Refugee medical exam in Toronto — free with valid refugee ID, one visit.
Refugee claimants are required by IRCC to complete an immigration medical exam, in most cases within 30 days of claiming asylum. At our clinics the exam is free with valid refugee identification, as set out by IRCC — and everything happens in a single visit.
No payment needed
Your first refugee medical exam is free with a valid refugee ID (for example an Interim Federal Health certificate or refugee protection claimant document), as set out by IRCC.
All tests, one location
Physician exam, blood test and chest X-ray are all done on-site in about 1.5 hours — no separate lab or imaging appointments.
Results go straight to IRCC
We submit your results electronically through eMedical and give you proof of completion on the day.
The refugee exam, step by step
- Book — or walk in. Book online, call us, or walk in during clinic hours. If you have a passport, bring the original; refugee documents listed on our preparation page are also accepted ID.
- One visit covers everything. Medical history review, physician exam, then bloodwork (ages 15+) and chest X-ray (ages 11+) in the same building. Pregnant applicants can defer the X-ray — our physicians will guide you.
- We handle the paperwork. Results are submitted directly to IRCC via eMedical. Your Information Sheet is free; a copy of the full report is optional.
Questions about your claim itself — timelines, next steps — belong with IRCC: see IRCC’s website and Help Centre. We’re here for the medical part, and we’ll make it the easy part.
Support available to refugees in Canada
Canada supports refugees through a range of programs — your medical exam is just one early step. Programs and eligibility change, so always confirm details at the official links:
Healthcare
The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) covers essential medical services for eligible refugees — doctor visits, prescriptions and specified equipment. Your refugee medical exam here is free under IRCC’s rules.
Settling in
The Resettlement Assistance Program helps with arrival, temporary housing, essentials and initial financial aid. Settlement services assist with language, employment and community connections.
Education & the future
Refugee children access publicly funded schools with language support, and refugees in Canada may later apply for permanent residency once criteria are met. Provincial social assistance may also be available.
Book your refugee medical exam
Two clinics, both directly at TTC stations. Staff speak English, Mandarin, Cantonese, French, Farsi, Korean and Tagalog.
What a refugee medical exam is
A refugee medical exam is an immigration medical exam (IME) completed by refugee claimants. It is the same core exam other applicants complete — a review of your medical history, a physical exam and routine tests — performed by an IRCC-designated panel physician and reported directly to IRCC.
The exam screens for a small number of health conditions that matter to public health. If something is found, the panel physician explains it to you and arranges the follow-up testing or care the finding needs. The exam is one input to your file; every decision about your claim rests with IRCC.
Who must complete an exam, and by when, is set out in IRCC's published requirements — we link to the official IRCC page rather than restating policy here.
What a panel physician does — and doesn't do
Only physicians designated by IRCC can perform immigration medical exams. That is what panel physician means — a doctor authorized to conduct the exam, order the required tests and submit the results electronically through eMedical.
The designation is a medical authorization, not a government role. Panel physicians in Toronto work in their own clinics, following IRCC's guidelines for how the exam is conducted.
A panel physician does not decide your claim. The role is medical — examine carefully, document accurately, submit promptly. Questions about your claim itself belong with IRCC.
Documents to bring to your refugee medical exam
Bring every IRCC document you have received — your paperwork identifies you, and it determines whether your exam is covered. If you are missing something, call before your visit; our multilingual staff can tell you what works.
No passport? That is common, and it is fine — the IRCC documents below serve as identification for the exam.
- Medical Report — Client Biodata and Summary (form IMM 1017), if IRCC issued one to you
- Acknowledgement of Claim and Notice to Return for Interview, or your Refugee Protection Claimant Document
- Interim Federal Health (IFH) certificate, if you have one
- Your passport, if you have one — the physical original
- A list of any medications you currently take
Your first refugee medical exam is free with valid refugee ID
With valid refugee identification, your first refugee medical exam is free, as set out by IRCC. No payment is collected at the clinic, and coverage spans the whole visit — physician exam, bloodwork and chest X-ray, all on-site.
Valid identification is the key — an Interim Federal Health certificate or a Refugee Protection Claimant Document, for example. Bring the physical document with you, not a photo of it.
If your documents do not qualify, or you need a repeat exam, our posted pricing applies — see the fee table.
What the refugee medical exam includes
The visit begins with the physician: a review of your medical history and current medications, then a physical exam. This is also the moment to raise any health concerns — the panel physician can answer questions about the process and about your own care.
Bloodwork follows for applicants aged 15 and older — no fasting is required, so eat normally beforehand. A chest X-ray is required from age 11. Everything happens in the same building, with the same team, in a single visit.
The exam is the start of care, not a barrier to it. If our physicians find something that needs attention, they explain it to you directly and outline the next steps.
After the exam — furtherance and follow-up
Occasionally IRCC or the panel physician needs more information after the exam — an extra test, or a specialist's report. This request is called a furtherance: a request for specific additional information, not a decision on your claim.
If a furtherance is requested, we arrange the additional testing and submit the results through eMedical, the same way as the original exam. And if a condition needs ongoing care, our physicians explain the finding and direct you to treatment and support.
If you would like a personal copy of your full report for your records, it is available on request — see the fee table.