When chosen to resettle in Canada as a result of a public policy or on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, the overseas Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) will cover the cost of the IRCC panel physician charges handling your immigration medical exam.

To claim refugee status, you must either be in a position of being tortured, facing unusual treatment or punishment, as well as putting your life at risk if you leave Canada. If any of these scenarios apply to you, your asylum claim will be processed faster to protect you from danger.

Getting a Canadian refugee visa will depend on whether you meet the following criteria:

Eligibility

To seek protection in Canada, you must be eligible to participate in the program. It’s the duty of designated officers to check the merit of your case, using specific guidelines, before referring your claim to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). Part of what the IRB will consider is whether you’re under a removal notice, not recognized as a convention refugee by another country, and if you have a criminal record.

Safe Third Country Agreement

The US and Canada have an agreement between them that whichever country you arrive in first as a safe country is the one you can apply in. This means that Afghan refugees who arrive in Calgary first, as an instance, can only apply for refugee status in Canada.

Risk to Your Life

If you’re facing the possibility of persecution, oppression or danger in your country, Canada will offer protection to you and process your claim faster.

You can make an application for asylum from within or outside of Canada if you meet the conditions stated above. And just like an Express Entry medical exam, a panel physician IRCC recommends is expected to conduct your physical exam.

The IFHP will cover the fees an IRCC panel physician charges for your CIC medical exam. Even if you have sufficient money to cover what the panel physician Canada approves will charge, you still fall under the country of asylum class if your country is in a civil war or armed conflict.

An IRCC medical exam panel consists of CIC panel physicians whose duty is to check the health status of applicants before they gain admissibility into Canada.

To learn more about how to apply as a refugee to Canada and book for your immigration medicals, please visit our Panel Physicians page for more information.