Applying for Permanent Residence with Multiple Sclerosis.

[Korntana]

Hello,

I plan to study in Vancouver and apply for PR. but I have MS. I try to make sure that I am not gonna get rejected and get kicked back to my country because of my MS.

Right now I am working as a programmer so even when I have an attack I still can work, I try to google it and found that if your medication exceeds $24,057/- you are medically inadmissible, normally my medication is Ritoximax, which it will cost gov around $20,000 per year(I got it from https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/drugs/ced/pdf/rituxan.pdf ).

so should I worry about anything? because going to Canada is like gambling with all of my life-saving?

 

[Naturgrl]

Hello,

I plan to study in Vancouver and apply for PR. but I have MS. I try to make sure that I am not gonna get rejected and get kicked back to my country because of my MS.

Right now I am working as a programmer so even when I have an attack I still can work, I try to google it and found that if your medication exceeds $24,057/- you are medically inadmissible, normally my medication is Ritoximax, which it will cost gov around $20,000 per year(I got it from https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/drugs/ced/pdf/rituxan.pdf ).

so should I worry about anything? because going to Canada is like gambling with all of my life-saving?

Honestly you will not know until you apply for PR. You most likely will get a PFL and panel physicians will look at your diagnosis and any medical treatment required over the long term. The government will look at the costs of meds in the total.

As for meds, the federal government doesn’t cover prescription costs. In Canada, you pay for costs out of pocket or if your private insurance through work covers some of it. So you need to budget that the $20k per year will be paid by you unless you get a job that has really good private insurance.

@canuck78 may be able to provide more input.

 

[Korntana]

Honestly you will not know until you apply for PR. You most likely will get a PFL and panel physicians will look at your diagnosis and any medical treatment required over the long term. The government will look at the costs of meds in the total.

As for meds, the federal government doesn’t cover prescription costs. In Canada, you pay for costs out of pocket or if your private insurance through work covers some of it. So you need to budget that the $20k per year will be paid by you unless you get a job that has really good private insurance.

Thank you for your reply!!!

So what you mention is $20,000 per year will not get calculate in cost threshold of Excessive demand on health or social services, right?

 

[scylla]

Hello,

I plan to study in Vancouver and apply for PR. but I have MS. I try to make sure that I am not gonna get rejected and get kicked back to my country because of my MS.

Right now I am working as a programmer so even when I have an attack I still can work, I try to google it and found that if your medication exceeds $24,057/- you are medically inadmissible, normally my medication is Ritoximax, which it will cost gov around $20,000 per year(I got it from https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/drugs/ced/pdf/rituxan.pdf ).

so should I worry about anything? because going to Canada is like gambling with all of my life-saving?

So to be very honest, there's definitely a chance you may have trouble getting PR due to your MS. As you've found, your medication puts you above the excessive demand threshold which means you're pretty much guaranteed to receive a PFL (procedural fairness letter) when you apply for PR. A PFL is IRCC's notification that they intend to deny your application due to excessive demand. You will then have to provide evidence and arguments to convince the otherwise. IRCC will not only consider your health and costs to the health care system at the time you apply for PR, but will also look ahead 5-10 years and include this in their consideration.

It's difficult to know how to advise you because we can't tell you exactly what will happen. I think you should however be very prepared for the fact that your medical condition may be an issue for PR.

 

[scylla]

Thank you for your reply!!!

So what you mention is $20,000 per year will not get calculate in cost threshold of Excessive demand on health or social services, right?

It will still be included in the calculation unfortunately.

 

[Naturgrl]

Thank you for your reply!!!

So what you mention is $20,000 per year will not get calculate in cost threshold of Excessive demand on health or social services, right?

No it is still a counted because health care is covered by the provinces. I was just staying that in Canada, drugs are paid out of pocket but many people have drug coverage through their private insurance (or at least some coverage).

You may be eligible for provincial drug programs based on your income and private insurance. FYI in Ontario, you may be eligible for some of your drug costs through the Trillium Drug Program. So that will be factored in because the IRCC will not know if you will need to access provincial programs. When you apply for PR and get a PFL, you will want to show that you have the money to cover the $20k over many years and not be a burden on the health care system. It will be difficult to prove that you will not access services with MS.

Having MS will definitely make is an issue in getting PR. Doctors will look at your MS in the long term, not just over the next couple of years. I have a good friend who is a citizen with MS and only has flare ups at this time, but still needs regular doctor visits, visits to specialists, therapy, and medications.

 

[Korntana]

It will still be included in the calculation unfortunately.

Thanks for the answer. I really appreciate it.

 

[Korntana]

No it is still a counted because health care is covered by the provinces. I was just staying that in Canada, drugs are paid out of pocket but many people have drug coverage through their private insurance (or at least some coverage).

