Medical Examination for Canada Visa in Nepal

Do Nepali Students Need a Medical Examination for a Canada Visa?

Yes, almost every student from Nepal needs one, because IRCC lists Nepal as a country where a stay in Canada of over 6 months needs a medical exam.

IRCC is Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the office that decides your visa. Its country list for medical exams says “yes” for Nepal. The rule applies if you have lived in Nepal for 6 months or more in a row in the year before you come to Canada.

The medical is one step when you plan to study in Canada from Nepal. It sits inside the wider visa process. Our page on Canada student visa requirements from Nepal has the full document list.

If you stay for 6 months or less, you generally don’t need the exam. The exception is a job where public health must be protected, such as health care or child care. Then you need it however short your stay is.

Which Panel Physicians Can Do the Canada Medical Test in Nepal?

IRCC’s list shows two clinics in Nepal: TMMC in Kathmandu, and IOM in Kathmandu and Damak.

A panel physician is a doctor that IRCC has approved for this exam. Your own doctor can’t do it, and a report from another hospital won’t count. This table copies the doctors and clinics from IRCC’s Find a Panel Physician list for Nepal:

IOM here means the International Organization for Migration, a UN agency. It is not the Institute of Medicine, and people often mix up the two. Damak is handy if you live in the east of Nepal.

IRCC says this list can change, and a named doctor may not be free on your day. The clinic may then offer you another doctor. So open the list again before you book.

How Do You Book a Canada Medical Appointment in Nepal?

You book directly with the clinic by phone, email or its website, and you don’t need a letter from IRCC for an upfront exam.

An upfront exam is one you do before you apply. IRCC says to contact a panel physician directly to get one. These are the usual steps:

1. Choose TMMC or IOM, using the table above.
2. For IOM, use its online appointment system, email or call centre. The IOM Nepal health assessment page says it replies within one working day.
3. For TMMC, call or email, or use the booking button on its services page, which lists Canada exams.
4. Say that the exam is for Canada, and that you want an upfront medical for a study permit.
5. Ask for the fee and what to bring.

IOM says booking with it is free, and that it takes no responsibility for fees you pay to anyone else for a booking. IOM opens Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. TMMC lists its hours as Sunday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.

Clinics close for festivals. The IRCC list has shown closures around Dashain and Tihar, so plan around those weeks.

Should You Do the Medical Exam Before or After You Apply?

Do it before you apply, because IRCC says you should get an upfront medical exam for a study application.

You then upload the clinic’s confirmation with your online application. It goes in with your other papers, such as your PAL, your proof of funds and your passport. IRCC’s study permit document list shows the full set.

If you apply without it, the visa office will tell you what to do next. It sends you the Medical Report form, IMM 1017E or IMM 1020E, and you carry that form to the clinic.

Don’t go too early, because results last 12 months. A good time is once your college has accepted you and you know your start date. Our guide to Canada intakes helps you plan that.

What Should You Bring to the Medical Exam?

Bring your passport and any records of past illness, because the doctor must confirm who you are and note your health history.

IRCC strongly recommends your passport as your ID. Its list of what to bring also includes these:

• Glasses or contact lenses, if you wear them.
• Medical reports or test results for any past or current condition.
• A list of the medicines you take.
• The Medical Report form, if you are not doing an upfront exam.
• 4 recent photos, if the clinic does not use eMedical, IRCC’s online system. Ask the clinic first.
• Vaccine records, if you have them. These are welcome but not required.

IOM Nepal adds a few tips. Bring any old chest X-ray, drink plenty of water, and eat your normal meal. Avoid alcohol the day before, and wear clothes that are easy to take off.

IOM also advises women to avoid the exam during their period, because it affects the urine test. If you have a fever, cough, sore throat or short breath, call and move your appointment.

What Tests Are Included in the Canada Medical Test?

The Canada medical test has a health history talk and a physical exam, and adds a chest X-ray and lab tests depending on your age.

