Medical Reasons to Consider & Avoid Denied Entry to Canada – Immigrating to Canada is going to be one of the sweetest decisions you would make and the truth is you can’t regret this decision. The Canadian government has seen the need for inviting immigrants into the country as they see immigrants as being pivotal to the growth and development of Canada.
It has set a target of welcoming over a million immigrants into Canada within the next three years and this is a way to fill up labor shortages in the country and contribute to the economic growth and development of the country.
As an immigrant in Canada, you would get to enjoy some wonderful benefits as Canada boasts of offering one of the best quality of life in the world and you also get to enjoy a favorable minimum wage as compared to some other countries. It doesn’t stop there as you can also be entitled to free public healthcare service in Canada.
The educational system in Canada is not left out as Canada is home to some of the best universities in the world and so it boasts of a sound educational system.
But the truth here is, it is not everyone that would get the opportunity to immigrate to Canada and enjoy these benefits we have talked about; you will have to meet some requirements for you to get entry to Canada.
There are over 100 immigration programs designed by the Canadian government to help immigrants come to Canada so you can see that the Canadian government really wants you to come to Canada but also you can be denied entry to Canada for some reason.
The thing is part of the reason you can be denied entry to Canada is health. The Canadian government doesn’t joke with health issues and since we are just reviving from the outbreak of the pandemic, it is obvious why Canada should take medical issues seriously.
In this article, we are going to be looking at three medical reasons you might be denied entry into Canada, we will be looking at what they mean and how they can affect your immigration to Canada.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Reasons You Could Be Medically Inadmissible to Canada
Danger to public safety
The Canadian government doesn’t joke with the lives of citizens of Canada and permanent residents in the country and so if it feels that you are a threat or risk to the safety of the people in the country, you may be denied entry to Canada. This will be based on the result of your Immigration Medical Exam (IME) and some of the reasons could be:
- Unpredictable or violent behavior
- Sudden incapacity like loss of physical or mental abilities
Danger to the Public
Medical Reasons to Consider & Avoid Denied Entry to Canada – just like what we said in the first point we talked about, the Canadian government takes the health and safety of Canadian citizens and permanent residents in the country with utmost importance and it thoroughly regulates whoever enters the country to ascertain if they would be a risk to the public health and if so, they would be denied entry to Canada.
Medical Reasons to Consider & Avoid Denied Entry to Canada – Excessive demand on health or social services
Canada’s healthcare system is one of the top healthcare systems in the world and to show that your immigration won’t be affected by Canada’s healthcare high standards, you will have to take an IME; this is to make sure that you don’t have to wait for long and also you won’t spend more than the normal on health and social services.
You would be considered an excessive demand if
- The services needed to treat and manage your health condition is likely to cost more than the excessive demand cost threshold
- The health or social services needed to treat your health condition would negatively affect wait times for services in Canada
You should know that the excessive demand cost threshold for 2021 is around $105,674 to $108,990 over five years ($21,657 annually) and so if your medical bill exceeds this threshold, you may be considered inadmissible and could be denied entry to Canada.
How Does The Canadian Government Do This?
Medical Reasons to Consider & Avoid Denied Entry to Canada – in Immigration Medical Exam (IME) will be conducted to determine if you would be admissible to Canada and Canada’s immigration officials will consider your IME results and also look at some other things like:
- Whether you may have certain infectious diseases like active tuberculosis or syphilis or whether you have come in close contact with anyone with an infectious disease.
- How your disease could affect the people living in Canada.
- Laboratory test result by third-party physicians that is designated.
What Is Included In The Medical Test For Canada?
You will have to take a general physical exam and this includes:
- Being weighed
- Having your height measured
- Checking your blood pressure
- Listening to your heartbeat
- Feeling your pulse
- Checking how your limbs mover
- Feeling your abdomen
- Checking your hearing and vision
Also, some other tests can be conducted like:
- Chest x-rays
- Breast exam
The cost of the medical exam would depend on the territory or province you are having your IME done.
Medical Reasons to Consider & Avoid Denied Entry to Canada – Where Can I Get My Medical Exam Done?
You will have to visit the government website to find the specific panel of doctors that are allowed by the Immigration Medical Exam (IME) to carry out the Exam.
How Long Are Medical Exams Valid For Canada?
The IME is valid for 12months and if you don’t go to Canada within this period, you can get another IME.
What Are The Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Inadmissibility?
We are going to be looking at some of the questions people usually ask concerning medical inadmissibility in Canada and we will be answering these questions.
Medical Reasons to Consider & Avoid Denied Entry to Canada – What medical conditions disqualify you from Canadian immigration?
If you have a health condition that may be an excessive demand on the health and social services in Canada or you are seen as a danger to public health in Canada, you may not get entry to Canada.
Some of these health conditions could include mental illnesses that could make you violent, hostile, or disruptive like pedophilia, impulsive sociopath, etc. Also, you would be denied entry if you are a drug addict and your substance abuse could lead to some physical damages like impaired driving or violence.
You can also be denied entry to Canada if you have some other diseases like tuberculosis, untreated syphilis, active pulmonary, etc.
Who is exempted from medical inadmissibility to Canada?
If you want to enter Canada whether as a worker, student, visitor or you are applying for permanent residence, you will have to take the medical exam but there are some people that are exempted from the excessive demand threshold and they are:
- Refugees and their dependents
- Certain people are sponsored by their families like dependent children, spouses, and common-law partners.
Medical Reasons to Consider & Avoid Denied Entry to Canada – How can I overcome medical inadmissibility to Canada?
If you are medically inadmissible to Canada this is not your final decision on your immigration application as you will get a procedural fairness letter to explain why. You will have around 90days to provide information that may change the outcome and some of the information could be:
- If your doctor has changed your medication
- If you’ve received treatment to cure or improve your health condition
- If your doctor has switched your medication to a lower-cost equivalent compared to the excessive demand threshold
In some cases, you may be asked to send a mitigation plan and this is to explain how you plan to ensure that you won’t be an excessive demand to the health and social services.
Final Note
Medical Reasons to Consider & Avoid Denied Entry to Canada – being in good and sound health is one of the requirements for moving to Canada and to improve the success of your application, you will have to be considered admissible to Canada by proving you are in good health.
As we mentioned in this article, you will have to take the medical exam as it will determine if you are healthy and will not be a risk or threat to the safety of others living in Canada. The exam will also show that you won’t be an excessive demand for health and social services in Canada.
If you are medically fit and meet all the other requirements, then you are good to go whatever your purpose is for coming to the Great White North.
