An applicant who received an ITA was told by a medical clinic that the upfront medical exam is no longer mandatory unless IRCC specifically asks for it (a change some clinics were applying as of around October 1st).
What the group confirmed:- If you completed an immigration medical exam within the past 5 years, you don't need to redo it — the earlier result can still be valid, so check your history first.
- Upfront medicals (submitting results before IRCC asks) have been discontinued for many applicants. Instead of booking a panel physician right away, you can upload a blank placeholder document in the medicals section of your application and submit. IRCC will send instructions through your online profile later if/when a medical exam is actually required.
Practical takeaway:- Don't assume you must book a medical exam the moment you get an ITA — check whether you already have one valid within 5 years.
- If you don't, you can typically still submit your application with a placeholder and wait for IRCC's instructions, rather than delaying submission to get medicals done first.
- This is a historical, evolving IRCC policy area — confirm current requirements on your own IRCC profile before assuming this still applies at the time you apply.