Increased Inclusivity In Canada's Medical Inadmissibility Policy!

On April 16, 2018, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Hussen announced changes to the medical inadmissibility provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to update the existing 40-year-old policy. The Canadian Government had been reviewing all elements of the medical inadmissibility provisions since 2016.

Under the old policy, applicants could be found medically inadmissible to Canada based on a set of criteria out of touch with a 21^st century vision of persons with disabilities and inclusion. Those who have been affected by the provision include economic class immigrants who would have otherwise been approved on the basis of their skills. Their applications would have been refused under the medical inadmissibility provision because they or their children had a health condition or disability that could have been accommodated by Canadian society.