Caregiver Medical Exam and Police Clearance Requirements Canada

Two documents in your PR application are largely outside your control once you apply: the medical exam and your police certificates. IRCC assesses both. That's exactly why you need to get them right the first time — a problem with either one can put your file on hold or affect admissibility.

Here is what every caregiver needs to know before submitting their permanent residency application under Canada's Home Care Worker pilots.

The Medical Exam: Who, Where, and When

You cannot go to your regular doctor for this. IRCC requires all applicants and their accompanying family members to be examined by an IRCC-designated panel physician (also called an Approved Panel Physician). You can find the nearest one through the IRCC website or through your country's Canadian visa application center.

The exam covers:

• A physical examination including height, weight, blood pressure, and vision
• Blood tests (specifically for syphilis in most countries)
• A chest X-ray (required for applicants 11 years and older, or for younger children if tuberculosis is suspected)
• A urinalysis
• A review of your medical history

The physician submits the results directly to IRCC through the eMedical system. You do not receive a paper copy to include in your application — you just need to record the date of the exam and the physician's name in your forms.

Timing: Avoiding an Expired Exam

Medical exam results have a limited validity period. Given that IRCC's processing times for caregiver PR applications currently run between 12 and 18 months after the work experience stage, an exam could expire before the decision is made; check the current IRCC validity instructions before booking.

If your results expire while your file is in progress, IRCC may ask you to redo the exam. You'll pay again (the exam costs between $200 and $450 CAD depending on the physician) and there may be a delay while the new results are processed.

The practical strategy: do not do the medical exam too early. Wait until you are confident your application package is nearly complete — within a few weeks of your planned submission date. That gives you the best chance that results will still be valid when IRCC gets to your file.

What the Medical Exam Is Looking For

IRCC uses the exam as part of its medical-admissibility assessment. The exact assessment and any follow-up depend on the applicant's circumstances and current IRCC rules. Disclose your medical history accurately and follow the panel physician's instructions; do not assume that a medical issue has one automatic outcome.

Police Clearances: Every Country You've Lived In

IRCC requires a police certificate for every country where you lived for six months or more since the age of 18. For Canada, follow IRCC's current country-specific instructions rather than assuming a certificate is required solely because you held a work permit.

You need one from each country, not just your home country. If you lived in Hong Kong for two years before coming to Canada, you need certificates from both Hong Kong and the Philippines (or wherever else you lived). If you studied abroad, that country counts too.

Philippines: NBI Clearance

For Filipino applicants, the required police certificate is the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) Clearance. This is the standard Philippine criminal background check.

You can apply for an NBI clearance online through the NBI website, then appear in person at an NBI clearance center for biometrics and photo capture.

The "Hit" issue: A common delay happens when your name matches another person in the NBI database. This is called a "Hit" and it does not mean you have a criminal record — it is often just a name match. When a Hit occurs, the clearance is pulled for manual review, which can add several weeks to the process. If your name is common, apply well ahead of your intended submission date.

Check the current NBI validity instructions when you apply and time the clearance so it remains usable for your submission.

Canada: RCMP Criminal Record Check

If you have lived in Canada, follow IRCC's current instructions on whether a Canadian police certificate is required for your file. Do not assume that an RCMP check is always required solely because you held a Canadian work permit.

Other Countries

For police certificates from countries other than the Philippines and Canada, the process varies significantly. Most countries issue them through their national police authority or an equivalent government body. The Canadian consulate or embassy website for each country usually has the current instructions.

Key points for any foreign police certificate:

• Follow the current IRCC country-specific instructions for the issuing authority
• If not in English or French, check whether a certified translation is required
• Check the validity period for the specific country before ordering it

What Triggers Inadmissibility

If you have any conviction or other criminal-history issue, address it against the current IRCC admissibility rules before filing; the outcome depends on the facts and the applicable process.

Never omit relevant information. Make sure your police certificates and application answers are complete and accurate, and obtain qualified advice if your record may affect admissibility.

Practical Timeline for Both Requirements

The sequence that works best for most applicants:

1. Apply for police certificates from all required countries immediately — they take the most time
2. Begin gathering your work experience documentation and other application materials in parallel
3. Book your medical exam 2 to 4 weeks before you plan to submit — not earlier

For caregivers navigating the full documentation process alongside these admissibility requirements, the Canada Caregiver Program Guide includes a pre-submission timing checklist that maps out when to trigger each step so documents don't expire while you're waiting on other pieces.

A Note on Family Members

If you are including a spouse or dependent children in your PR application, they must all undergo the medical exam and provide their own police certificates (dependants over 18 need police certificates; children under 18 typically only need the medical exam). The same timing rules apply to them. If you have dependants still in your home country, make sure they can access a panel physician in their area and that obtaining the necessary documents won't cause major delays on their end.

Getting both requirements right — complete, current, and accurate — removes two significant failure points from your application. These are not areas to rush or cut corners on.

See more Canada guides →