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Vision Questions Megathread, Categories, Problems etc.

Hello,

Does anyone know the basic vision requirements for an infantry soldier?
Right eye -4.75-0.75 x 010
Left eye -5.00-0.75 x 170
If so will this vision be an issue?
 
Infantry, like most combat arms, is V3. Which means better than 6/60 in both eyes and correctable to 6/6 in one eye and at least 6/9 in the other eye.

The prescription is not used to determine vision category unless your dioptres are greater than +/- 7.00, then it’s an automatic V5 and no go for the CAF in ANY trade.
 
I remember spending hours and hours fruitlessly searching the web and this forum for a 6/X to diopters converter. So here I'll post my results.

-2.0 and both eyes should get you V3. -2.5 is a stretch, expect a V4. Remember only the medical officer will be able to tell.

Good luck to any fellow glasses-wearing bloke trying to get in.
 
Unfortunately it's not a straight prescription to acuity conversion.
It depends on your cylinders, sphere, diopters.
If it was straightforward there would be a conversion chart somewhere.
Basically if you wear glasses for distance vision, you will be V2 AT BEST. More likely V3 if you need your glasses to see.

And you should only consider lasik/PRK/wavefront if it is something you want for the rest of your life (non-military stuff I mean) not just to get into the military. So much can go wrong with the surgery that you need to be sure it's what you want. I've had it done and love the results but I did it before considering joining the military.
 
Hey, so I've been wanting to join the Canadian army since I came to Canada. Its been over a year and roughly 4 months, I am a refugee. I know of the basic needs to join but I just wanted to make sure.

I want to join the Infantry unit.

I was born in Pakistan july 7th, 2002.

I am 16 years of age and will be 17 on July 7th.

I use glasses but dont normally wear them. I am pretty much blind. I can see around 3-4 meters away.

Physically I am not in the best shape but ive been able to do 20 push ups. 20 sit ups. Run a mile (~2.5km) 7 minutes. Can curl 25LB. I am also a fast runner for short bursts. As of right now I weight in at around 220LB (~100kg).

Mentally I am strong I can follow order with no questions.

While my writting in English isn't 10/10 my verbal skills are really good. I can also speak Urdu fluently but not read nor write.

I have no medical needs or defects.

Those are the things i believe which will be the most important. If there is anymore info you need Feel free to ask and Ill try my best to respond. Also let me know if its possible for me to join when I hopefuly get my citizenship.

THANK YOU,
Amazing.
 
Amazing said:
I am pretty much blind.

See also,

Vision Questions Megathread, Categories, Problems etc.
https://army.ca/forums/threads/432.0
33 pages.

As always, Recruiting is your most trusted source of official, up to date, information.

"Unofficial site, not associated with DND or the Canadian Armed Forces."



 
Amazing said:
Hey, so I've been wanting to join the Canadian army since I came to Canada. Its been over a year and roughly 4 months, I am a refugee. I know of the basic needs to join but I just wanted to make sure.

I want to join the Infantry unit.

I was born in Pakistan july 7th, 2002.

I am 16 years of age and will be 17 on July 7th.

I use glasses but dont normally wear them. I am pretty much blind. I can see around 3-4 meters away.

Physically I am not in the best shape but ive been able to do 20 push ups. 20 sit ups. Run a mile (~2.5km) 7 minutes. Can curl 25LB. I am also a fast runner for short bursts. As of right now I weight in at around 220LB (~100kg).

Mentally I am strong I can follow order with no questions.

While my writting in English isn't 10/10 my verbal skills are really good. I can also speak Urdu fluently but not read nor write.

I have no medical needs or defects.

Those are the things i believe which will be the most important. If there is anymore info you need Feel free to ask and Ill try my best to respond. Also let me know if its possible for me to join when I hopefuly get my citizenship.

THANK YOU,
Amazing.


Lots of confusing things in your post.


First of all you need to be a Canadian citizen to join any branch of the CAF. Full stop. No way around that. Get your citizenship and go from there.

You say you use glasses but you don’t wear them. You can see for 3-4 meters but are pretty much blind. If you wear glasses you can still join.  It if you are blind you can’t. 3-4 meters may be ok for everyday life (please I hope you are not driving!) but we shoot weapons at a distance of 200 meters. You need to see what you are shooting at. Wear your glasses!


You run a mile in 7 minutes. Pretty good! But then you say a mile is 2.5km. No. No it’s not. 1 mile is 1.6km. 3 miles is roughly 5km (according to the race stats people).


Bottom line, however, no one here can guarantee if you can join when you get your citizenship. You will need to do the medical exam AND the CFAT AND a background check AND an interview. IF all these things check out them it might be possible.
 
I was wondering if the ICL (Implantable Collamer/Contact Lens) procedure is an accepted method of vision correction for someone who wants to join CIC reserve which has a V4 standard?
I am not a suitable candidate for Lasik so my only option is ICL which is an accepted method of vision correction for most modern military forces including U.S. Air Force and British Armed Forces.
I can not find any information for accepted methods of vision correction for CIC reserve (non-pilot or aircrew in general). Do you know who I can contact in order to verify this information? is there a phone number or email address?
 
