Notifying clients that they require medical surveillance

This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.

Procedure for inactive tuberculosis

If medical surveillance by the provincial or territorial public health authorities is required, the visa or immigration officer should follow the steps below:

  1. For FOSS/CAIPS: Complete part A of the Medical Surveillance Undertaking form (IMM 0535B) and send it to the applicant (see Completing the IMM 0535B for cases requiring medical surveillance by the provincial or territorial public health authorities).
    For GCMS: Ensure the IMM 0535B form is printed and sent to the applicant.
  2. If using the online version of the IMM 0535B form, print two copies of the form and give both to the applicant. One copy is for the applicant and the second copy will be forwarded to the Public Health Liaison Unit at CIC by the border services officer once the applicant arrives to Canada.
  3. Issue a Medical Surveillance Handout: Inactive Tuberculosis or other Complex Non-Infectious Tuberculosis.
  4. If the medical condition is inactive tuberculosis, check the appropriate box on the Medical Surveillance Handout indicating the timeframe for reporting to public health authorities:
    1. 30 days for inactive tuberculosis (S2.02); or
    2. 7 days for urgent and complex cases of inactive tuberculosis (S2.02U).
  5. Enter the appropriate surveillance coding on foreign national, temporary resident, student or temporary worker documents.
  6. Instruct the applicant to provide the IMM 0535B form at the port of entry.

Procedure for urgent and complex cases of tuberculosis

Unlike routine inactive tuberculosis, which requires reporting to a provincial or territorial public health authority within 30 days of entry to Canada, complex inactive pulmonary tuberculosis and other complex, non-infectious tuberculosis cases should be reviewed by provincial or territorial public health authorities within 7 days of entry to Canada.

All cases meeting the definition of complex inactive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTI) and/or complex, non-infectious tuberculosis as set in the Guidelines for Complex Tuberculosis Cases developed by Migration Health Branch will be reviewed and assessed by two medical officers. Migration Health Branch: For all cases, the medical officer must follow the operational procedures outlined in the Guidelines for Complex Tuberculosis Cases.

Instructions for the regional medical office (RMO) staff

Once a determination of complex PTI is made, the RMO staff should follow the steps below:

  1. Finalize the case as M2 S2.02U in GCMS, which will automatically trigger the Medical Surveillance Undertaking form [IMM 0535] with the word “URGENT” in GCMS.
  2. Add the info-alert 72 in GCMS.
  3. Send the following email to the visa officers in charge of the application and copy the Public Health Liaison Unit:

Subject: Notification COMPLEX PTI case: requires “URGENT” referral

Name:
DOB:
Visa office number:
I mmigration medical examination number:

We have assessed this case as M2/3, complex tuberculosis case requiring urgent referral. An info alert has also been generated in GCMS regarding this assessment. The result will be downloaded in GCMS shortly; however, as per protocol, you will be required to do the following (please ensure that all steps are completed):

  1. Check if “URGENT” is clearly indicated on the Medical Surveillance Undertaking form [IMM 0535], as automatically generated in GCMS (refer to Annex 1, attached herewith).
  2. Ensure that the status is SENT in GCMS when the IMM 0535 form is printed and mailed, or sent electronically to the applicant.
  3. Provide the Public Health Liaison Unit with the applicant’s date of departure and intended destination address, as soon as possible, and copy [name of the RMO].
  4. Provide the Medical Surveillance Hand-out: Inactive Tuberculosis, which will inform the applicant on the need for an urgent assessment.
  5. Check off the “7 days” by a Canadian provincial or territorial public health authority on the form (refer to Annex 2, attached herewith).

Thank you.

Instructions for the visa or immigration officer

In all cases that meet the definition of complex inactive pulmonary tuberculosis and/or complex, non-infectious tuberculosis, the visa or immigration officer should follow the steps below:

  1. Print or send electronically the completed Medical Surveillance Undertaking form (IMM 0535B).
  2. Verify that the word “URGENT” is on the IMM 0535B form.
  3. Verify that the code S2.02U in box 8 of the IMM 0535B form is checked off. When feasible, provide the medical officer and the Public Health Liaison Unit with the applicant’s date of departure and intended destination address.
  4. Ensure the info-alert 72 has been entered in the system. If not, alert the RMO staff. The info-alert will stipulate the following: Complex inactive pulmonary tuberculosis and/or other complex, non-infectious tuberculosis case requiring urgent assessment within 7 days by a Canadian public health authority. Upon entry to Canada, the IMM 0535B identified as “URGENT” must be faxed to the Public Health Liaison Unit at 613-952-3891.
  5. Issue the Medical Surveillance Hand-out: Inactive Tuberculosis or other Complex Non-Infectious Tuberculosis and check off the box indicating that the applicant needs to contact the Canadian provincial or territorial public health authority within 7 days of entering Canada.
  6. Instruct the applicant to provide the IMM 0535B at the port of entry.

Instructions for the border services officer

In all cases meeting the definition of “complex inactive pulmonary tuberculosis and/or complex, non-infectious tuberculosis”, an info-alert 72 will trigger an automatic referral to secondary inspection. The border services officer should follow the steps below:

  1. Request the IMM 0535B form from the applicant.
  2. If the applicant does not hand over the IMM 0535B form, print two from the client’s profile in GCSM.
  3. Ensure that the IMM 0535B forms aresigned and that a Canadian address is obtained.
  4. If the applicant does not have a Medical Surveillance Handout for Inactive Tuberculosis or other Complex Non-Infectious Tuberculosis, issue one and check off the box indicating that the applicant needs to contact the Canadian provincial or territorial public health authority within 7 days of entering Canada.
  5. Fax the IMM 0535B form to the Public Health Liaison Unit the same day the applicant arrives in Canada at 613-952-3891.
  6. Give the “Holder’s copy” to the applicant. The other original signed copy must be sent to the Public Health Liaison Unit via a prepaid envelope.
  7. Give the Tuberculosis Handout to the applicant.

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