Every year, approximately 1,000Â applicants for permanent and temporary residence in Canada receive a medical inadmissibility finding. It is determined that their health condition may adversely affect health or social services, and this may lead to them being found to be medically inadmissible. About 200 to 300Â cases relate to special education services for children.
No health condition leads to automatic inadmissibility. Applicants may be found inadmissible if the services required to treat their health condition or that of an accompanying dependent is anticipated to cost more than the annual cost threshold, which, for 2017, is $6,655 per year and $33,275 over 5Â years.
There are exemptions for certain applicant categories, including refugees and some members of the family class, specifically spouses, common-law partners and dependent children. In addition, not all temporary residents are eligible for health and social services funded by provinces and territories, so only some temporary residents are assessed for medical inadmissibility. The medical inadmissibility provisions mostly affect the economic class.
Since 2016, the Government of Canada has been reviewing all elements of the medical inadmissibility provisions. This included discussing possible policy changes with the provinces and territories at the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration in September 2017. Dialogue with the provinces and territories will continue in the coming months.
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