OTTAWA, June 12 (AFP) - Canada plans to test all would-be immigrants for AIDS, but won't necessarily ban applicants who test positive, Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan said Tuesday.

Caplan told the House of Commons "there will be mandatory testing for all those who ... want to come to Canada as an immigrant."

"That testing is important because it leads to counselling and treatment," she insisted, stressing there would be no inadmissibility bar for refugees, spouses or dependent children.

"We are working with the provinces to determine who will be admissible to Canada. Those decisions will be made on a case by case basis."

Caplan said economic immigrants will be assessed individually and may be denied entry if it is determined their admission would likely lead to excessive costs to Canada's health care system.

Inky Mark, an opposition member of parliament with the right-wing Canadian Alliance, claimed it costs Canada 200,000 dollars (130,000 US) per year to care for a patient with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS. Further, Mark said 200 HIV-positive immigrants were admitted to Canada last year, costing Canadian taxpayers some 40 million dollars (26 million US).

Caplan did not say when the new regulations would go into effect.

Would-be Canadian immigrants are currently subject to a pre-entry general health check which, depending on the examining doctor, can include an HIV test.

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