Medical Examination for Canadian Immigration from Pakistan in 2023
Every citizen of Pakistan intending to visit Canada, including those applying for student visas, visit visas, and immigration pathways, must undergo a mandatory medical examination. I will share my personal experience of going through the Medical Examination for Canadian Immigration from Pakistan in 2023. Let’s break it down step by step to understand the process.
Scheduling an appointment: To book a Medical Examination appointment, you need to send an email to the respective email address. It is important to note that different cities have different email addresses for appointments. After sending the email, you can expect a reply within 3 to 5 business days. Your medical appointment will be scheduled in Islamabad, typically taking place between 2 to 3 weeks from the date of your email.
Here is the response we received from them regarding the initial appointment: [Original response can be provided for rephrasing]
For how many applicants, you need an appointment for Medical Examination?
Is it upfront or you received medical instruction forms?
- Passport No
- Name
- Location for Appointment (Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore)
- Visa type (study-Visit-Super visit visa-Skilled Work-Express entry-family sponsor)
- Date of birth
- Contact No (Please provide two contact numbers of Pakistan)
- Email ID
- Kindly attached medical letter (mandatory for permanent residents and spouse /dependent)
- Polio Card is mandatory for Refugee applicants. Note: The Laboratory and Radiological tests may also be indicated for the below age limit depending on the medical condition.
Important note– As per IRCC instructions, upfront Medical Examination cannot be performed for a permanent residence category. Those applying for permanent residence, must wait for IME instructions from their visa office and must not perform a UMI. Upfront medicals are only permitted for temporary residence category.
Upfront-Medical Examination is not allowed in Pakistan:
The ironic part is that when you visit the website, especially in 2023, you will come across banners or notices all over the website stating that upfront medical examinations are not allowed in Pakistan or provided by the medical examination team. This created confusion for us, so we decided to inquire about it via email. However, we did not receive any response clarifying whether upfront medical examinations were possible or not. Clearly, we had to visit them in person to gather information about upfront medical examinations. Surprisingly, even the medical examination team at the reception had no knowledge about upfront medical examinations, leaving us more confused than before.
Nevertheless, we proceeded with our scheduled appointment and underwent the medical examination. To our surprise, it was perfectly acceptable to have the medical examination done upfront in Pakistan. If you are currently on an immigration journey or expecting to obtain a visa soon, I strongly recommend you schedule an appointment for the medical examination and have it done upfront.
Medical Examination in Islamabad
Regarding the Express Entry stream for Canadian immigration, we had a scheduled appointment at Maroof Medical Institute in Islamabad. However, we were informed that we would be redirected to the IMO office, which operates under Islamabad Diagnostic Services, instead of Maroof Medical Institute. Our appointment was set for 10:30, so we arrived a little early to ensure punctuality.
Upon arrival, we noticed a considerable number of individuals waiting for their medical examinations, including applicants for Canadian, Australian, and European visas. Due to the morning rush, we had to wait for a significant amount of time since all the applicants were scheduled together. The medical examination itself involved multiple aspects, including various checkups and sampling, which further extended the duration of our stay. Eventually, our medical examination commenced around 3:00 p.m., making it an exhausting and time-consuming process.
Based on our experience, I would recommend arriving later for the medical check-up to potentially avoid the peak morning hours and minimize waiting time.
Medical Checkup Steps:
- Initially, they will collect your passport and medical request form, or any relevant information regarding your immigration documents. Subsequently, they will ask you to provide certain details, which they will enter into a web form on their system. They will require a photograph of you for the medical examination, which is convenient as the system automatically sends this data to IRC Canada.
- Afterward, they will record some basic measurements such as your weight and height. Following that, you will be directed to undergo a chest X-ray. Female and male assistants will be present during the chest X-ray, as both genders are required for the procedure. The X-ray results will be reviewed, and you will be informed if there are any issues. In the case of my husband, there were concerns with the chest X-ray, so he had to repeat the procedure.
- Next, you will be asked to provide blood and urine samples.
- Afterward, a medical officer will physically examine you. You will be asked to lie on a bed, and the medical officer may inquire about any previous health issues or related matters, to which you should provide honest answers.
- Once the examination is complete, the medical officer will complete the medical form, which you can later submit to your IRCC Express Entry application.
In certain situations, there may be medical complications or delays in receiving timely responses from the system, which is connected to IRCC Canada. In such cases, the medical staff may ask you to return for a follow-up medical examination on the same day, or they may inform you that they will provide further instructions at a later time. In my case, they requested that I verify the information the day after the initial tests. Fortunately, I received a confirmation call stating that everything was fine.
For individuals with a history of chest or respiratory issues, their chest X-rays may not appear clear. In such cases, a spit test (Sputum Culture) is required, which they will ask for on the following day. Although rare, this can occur for individuals with certain lung issues.
Payment of Medical Examination Fees
Regarding payment, the form provided to you after signing is referred to as the medical form. This form serves as either the upfront medical or the complete medical letter that you can upload to your Express Entry profile. A sample of the form is provided for reference.
My medical was in early 2023 and it caused me PKR 28,000 per person. This can change due to the currency of fluctuation in the country. There is an option to pay by cash or by card . Both credit card and debit card are accepted.
Note: This fees is waived in case you are a refugee.
Where to book your Medical Examination appointment?
Official website for
https://pakistan.iom.int/migration-health-services
Email for Canada medical appointment
————————
Feel free to ask questions or comment.
Best Wishes for the Immigration Journey!
news via inbox
Enter your email address and subscribe to us!
Nice blog here Also your site loads up very fast What host are you using Can I get your affiliate link to your host I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol.