An applicant on the regular (non-SDS) study permit route had already submitted biometrics but hadn't yet been asked for a medical exam, with the portal showing results 'under review,' and wanted to know whether to get the medical done proactively and whether they could travel to Canada on a visit visa in the meantime.
What group members advised:- Wait to be formally asked for the medical exam rather than completing and submitting it before IRCC requests it — the portal's 'under review' status doesn't mean a medical is currently required.
- You can travel to Canada on a visit visa while your study permit is in progress. If the study permit is later approved, you have two options: have IRCC mail the approved permit to your Canadian address, or submit your passport to the Ottawa office for in-Canada processing.
The practical takeaway: don't jump ahead of IRCC's process by submitting an unrequested medical exam, and know that traveling to Canada on a separate visit visa is a viable way to be in-country when your study permit comes through, with a defined path (mail-to-address or passport-to-Ottawa) for finishing the paperwork.