If you are looking to apply for permanent residency in Canada you will need to have an immigration medical exam performed by a Canadian panel physician. In this post, our Ottawa and Orleans immigration physicians share some useful information and advice about choosing an IRCC-approved panel physician.
One of the most important parts of the immigration process is the Immigration Medical Exam. This is a requirement for anyone looking to apply for permanent residency in Canada. These exams can only be performed by approved Immigration Refugee & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) panel physicians.
How to Find a Panel Physician
If you are looking for a panel physician in Ottawa, you can visit the Canada Immigration & Citizenship (CIC) website.
From there you would select Canada and Ontario from the drop-down menus. This will provide you with a list of all panel physicians in Ontario. You can scroll down this list until you reach physicians in Ottawa and select the IRCC panel physician of your choice.
The good news is that you are able to choose any of the listed panel physicians in Canada, regardless of where you live. This makes it easier if you would prefer to see a panel physician that is closer to a location other than your home, such as near your workplace.
Once you are looking at the list of panel physicians you will be able to access their websites to find more information about their location, availability, prices as well as their Google Review ratings.
What is the cost of services from a panel physician?
A large number of the panel physicians share their service fees on their websites. If you are unable to locate their fees anywhere online you can also call them for more information.
You may see a difference in the price structure for each clinic. While some may offer an all-inclusive fee that covers all of the tests required, others may post the individual cost of each you will need.
If the clinic you are looking at only shows the individual prices be sure to ask for an overall total to accurately compare the cost with other clinics.
You may also note that the cost of tests differs based on the age of the client. This is because clients under the age of 14 will need fewer tests to complete their immigration exam compared to clients over the age of 15.
Choosing the Right Panel Physician
1. Client Reviews
When you are choosing an IRCC panel physician, you will likely also want to consider the rating of their service based on the experience of previous clients.
Unfortunately, there is no way to check the service ratings of all panel physicians in one place. You can, however, compare panel physicians by taking a look at their Google reviews. This is also a great way to learn more about what to expect from both the clinic and physician and to hear more about how the immigration exam process went for other clients.
2. Availability
You should also factor in the availability of the panel physician when making your decision. If you are in a situation where you need an urgent immigration medical exam you will want to be sure that the clinic you choose can complete it promptly. You can learn more about the availability at any clinic by either visiting their website or calling them to learn more about when the earliest availability is.
3. Special Considerations
In addition to the factors mentioned above, there may be other considerations when choosing a panel physician. One of these considerations could be if you are a female client and you feel more comfortable choosing a panel physician who is also female. In this case, you can take a look at the list of approved panel physicians to find one or contact the clinic of your choice to inquire about female panel physicians on staff.
At Immigration Physician Ottawa, our panel physicians are approved to provide Immigration Medical Exams for immigrants and refugees, serving patients from Ottawa, across Ontario and throughout Canada. Both of our panel physicians offer the same services at the same low prices at both of our clinics.