You may be eligible for provincial drug programs based on your income and private insurance. FYI in Ontario, you may be eligible for some of your drug costs through the Trillium Drug Program. So that will be factored in because the IRCC will not know if you will need to access provincial programs. When you apply for PR and get a PFL, you will want to show that you have the money to cover the $20k over many years and not be a burden on the health care system. It will be difficult to prove that you will not access services with MS.

Having MS will definitely make is an issue in getting PR. Doctors will look at your MS in the long term, not just over the next couple of years. I have a good friend who is a citizen with MS and only has flare ups at this time, but still needs regular doctor visits, visits to specialists, therapy, and medications.

Thanks for the answer.

 

[Korntana]

So to be very honest, there's definitely a chance you may have trouble getting PR due to your MS. As you've found, your medication puts you above the excessive demand threshold which means you're pretty much guaranteed to receive a PFL (procedural fairness letter) when you apply for PR. A PFL is IRCC's notification that they intend to deny your application due to excessive demand. You will then have to provide evidence and arguments to convince the otherwise. IRCC will not only consider your health and costs to the health care system at the time you apply for PR, but will also look ahead 5-10 years and include this in their consideration.

It's difficult to know how to advise you because we can't tell you exactly what will happen. I think you should however be very prepared for the fact that your medical condition may be an issue for PR.

So right now I must prepare myself to make Mitigation plans for excessive demand, correct?

Thank you very much for the clear answer, before this, I am kinda in the dark and not sure about a lot of things but your answer really helps me.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/inadmissibility/reasons/mitigation-plans.html

 

[scylla]

So right now I must prepare myself to make Mitigation plans for excessive demand, correct?

Thank you very much for the clear answer, before this, I am kinda in the dark and not sure about a lot of things but your answer really helps me.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/inadmissibility/reasons/mitigation-plans.html

Yes, you need mitigtion plans for excessive demand. This can be very difficult to do. Essentially you have to prove that the annual costs of your health care for the next 5-10 years will be below $20K per year. If your medical is $20K+ a year, then you're going to have a hard time arguing that the costs will be lower. In addition to the medication, you would also need to factor in the costs of doctor visits and any other similar support related to health care or social assistance. IRCC will not just look at the costs of your medication. They will look at everything.

 

[Korntana]

Yes, you need mitigtion plans for excessive demand. This can be very difficult to do. Essentially you have to prove that the annual costs of your health care for the next 5-10 years will be below $20K per year. If your medical is $20K+ a year, then you're going to have a hard time arguing that the costs will be lower. In addition to the medication, you would also need to factor in the costs of doctor visits and any other similar support related to health care or social assistance. IRCC will not just look at the costs of your medication. They will look at everything.

Got it, may I ask more about plans for excessive demand?

At first, I thought it will be a lot of work but not difficult to do. So I have to prove that the cost must be lower than the threshold? or Do I only prove that my income can support future expenses?

I saw your answer on the Webboard a lot.
In your experience. Did you meet a lot of people who have to make a Mitigation plan that ends with a happy ending?

 

[scylla]

Got it, may I ask more about plans for excessive demand?

At first, I thought it will be a lot of work but not difficult to do. So I have to prove that the cost must be lower than the threshold? or Do I only prove that my income can support future expenses?

I saw your answer on the Webboard a lot.
In your experience. Did you meet a lot of people who have to make a Mitigation plan that ends with a happy ending?

You need to prove that the costs related to your health-care will be lower than the threshold.

These cases are very individual and it's hard for me to comment on success. I would recommend that you work with a good immigration lawyer if you end up applying for PR and then receive a PFL.

Good luck.

 

[Naturgrl]

So right now I must prepare myself to make Mitigation plans for excessive demand, correct?

Thank you very much for the clear answer, before this, I am kinda in the dark and not sure about a lot of things but your answer really helps me.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/inadmissibility/reasons/mitigation-plans.html

Yes, you would need to prepare from the date you receive a PFL. Best to get an immigration lawyer to help you.

 

[Korntana]

Thanks both of you very much!!

 

[canuck78]

The biggest issue is that you will have to commit to Canada for around the next 5 years before you get PR. You are so close to be inadmissible just from your medication and a few appointments with a neurologist, general care with a GP, a few prescriptions a year and anMRI would likely put you over the limit. During that time your health will likely change and unfortunately change for the worse. Nobody will be able to predict your health status down the road so you will need to be prepared to come to Canada for 5 years but then get denied PR and have to return home. You have to decide the level of risk you are willing to undertake especially because IRCC will really be evaluating your health 5 years frI’m but 5-10 years from then. You should also think about family support. Living with MS without lots of family around can be very difficult. You should also consider whether you are getting good healthcare. The Canadian health system is in turmoil at the moment so if you have easy access to good physicians that is another thing that I would consider. In terms of drug costs Canada doesn’t have a national pharmacare system. In sone provinces there are programs where if your drug cost (if you have pharma insurance amount would be after pharma Insurance pays their part) is a large part of your income the government will help with some of the cost. You still have to pay a fair amount but not the whole amount.