First, the staff check your ID and take your photo. The doctor then asks about past illness and any medicines you take. Tell the truth here, because IRCC says hiding a condition can slow your file.

In the physical exam, staff measure your height and weight and check your hearing and sight. The doctor listens to your heart and lungs, feels your stomach area, and looks at your limbs and skin. IRCC says they do not examine your genital or rectal area.

IOM’s Canada information sheet lists a chest X-ray from age 11. From age 15, it lists blood tests for HIV, syphilis and serum creatinine, which is a kidney test. You may also go to a specialist if a result needs a closer look.

Vaccines are your choice, and IRCC won’t refuse you for saying no. You also have the right to a chaperone at any time, and you can stop the exam to ask a question. Parents can read our wider guide to medical exams and TB tests for study abroad visas.

What Is the Medical Report Price in Nepal for a Canada Visa?

IOM Nepal’s Canada sheet lists USD 70 for people aged 15 or older, about Rs 10,000, while TMMC does not publish its fee online.

That IOM line is labelled for permanent visa applicants, and the sheet has no separate student line. So ask the clinic what a study permit medical costs before you go. The USD 70 is made up like this:

IOM takes US dollars or Nepali rupees at the UN exchange rate for that month. In Kathmandu you can pay by NepalPay QR or cash, and in Damak by cash only.

The fee does not cover extra tests or specialist visits. A sputum test, for example, is listed at USD 120. TB treatment is also not included.

IRCC says you pay at your appointment, and the fee is not refunded if your visa is refused. Add it to your cost of studying in Canada.

What Happens After the Medical Exam?

The doctor sends your results to IRCC and gives you a document that proves you did the exam.

Keep that document safe, because you upload a copy with your application. You don’t get a report that you carry to the visa office. IOM’s sheet says normal cases are sent online within 48 hours.

The doctor does not make the final decision. IRCC does, and it writes to you if there’s a problem. If you want a copy of your results, ask at the clinic that day. The reports and X-rays become IRCC’s property and can’t be returned.

The medical is separate from your other visa steps. You still give biometrics in Nepal and, if asked, a police report. It also isn’t insurance, so read our guide to health insurance in Canada too.

How Long Is the Canada Medical Report Valid?

Your Canada medical results are valid for 12 months, and your letter of introduction shows the date they expire.

The letter of introduction is the paper IRCC sends when it approves your study permit. If you don’t reach Canada within that time, you may need another exam.

Plan around your start date. An exam done too early can run out if your visa takes longer than you hoped, or if you move your admission to a later intake. Visa times change, so leave some room.

IRCC’s page also mentions a 5-year rule for earlier exams. That exemption is for certain people already in Canada, so don’t count on it while you are applying from Nepal.

Can a Medical Result Lead to a Canada Visa Refusal?

Yes, but only for three health reasons, and IRCC writes to you first so you can reply.

IRCC’s medical inadmissibility page gives these three reasons:

• Danger to public health: for example, active tuberculosis or active syphilis.
• Danger to public safety: a risk of sudden loss of ability, or of violent behaviour.
• Too much demand on health services: care that would hurt wait times or cost more than IRCC’s limit.

That limit is CAD 144,390 over 5 years, about Rs 1.5 crore. You can check other amounts with our CAD to Rs forex converter.

Don’t panic about small problems. IOM Nepal says most medical conditions are accepted, though some need more tests. It also says pregnancy won’t harm your immigration chances. So don’t hide anything from the doctor.

If IRCC has a concern, it sends a procedural fairness letter. You then have 90 days to send more information. If you do get a refusal, our guide to Canada student visa refusal from Nepal explains what to do next.

How Can Goreto Help With Your Canada Medical?

Our counselors help you pick the right time for the medical, so that it fits your admission and your visa file.

The clinic does the exam and IRCC makes the decision, so we can’t change a medical result. We can check that your confirmation and other papers are ready before you apply. Our branches are in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara, and you can book a counselling session at any of them.

If you are still comparing advisers, read our page on the best consultancy for Canada in Nepal.