Deferring chest x-ray (CXR) for pregnant applicant

[saad2023]

Hi guys,

I'm sponsoring my wife inland and while we're waiting for the decision on PR, she wants to apply for OWP (which requires a medical exam), but she's pregnant and wants to defer the chest x-ray until after giving birth.
According to IRCC guidelines:

Migration officers can see the status of the IME in GCMS: “On HOLD pregnancy” until the CXR is completed.

What will IRCC do with the OWP application in this case? Will they put the whole application on hold too? Is it worth going for the IME and deferring CXR? Or is it better to postpone the whole medical exam?

Please if anyone tried the "CXR deferral", let us know how it impacted your application.

Thanks!

 

[scylla]

Hi guys,

I'm sponsoring my wife inland and while we're waiting for the decision on PR, she wants to apply for OWP (which requires a medical exam), but she's pregnant and wants to defer the chest x-ray until after giving birth.
According to IRCC guidelines:


What will IRCC do with the OWP application in this case? Will they put the whole application on hold too? Is it worth going for the IME and deferring CXR? Or is it better to postpone the whole medical exam?

Please if anyone tried the "CXR deferral", let us know how it impacted your application.

Thanks!

Post to the family sponsorship section.

 

[canuck78]

Hi guys,

I'm sponsoring my wife inland and while we're waiting for the decision on PR, she wants to apply for OWP (which requires a medical exam), but she's pregnant and wants to defer the chest x-ray until after giving birth.
According to IRCC guidelines:


What will IRCC do with the OWP application in this case? Will they put the whole application on hold too? Is it worth going for the IME and deferring CXR? Or is it better to postpone the whole medical exam?

Please if anyone tried the "CXR deferral", let us know how it impacted your application.

Thanks!

All the application will be put on hold. Would suggest discussing doing a chest x-ray with your OB or midwife. Although any medically unnecessary procedure is usually not recommended during pregnancy a chest-ray has minimal radiation exposure especially if using lead protection and there are substantial drawbacks of putting all your immigration applications on hold. In many provinces your spouse will also not qualify for provincial healthcare without PR (or right before PR) or without OWP and a full-time job that is scheduled to last over 6 months. We are seeing a large number of pregnant women applying for sponsorship while in Canada and running into lots of problems because of chest x-rays, nkt qualifying for healthcare, etc. All of this was predictable when federal government made it easier for spouses to enter Canada during sponsorship but they didn’t take into account things like healthcare coverage.

 

[saad2023]

All the application will be put on hold. Would suggest discussing doing a chest x-ray with your OB or midwife. Although any medically unnecessary procedure is usually not recommended during pregnancy a chest-ray has minimal radiation exposure especially if using lead protection and there are substantial drawbacks of putting all your immigration applications on hold. In many provinces your spouse will also not qualify for provincial healthcare without PR (or right before PR) or without OWP and a full-time job that is scheduled to last over 6 months. We are seeing a large number of pregnant women applying for sponsorship while in Canada and running into lots of problems because of chest x-rays, nkt qualifying for healthcare, etc. All of this was predictable when federal government made it easier for spouses to enter Canada during sponsorship but they didn’t take into account things like healthcare coverage.

Thank you canuck78 for your explanation. Being an inland PR applicant without provincial health insurance is a real struggle and risk, especially when there's a pregnancy or other needs for medical attention.

 

[canuck78]

Thank you canuck78 for your explanation. Being an inland PR applicant without provincial health insurance is a real struggle and risk, especially when there's a pregnancy or other needs for medical attention.

You should always take out private insurance before coming to Canada if you don’t qualify for medical coverage. You will probably have to pay some out of pocket

 

[saad2023]

You should always take out private insurance before coming to Canada if you don’t qualify for medical coverage. You will probably have to pay some out of pocket

That's exactly what's happening having private insurance and still paying out of pocket for pregnancy-related healthcare as it's usually not covered by private insurance companies.

In case we decide to defer the CXR and submit a deferral letter to IRCC, do you think that will impact receiving the AIP on its normal timeline? I'm asking about the AIP only, not the final application approval which will be delayed for sure. The AIP will allow us to get provincial health insurance.

 

[canuck78]

That's exactly what's happening having private insurance and still paying out of pocket for pregnancy-related healthcare as it's usually not covered by private insurance companies.

In case we decide to defer the CXR and submit a deferral letter to IRCC, do you think that will impact receiving the AIP on its normal timeline? I'm asking about the AIP only, not the final application approval which will be delayed for sure. The AIP will allow us to get provincial health insurance.

You won’t get AIP without completing the medical. How could you be approved in principle without the results of the medical. If you only take out emergency travel insurance most couples would take measures to prevent a pregnancy or implantation unless they can afford to pay out of pocket for all costs comfortably.

 

[saad2023]

You won’t get AIP without completing the medical. How could you be approved in principle without the results of the medical. If you only take out emergency travel insurance most couples would take measures to prevent a pregnancy or implantation unless they can afford to pay out of pocket for all costs comfortably.

According to IRCC definition here, AIR means the eligibility requirements are met, but the applicant still has to pass the medical, security and background checks.
That's why I'm hoping to get AIP even with an incomplete medical exam. This is our only way out now!

 

[canuck78]

According to IRCC definition here, AIR means the eligibility requirements are met, but the applicant still has to pass the medical, security and background checks.
That's why I'm hoping to get AIP even with an incomplete medical exam. This is our only way out now!

Medical and backgrounds checks are typically before AIP and you get AIP right before you get approved for PR. I haven’t seen anyone get AIP before completing their medical when it comes to a sponsorship applocation. Assume you must be in Ontario if talking about AIP.