How to Get and Submit the Upfront Medical Report (IMM 1017B)

The upfront medical report IMM 1017B is the confirmation letter an IRCC-approved panel physician gives you after an immigration medical exam you arranged on your own before submitting your application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. It carries a barcode and a unique medical identifier (UMI) number that you attach to your application so officers can pull up your exam results electronically. Doing the exam upfront keeps your file moving instead of pausing while IRCC waits for medical clearance.

Who Should Do an Upfront Exam

Not every applicant needs a medical exam, and not everyone who needs one has to do it upfront. For temporary residents — visitors, students, and workers — IRCC requires a medical exam if any of the following applies:

You plan to stay more than six months and have lived in or traveled to a country on IRCC’s designated list for six or more consecutive months in the year before arriving in Canada.
You will work in healthcare, schools, childcare, nursing homes, or similar settings where close contact with people makes public health screening necessary, even for stays under six months.
You are applying for a parent or grandparent super visa (required regardless of country).
You are an agricultural worker who has lived in or visited a designated country for six or more consecutive months in the past year.

The full list of designated countries is on IRCC’s site.¹

For permanent residence, an upfront exam has been mandatory for Express Entry applicants since August 21, 2025. Other permanent residence applicants usually wait for IRCC to send exam instructions after applying, though you can still choose to do it upfront.²

The IMM 1017B form itself covers these applicant categories: Student, Worker, Family, Visitor, and Refugee claimant (in Canada only).³

Find an IRCC-Approved Panel Physician

Only panel physicians authorized by IRCC can perform an immigration medical exam. A regular family doctor or a walk-in clinic cannot do it, and results from any other provider will not be accepted. IRCC maintains an online locator where you pick your country or territory and, if applicable, your province to see approved physicians near you.⁴

Book early. Popular clinics in major cities can have waits of several weeks, and if the physician you called is not available, the clinic may offer another authorized doctor at the same practice.

What to Bring to the Appointment

Show up with the following so the exam can proceed:

Your passport. IRCC strongly recommends it as the primary ID. Alternatives include a national identity card, a driver’s license from Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Australia, or New Zealand (if you are still in that country), an original birth certificate for children under 18, or a refugee travel document.
Eyeglasses or contact lenses, if you use them, for the vision screening.
Medical reports and test results tied to any existing or previous conditions — specialist reports, hospital discharge summaries, imaging.
A list of your current medications with names, dosages, and frequency.
Vaccination records. IRCC encourages bringing proof for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, COVID-19, and other routine immunizations.
Four recent photos, but only if your panel physician does not use the eMedical electronic system. Call ahead to check.

These items are listed on IRCC’s medical exam pages.²

What the Exam Covers

The panel physician does a standard physical: blood pressure, heart, lungs, vision, and hearing. Lab tests depend on age. Applicants 5 and older have a urinalysis. Those 11 and older get a chest X-ray for tuberculosis screening. From age 15, blood tests are added for HIV, syphilis, and serum creatinine (a kidney marker). Children under five typically have only the physical exam.

The physician does not decide whether you are medically admissible. They collect and submit the data through IRCC’s eMedical system; an immigration officer reviews the results and makes the call.¹

Getting Your IMM 1017B and UMI Number

After your results are transmitted, the physician gives you the IMM 1017B confirmation letter. It contains a barcode and your UMI number, and it is the only physical proof that your exam was completed.³ Keep the original safe. The form instructs you to attach it to your immigration application before sending it to your visa office.

How to Submit It With Your Application

When you file your visitor visa, study permit, work permit, or permanent residence application, include the UMI number (sometimes labeled IME number) so officers can retrieve your electronic medical report. Applying online through the IRCC portal? Upload a scanned copy of the IMM 1017B. Applying on paper? Include the original letter in your package.

If you completed an immigration medical exam within the past five years and those results showed low or no risk to public health or safety, you may be exempt from a new one. Include the IME or UMI number from that earlier exam in your new application. This exemption is in effect until October 5, 2029.¹

How Long the Results Are Valid

Results are valid for 12 months. For students and workers, letters of introduction issued after November 30, 2021 show the exact expiry date. If you do not arrive in Canada within that window, you will likely need a new exam.¹

So timing matters. Do the exam too early and the clock can run out before your application is processed and you travel. A safer approach is to schedule it close to when you plan to submit your application, leaving as much of the 12 months as possible for processing and arrival.

Cost

Immigration medical exams are self-pay. IRCC does not set or regulate the fee; each clinic prices its own service. Expect several hundred dollars, with lower rates common for children. Provincial health insurance and most private plans do not cover immigration exams. Call the clinic before booking to confirm the fee and payment methods.

If IRCC Has Medical Concerns

Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, an applicant can be found inadmissible on health grounds if their condition is likely to endanger public health or public safety, or could reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on Canadian health or social services.⁵ No specific condition triggers an automatic refusal; IRCC assesses each case individually.⁶ If concerns arise, you will get a procedural fairness letter and a chance to respond before any final decision.

1
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Medical Exams for Visitors, Students and Workers
2
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Medical Examination for Permanent Residence Applicants
3
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. IMM 1017B Upfront Medical Report Form
4
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Find a Panel Physician
5
Justice Laws Website. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act – Section 38
6
Canada.ca. Changes to the Medical Inadmissibility Policy of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act Take Effect