Two of the most commonly mishandled documents in a spousal sponsorship Canada application are police certificates and medical examinations. Neither is conceptually complex, but both carry specific rules about validity, timing, and what to do when processing extends past their expiry dates. Getting these wrong delays applications and, in some cases, leads to returns or refusals that could have been avoided entirely.

This guide covers every rule applicants need to know about police certificates and medical examinations in the context of spousal sponsorship in 2026.

Police Certificates: What They Are and Who Needs Them

A police certificate is an official document issued by the law enforcement or criminal records authority of a given country, confirming what criminal record, if any, exists for the person named. In a spousal sponsorship application, the sponsored person (and any dependants aged 18 or older included in the application) must provide police certificates from every country where they have lived for six or more consecutive months since the age of 18.

There is no upper age limit and no minimum time since the residence. If your sponsored spouse lived in three countries as an adult for six months or more in each, you need police certificates from all three, regardless of how long ago they lived there.

Other Countries IRCC applies different validity rules depending on whether the certificate is from the country where the sponsored person currently lives or from another country where they previously resided.

Country Type Validity Rule What to Do Country of current residence Must be issued no more than 6 months before the date of application submission Obtain it as close to your submission date as possible.

Other countries where you lived 6+ consecutive months since age 18 Must be issued after the last time you resided there for 6 or more consecutive months Can be older if it post-dates your last stay.

Countries with expiry dates printed on the certificate IRCC will accept it if it was issued after your last stay there and it is not for your current country Include it with your application.

Countries that require an IRCC request letter before issuing Cannot obtain without IRCC’s letter Upload a note in the police certificate field stating this.

Police Certificate Validity Rules: Current Country vs. Other Countries

IRCC applies different validity rules depending on whether the certificate is from the country where the sponsored person currently lives or from another country where they previously resided.

Countries Where Police Certificates Are Difficult to Obtain

Some countries either cannot issue police certificates, require extended processing times of several months, or require an official request letter from IRCC before they will issue a certificate to a private individual.

If the sponsored person needs a police certificate from a country that falls into any of these categories, upload a written explanation in the police certificate field of the document checklist stating the specific reason the certificate cannot be obtained or requires IRCC’s assistance. IRCC will review your application and, if it is otherwise complete, will provide further instructions, potentially including a request letter you can use to obtain the certificate.

Do not leave a police certificate field blank without an explanation. An unexplained gap in police certificate coverage is treated as an incomplete application.

If a Police Certificate Expires During Processing

Given that outland spousal sponsorship processing currently runs approximately 15 months and inland runs 24 months, it is common for police certificates obtained at the time of submission to expire before a final decision is made. IRCC’s policy on this situation is clear.

For certificates from countries the sponsored person no longer lives in: IRCC will generally accept these even if they carry a printed expiry date, provided they were valid at submission and were issued after the sponsored person’s last stay of six or more months in that country.

For the certificate from the country of current residence: IRCC may request an updated certificate during processing if it has expired and background checks are still active. When this happens, you will receive a request through your IRCC secure account. Respond within the stated deadline with a new certificate meeting the current-country validity rule.

Whether to proactively obtain a new current-country certificate before being asked depends on your specific situation. If you know your certificate is approaching expiry and your application is still in the middle of processing, you can obtain a new one. However, only submit it in response to an IRCC request, not spontaneously, to avoid creating confusion in the file. Use the IRCC webform to alert IRCC that you have an updated certificate available if needed.

Medical Examinations: Rules and Timing

The sponsored person, and every dependant included in the application even if they are not coming to Canada, must complete an Immigration Medical Examination (IME) conducted by an IRCC-approved panel physician. This is not a standard doctor’s visit. You cannot use your own family doctor unless they are specifically listed on the IRCC panel physician directory.

When to Complete the Medical Exam

For most spousal sponsorship applications, IRCC sends instructions for the medical examination after the application is submitted and the AOR has been issued. Wait for these instructions before booking your appointment. The instructions will specify a 30-day window within which the exam must be completed after IRCC’s request is received.

There is also the option of completing an upfront medical exam before submitting your application. This approach means the exam results are already in IRCC’s system when the file opens, potentially saving some processing time. However, medical exam results are valid for only 12 months from the date of the exam. Given that processing times currently run 15 to 24 months, an upfront medical exam carries a real risk of expiring before a final decision is made, requiring the exam to be repeated. For most applicants, waiting for IRCC’s instructions after submission is the more practical approach.

How to Find an IRCC-Approved Panel Physician

The IRCC panel physician directory is searchable by country at canada.ca. Search for your sponsored person’s country of residence and select a panel physician based on location. Contact the physician’s office to confirm availability and costs before booking. Panel physician fees are not included in IRCC’s government fees and are paid directly to the physician. Costs typically range from $200 to $500 CAD depending on the country and physician.

What the Medical Exam Covers

The immigration medical examination includes a physical examination, a review of medical history, blood tests for certain conditions, a chest X-ray for applicants aged 11 or older (and in some cases for younger children depending on circumstances), and a urine test. The panel physician transmits the results directly to IRCC electronically. The physician gives the applicant a printout confirming the exam was completed, which should be kept on file.

The panel physician does not make the final admissibility determination. That decision rests with IRCC’s medical review unit. The physician’s role is to conduct the examination and transmit results.

Medical Inadmissibility in Family Class

For sponsored spouses, the excessive demand on health services rule that applies to economic class immigration does not apply. This means that a health condition that would create admissibility barriers for an economic immigrant because of potential future demands on the healthcare system does not create the same barrier for a sponsored spouse under family class. The grounds for medical inadmissibility that remain applicable are those involving a danger to public health or public safety, such as active tuberculosis or certain infectious disease conditions.

This distinction matters for families where the sponsored person has a chronic health condition. If a condition was managed and stable, and does not create a public health or safety risk, it is unlikely to be a barrier to admissibility in the family class context.

If the Medical Exam Expires During Processing

Medical exam results are valid for 12 months from the date of the examination. If processing extends past this 12-month window, IRCC will send a request for a new examination. Do not redo the medical exam proactively without IRCC’s instruction. Medical results must be submitted by the panel physician directly to IRCC, not uploaded by the applicant. If you undergo an exam without being instructed to do so, the results may not be accepted into the processing system.

When you receive an IRCC request for a new medical exam, respond promptly. Book the appointment with an IRCC-approved panel physician as soon as possible. The 30-day window from IRCC’s request is strict.

Tracking Expiry Dates Throughout Processing

From the moment you submit your spousal sponsorship application, maintain a simple log of every time-sensitive document and its expiry date. This log should include the medical exam date and the 12-month expiry, the current-country police certificate issue date, any document with a printed expiry date, and the sponsored person’s passport expiry. Review this log monthly throughout processing so that no expiry comes as a surprise during what is already a stressful waiting period.

Frequently Asked Questions