How Health Issues Impact Parent Grandparent Applications

You might not realize it when making a Canadian immigration parent grandparent application, but there are a few health issues that could impact the application. A foreign national visiting Canada for six months or more is required to submit a medical examination.

An immigration medical examination is used by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to decide if an applicant is medically suitable. Medical examinations must be carried out by a panel of certified doctors.

Unfortunately for applicants, the IRCC may find an applicant to be medically unacceptable if the person falls into one of the following classifications: a danger to Canada’s public health, a danger to Canada’s public safety, or the person will have an excessive demand on Canada’s healthcare or social services.

What is public health, public safety, and excessive demand?

A person that is deemed a danger to public health is a person that has an infectious disease. Diseases such as tuberculosis can prevent a person from being granted entry into Canada. Infectious diseases that can be spread from close contact are also deemed a danger to Canada’s public health.

A person that is deemed a danger to public safety may be at risk of becoming mentally or physically incapacitated. Individuals who have displayed violent behavior can also be deemed a danger to public safety.

An excessive demand on Canada’s healthcare or social services occurs when a person’s health or social services for medical treatment may affect the waiting time for services. In addition, a person may be deemed to have an excessive demand on Canada’s healthcare or social services if the treatment needed for their health conditions’ cost is more than the excessive demand threshold.

The excessive cost demand threshold is updated each year by the IRCC. The cost is around three times the average cost of healthcare and social services in Canada. The excessive cost demand threshold was around $21,798 per year in 2021. If a person’s medical or social services treatment costs less than $21,798, they will not be considered unacceptable for immigration.

In some cases, the excessive cost demand threshold does not apply to applicants. These cases include:

• Refugees and their dependents
• Protected persons
• Some individuals sponsored by their families, for example children, spouses, or common-law partners

What is a procedure fairness letter?

If an applicant is deemed medically unacceptable, the presiding immigration officer must send the individual a procedural fairness letter. The procedure fairness letter will explain the reason why the applicant was deemed unacceptable for immigration. The applicant has the opportunity to respond to the procedure fairness letter prior to the IRCC making a final decision on the application.

Certain evidence is needed to be presented by the applicant when responding to the procedure fairness letter. Acceptable evidence includes:

• Receiving treatment to cure or better the health condition
• Type of medication and social services needed
• The cost of the applicant’s required medications or services needed

An applicant has 90 days to submit the new information. The 90-day window begins from the date the procedure of fairness letter was sent. An extension can be requested.

Immigration officers want applicants to display that they can support their medical expenses. Evidence can show that an applicant can afford an employer-based medical insurance plan or a private long-term healthcare facility.

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