Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) has announced the extension of a temporary public policy that exempts certain low-risk foreign nationals from undergoing an additional immigration medical examination (IME). This policy, originally implemented two years ago, will now remain in effect until October 5, 2029. The goal of this extension is to accelerate application processing and improve services for eligible applicants.

The exemption applies to foreign nationals with new or pending applications for permanent or temporary residence, as well as those applying for a permanent resident visa from within Canada. To qualify, applicants must have completed an IME within the last five years, even if it has expired. They must also not pose any public health or safety risks and should have complied with reporting requirements to public health authorities.

This policy has already benefited over 286,000 individuals by facilitating faster processing and minimizing bureaucratic delays. By continuing this exemption, the IRCC aims to enhance operational efficiency while collaborating with the Public Health Agency of Canada to monitor public health outcomes. The extension also allows more time to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of this streamlined process.

It's important to note that applicants not qualifying for this exemption will still need to go through standard health screening procedures, including a new IME. The IRCC will directly inform these individuals about the necessary next steps.

This initiative is part of Canada's broader strategy to balance efficient immigration processing with the necessity of maintaining public health safety. The extension of the exemption for low-risk applicants aims to ensure smoother transitions while upholding essential health requirements.

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