Immigration Medical Examination: What to Expect and How to Prepare (2025)

Why Immigration Requires a Medical Exam

Immigration medical examinations exist to protect public health in the destination country and to ensure applicants do not place excessive demand on publicly funded health and social services. The medical exam is not a general health check — it tests for specific conditions that are legally relevant to immigration admissibility.

Understanding what's actually assessed, and what conditions genuinely affect admissibility versus conditions that are commonly feared but not relevant, is critical to preparing accurately.

Which Countries Require a Medical Exam?

Who Can Perform the Exam?

Medical examinations for immigration must be performed by designated panel physicians — doctors approved by the destination country's immigration authority. Using a non-approved doctor invalidates the examination.

Finding a panel physician:

• Canada: IRCC's panel physician locator at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/medical-exams/requirements-permanent-residents.html
• Australia: Panel clinic locator via Department of Home Affairs
• UK: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) approved clinic for TB tests
• US: USCIS-designated civil surgeon or panel physician at US embassy

What Is Tested in the Medical Exam?

Standard Components (Canada, Australia, New Zealand)

Additional Tests (by Country)

Conditions That Affect Admissibility

Canada — Medical Inadmissibility

Canada applies two tests:

1. Public health/safety: Active or untreated tuberculosis, syphilis, and certain communicable diseases. Admissibility is affected; treatment may resolve the issue.
2. Excessive demand on health or social services: A condition expected to require health or social services costing more than the excessive demand threshold per year. In 2025, this threshold is approximately CAD $123,812 over 5 years (indexed annually).

Conditions that can trigger excessive demand review:

• Severe cognitive/developmental disabilities
• Serious organ failure requiring ongoing specialist care
• End-stage renal disease requiring dialysis
• Late-stage cancers requiring extensive treatment

Important exception: Since 2018, spouses, partners, and dependent children of Canadian citizens or PRs are exempt from the excessive demand test, regardless of their health condition.

Australia — Character and Health Requirements

Australia applies a health requirement assessed against the cost of treatment over 10 years exceeding the threshold, AND a character requirement separately. The health cost threshold changes annually.

Conditions commonly raising concern in Australia:

• Active tuberculosis (must be treated and stable before visa grant)
• HIV — treated HIV is generally manageable and not automatically inadmissible, but cost implications are assessed
• Certain chronic conditions requiring expensive ongoing treatment

United Kingdom — TB Test Requirements

The UK's immigration medical requirement for most long-stay visas from 130+ countries is a tuberculosis (TB) test at an approved UK Visas and Immigration-designated clinic:

• Chest X-ray to detect active TB
• If active TB detected: visa refused until treated and clearance confirmed
• Latent TB: does not trigger refusal
• Cost: £65–£120 depending on clinic

HIV and Immigration: What You Need to Know

This is the most misunderstood area of immigration medical admissibility:

• Canada: HIV-positive applicants are not automatically inadmissible. The excessive demand test applies — if antiretroviral treatment costs are below the 5-year threshold (~CAD $123,812), most HIV-positive applicants qualify. Many do.
• Australia: HIV-positive applicants undergo cost assessment. Treated HIV with suppressed viral load is often admissible.
• USA: HIV was removed from the US inadmissibility grounds in 2010. HIV-positive applicants are not inadmissible.
• New Zealand: HIV-positive applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

How to Prepare for Your Medical Exam

1. Book in advance: Panel physicians often have 2–4 week wait times. Book as soon as your visa application is initiated.
2. Bring documentation: Government-issued photo ID, immigration application reference number, previous medical records if relevant to disclosed conditions.
3. Vaccine records: For US exams, bring your vaccination history — missing vaccines may be administered at the exam (at additional cost).
4. Disclose fully: Undisclosed conditions discovered later can result in visa cancellation or misrepresentation findings. Always disclose.
5. Fast before blood tests: Standard fasting (8–12 hours) is typically required for blood work.

Processing and Validity

If your visa is not granted before the medical result expires, you may need to repeat the examination at full cost.