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Old medical exam from a study permit still valid after getting an Express Entry ITA?

Canada • Express Entry • immigration 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Documents Needed

  • Letter of Explanation (LOE)

    Attach one referencing the applicable IRCC public policy when submitting a prior Immigration Medical Exam (IME) instead of a new one.

Step-by-Step

If you received an Express Entry ITA and your last Immigration Medical Exam (IME) was done years earlier (e.g., for a study permit), you may not need a new one:

  1. Check the IRCC public policy for inland applicants that allows a previously passed IME to remain valid — historically IRCC has recognized an IME as valid for up to 5 years if you've continuously resided in Canada since it was done.

  2. Attach a Letter of Explanation (LOE) to your application citing this public policy and explaining that you're relying on your existing valid IME rather than completing a new one.

  3. Confirm the current validity window on IRCC's site before applying, since public policies and exemptions like this can be updated or withdrawn — one applicant successfully submitted an IME that had technically expired by a few months by citing the policy, but rules and enforcement can change.


If your IME expired well beyond 5 years, or you've left and re-entered Canada in the meantime, plan to redo the medical exam instead of relying on the exemption.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Do: Attach a Letter of Explanation citing the relevant IRCC public policy if reusing an old IME instead of getting a new one.
  • Tip: The 5-year IME validity exemption applies to applicants who have continuously resided in Canada — verify current eligibility on IRCC's site before relying on it.

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