The only person who can tell you for sure is the medical recruiter at your local recruiting centre. However ICL is not acceptable for currently serving members as a method of vision correction. It has to do with atmospheric pressure changes when in a plane or under water. Doesn’t matter that your chosen trade won’t encounter these environments, it’s the policy.
 
paleomedic said:
The only person who can tell you for sure is the medical recruiter at your local recruiting centre. However ICL is not acceptable for currently serving members as a method of vision correction. It has to do with atmospheric pressure changes when in a plane or under water. Doesn’t matter that your chosen trade won’t encounter these environments, it’s the policy.

Thank you for your response. I decided to do the CAF approved PRK surgery last week and managed to lower my prescription form -11 to -3.5 which should qualify me for a V4 easily.
Now my only concern is whether there are any requirements of pre-treatment refraction limit? So for example, if your pre-operation prescription is above some level regardless of the post-operation outcome you would still disqualify.
I could only find such limits for pilots and aircrew (around -8) but nothing else for other trades including the one I am going for which is V4 IO. 
 
obviously they test both your eyes. do they score you on your best eye, your worst eye, or an average of both eyes?

i have bad vision even when corrected but just in one eye and im concerned i dont meet requirements for marine technician trade.
 
Hi. I just recently applied for the primary reserve. I want to go in as a marine technician. I have quite bad eyesight in just one eye, uncorrected it is very very bad only in just ONE eye, like I cannot read or make out any words  in my right eye without glasses. With glasses it’s still pretty bad but it’s much better. My left eye however is almost perfect, my prescription for my left eye is close to nothing. In my left eye I cannot tell when my glasses are on or off the prescription is so light. uncorrected and corrected it is very good.

My question is:

Obviously they test both eyes but, do they keep score on an average of both eyes, or they keep score on the better or worse eye?


 
V4

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/policies-standards/medical-standards-military-occupations/medical-category-system/instructions-for-testing-visual-acuity.html
 
Good morning,

Also getting pretty nervous, I do my vision test in two days.

Mostly nervous because like the guy above me my right eye is 20/20 or near 20/20 but my left eye is 20/80 or 20/100 so I’m getting pretty nervous.

Best of luck to everyone!
 
Gregus84 said:
Good morning,

Also getting pretty nervous, I do my vision test in two days.

Mostly nervous because like the guy above me my right eye is 20/20 or near 20/20 but my left eye is 20/80 or 20/100 so I’m getting pretty nervous.

Best of luck to everyone!

Alright so my vision is worse than I thought it’s 6/45 left eye uncorrected and 6/6 corrected and my right eye is 6/6..

Not sure what category that is hoping for V3 otherwise I don’t qualify.
 
Hey all,
Recently completed my medical, everything went super well with the exception of my eyesight, for which I was directed to take a new examination and send them an updated prescription form. However I'm not sure about where I fall within the vision categories from V5-V1 and don't want to annoy my local CFRC even more than I already have, can anyone enlighten me? I'm not very good at deciphering all this medical jargon.

Both eyes uncorrected are 6/120
Both eyes correctable to 6/6

Sphere Correction Cylinder (Secondary) Correction Axis (Degrees of Cylinder correction)
Right Eye -5.25 -2.00 005
Left Eye -5.55 -1.75 175



From what I gather from browsing the forum is that my numbers would pace me between V3 and V4 however I am aware that this is variable based on a number of factors, anything I should be worried about?

I enrolled as a signal operator if that means anything, also if I don't make it into my desired vision category, would corrective surgery at some point down the line be an issue if I make it into the CAF i.e barring me from certain courses/jobs/taskings? Thank you.
 
Last edited:
Hey all,
Recently completed my medical, everything went super well with the exception of my eyesight, for which I was directed to take a new examination and send them an updated prescription form. However I'm not sure about where I fall within the vision categories from V5-V1 and don't want to annoy my local CFRC even more than I already have, can anyone enlighten me? I'm not very good at deciphering all this medical jargon.

Both eyes uncorrected are 6/120
Both eyes correctable to 6/6

Sphere Correction Cylinder (Secondary) Correction Axis (Degrees of Cylinder correction)
Right Eye -5.25 -2.00 005
Left Eye -5.55 -1.75 175



From what I gather from browsing the forum is that my numbers would pace me between V3 and V4 however I am aware that this is variable based on a number of factors, anything I should be worried about?

I enrolled as a signal operator if that means anything, also if I don't make it into my desired vision category, would corrective surgery at some point down the line be an issue if I make it into the CAF i.e barring me from certain courses/jobs/taskings? Thank you.
Edit: It appears that a score of 6/60 in both eyes and a corrected score of 6/6 and 6/9 are what places one in the V3 vision category, would being worse than 6/60 uncorrected but 6/6 corrected mean anything, or are the categories set, do I even have a chance of making V3 or am I stuck at V4? The medic who administered my eye exam may have gotten my hopes up haha
 
Edit: It appears that a score of 6/60 in both eyes and a corrected score of 6/6 and 6/9 are what places one in the V3 vision category, would being worse than 6/60 uncorrected but 6/6 corrected mean anything, or are the categories set, do I even have a chance of making V3 or am I stuck at V4? The medic who administered my eye exam may have gotten my hopes up haha

The instructions for testing visual acuity are at Appendix 1 of Annex A - Instructions for Testing Visual Acuity - Canada.ca

Worse that 6/60 in both eyes but acceptably corrected is V4
 
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