Medical requirements for working in Canada

Who Requires a medical exam?

1. In order to work in certain jobs, you must first complete a medical exam by a panel physician. For example, if your job requires you to be working closely with the public, particularly vulnerable populations such as the elderly, the sick, or young children, you will need to complete a medical exam prior to starting your job.
2. The requirement to complete a medical exam applies whether or not you will be paid for the work and regardless of whether you will be working on or off-campus with your study permit, completing an internship with your co-op work permit or working on your post-graduate work permit.
3. Examples of when a medical exam is required:
   • Nursing students doing a stage in a hospital or clinic
   • Education students doing a stage in a primary or secondary school
   • Tutoring children (e.g. primary and secondary school children)
   • Babysitting
   • Volunteering in a home for the elderly or disabled
   • Volunteering as a paramedic
   • Clinical laboratory work
   • Other similar jobs
4. For more examples of jobs that require a medical exam and for more information please IRCC’s website.
5. If you are required to work with vulnerable populations as part of your program requirements (e.g. as part of your clinical stage as a nursing student or as part of your internship as a Bachelor of Education student), you must submit a medical exam with your application for your study permit and co-op work permit.
6. If you would like to work with vulnerable populations after you graduate, you must submit a medical exam with your Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) application.

What if I don't do a medical exam?

1. If you do not provide a medical exam when applying for your study permit or work permit, your immigration document will be issued with a condition that states the following:

   Not authorized to work in childcare, primary/secondary school teaching, health field occupations.

2. In order to remove this condition on your immigration document, you must complete a medical exam and apply to change the conditions of your study permit or work permit (i.e., apply for a new study or work permit from inside Canada).
3. You will have to pay the necessary application fees.

How to complete the medical exam

1. There are two ways you can complete your medical exam:
   1. Wait for instructions from the visa office after submitting your study permit or work permit application OR
   2. Undergo an upfront medical exam before you submit your application (this option is recommended)

Process:

1. Find a doctor from IRCC’s list of panel physicians. Only a panel physician can perform the medical exam
2. The doctor will send your results directly to IRCC
3. Make sure to ask the doctor for either a receipt (often called an e-medical receipt) or a copy of the exam
4. Submit the receipt or copy of the exam with your study permit or work permit application.

Medical exams cost approximately $200 and are generally NOT covered by insurance.

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