affected
IRCC requires upfront medical exams for Express Entry applicants as of Aug. 21, 2025
Summary: IRCC has reinstated the requirement for Express Entry applicants to submit an upfront medical examination with their permanent residence application, effective 2025-08-21, with updated completeness check and medical issuing instructions. During the transition, applications filed without medicals should not be rejected as incomplete.
Date of update: 2025-10-15 | Source: IRCC (Program Delivery Update) In a program delivery update posted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the department has restored the requirement that Express Entry applicants provide an upfront medical examination at the time of filing their permanent residence application, effective 2025-08-21. IRCC has updated the Express Entry completeness check instructions and the issuing instructions for medical examinations. As the department transitions back to this requirement, IRCC directs that applications received without medical examinations in the interim should not be rejected as incomplete.
Programs affected: Express Entry — EE-FSW, EE-FST, EE-CEC, EE-PNP. Key points:
- Effective date: 2025-08-21 (upfront medicals required at application stage)
- Administrative guidance: completeness check and medical issuing instructions updated
- Transition measure: do not reject interim applications lacking medicals as incomplete Independent analysis:
- Potential positives: Upfront medicals may provide earlier admissibility clarity, reduce post-ITA delays, and improve processing predictability for finalized files.
- Potential negatives: Added upfront costs and logistics could raise barriers for some applicants; risk of medical validity expiring if processing extends; increased initial application burden on candidates and panel physicians.
- Operational note: The non-rejection instruction during transition should mitigate immediate refusals but may lead to follow-up requests and uneven processing until full implementation stabilizes. Applicants and representatives should review IRCC’s updated instructions before filing to avoid delays and ensure compliance.
Tags: IRCC, Express Entry, Upfront Medical Exam, Immigration Medical Exam, FSW, FST, CEC, PNP, Canada Immigration, Program Delivery Update, Completeness Check, Permanent Residence End of update.
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