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Pregnant Foreign Worker

aravoh

Newbie
Jul 27, 2010
3
0
Hi to all, i just want to have and inquiry about this topic, I am a foreign worker and i am currently pregnant. I have a contract that will expire in April 2011, i choose to give birth here in canada, what will be my baby's status and my status? Our we entitled to medical health benefits? thanks. :)
 

Leon

VIP Member
Jun 13, 2008
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I assume you are currently covered under health care as a temporary worker? If you have worked enough hours, you can get maternity benefits from EI. A person who was in your situation in Alberta was told that she could change her status to visitor as her work permit expires but would still keep her EI maternity benefits and health care but I can not verify that information. You need to speak to EI, Service Canada and the health care where you live.

Your baby will be a Canadian citizen and will be eligible for health care but your baby's status will not affect your status.
 

angelbrat

Hero Member
Oct 31, 2009
857
76
As long as you have worked the hours that Service Canada degree, you will be eligible to EI. Depending when you finish work, it usually lasts for approx 9/10 months after your last paycheck.

Having the baby in Canada gives you no rights. In fact it can be a problem if you want to leave Canada and you do not have the Canadian fathers permission. So, if you have to leave Canada for status reasons, it does not mean you can take your Canadian born child with you. If it was me, I would always have the child born in the Country of my nationality.

You can apply for an extension of your visitor visa, if you are not intending to re new your work contract and work after the baby is born.

But being a visitor, you have no access to health care and although your baby would be covered, you wouldn't.

Think carefully about this, should you develop post birth complications, your medical bills could be thousands.

I work in an Immigrant Volunteer Center. So many girls turn up for our help, pregnant or just given birth, out of status and owing $1000 of dollars. Their choice, the Canadian father wants the child, so as a citizen it stays in Canada, the girl owes $1000's, until she is able to pay that bill, she will never be allowed back to Canada.

There is nothing we can do.

Please. I urge all whom are reading this. Think very, very carefully before you get pregnant in Canada.

It is not the gravy train many of you have been led to believe.
 

suenim

Hero Member
Apr 29, 2010
350
6
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Vegreville
Job Offer........
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App. Filed.......
May 2010
Med's Done....
April 2010
Interview........
NONE
LANDED..........
April 2011
I disagree with never being allowed back in Canada because of the bill. I had my baby last year. I was on a PGWP and my husband is Canadian. I was supposed to have OHIP but due some "glitches" on CIC's path... PGWP holders were not allowed health coverage until a year after the open PGWPs came into effect. I had a c-section and my bill was about $5000 including the private room I chose to stay in at the hospital. It would have been twice that amount but I had an organization assist with the prenatal and delivery costs which cut the bill in half. If I did not pay the hospital, all that would happen is that I would have been sent to collections and my credit would be ruined. I worked out a payment plan with hospital and everything is fine. I paid them in installments. I did get my OHIP a few months after birth but even if I didn't the same organization would have covered my post natal care.
 

Leon

VIP Member
Jun 13, 2008
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It is however true that if a woman has a baby in Canada with a Canadian, she could get into the situation that she is not allowed to leave Canada with her baby because the father has rights too and yet the baby does not automatically give her any rights to stay in Canada. Her work permit or study permit may expire and she is not in the position to find another job / get another study permit or apply for PR. She will have to leave and leave her baby behind with the father.

Therefore it would be a smart move for foreign women who are dating Canadian men to wait with kids until they have their PR or have the baby in their homeland.
 

suenim

Hero Member
Apr 29, 2010
350
6
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Vegreville
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
May 2010
Med's Done....
April 2010
Interview........
NONE
LANDED..........
April 2011
I know the baby does not give the mom any rights. All I was saying is the owing the hospital debt would not prevent someone from entering once they are authorized by CIC etc. A debt would not keep them out.
 

aravoh

Newbie
Jul 27, 2010
3
0
angelbrat said:
As long as you have worked the hours that Service Canada degree, you will be eligible to EI. Depending when you finish work, it usually lasts for approx 9/10 months after your last paycheck.

Having the baby in Canada gives you no rights. In fact it can be a problem if you want to leave Canada and you do not have the Canadian fathers permission. So, if you have to leave Canada for status reasons, it does not mean you can take your Canadian born child with you. If it was me, I would always have the child born in the Country of my nationality.

You can apply for an extension of your visitor visa, if you are not intending to re new your work contract and work after the baby is born.

But being a visitor, you have no access to health care and although your baby would be covered, you wouldn't.

Think carefully about this, should you develop post birth complications, your medical bills could be thousands.

I work in an Immigrant Volunteer Center. So many girls turn up for our help, pregnant or just given birth, out of status and owing $1000 of dollars. Their choice, the Canadian father wants the child, so as a citizen it stays in Canada, the girl owes $1000's, until she is able to pay that bill, she will never be allowed back to Canada.

There is nothing we can do.

Please. I urge all whom are reading this. Think very, very carefully before you get pregnant in Canada.

It is not the gravy train many of you have been led to believe.

Thank you guys for all the advises. It was highly appreciated.
Just so you know, the father of the baby is a TFW also, in that case what will happen to us?
 

Leon

VIP Member
Jun 13, 2008
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What do you mean, what will happen to you? Having a baby in Canada will not change your status in Canada. You will still be a TFW and the father of the baby too and if your work permits expire and you are unable to renew them or apply for PR, you will have to leave. Since your baby is too small to stay in Canada alone, you will take it with you.

It is only a question if you are eligible for EI maternity benefits and if your work permit expires while you are on them, can you change your status to visitor and continue to take EI maternity benefits and still keep your health care. One member of this forum, a woman who was in Alberta was told that she could. You have to talk to EI and the health care in your province if that is also your situation.

The baby will be a Canadian citizen and will be covered by health care. If you are for some reason not covered by health care although in most cases TFW's are, you would have to pay for the birth.
 

suenim

Hero Member
Apr 29, 2010
350
6
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Vegreville
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
May 2010
Med's Done....
April 2010
Interview........
NONE
LANDED..........
April 2011
She would (or should) be eligible for EI maternity benefits once she has the hours and once she still has valid status... so converting to the visitor visa after the work permit expires. CCTB etc, I don't think she would qualify for since one the the requirement says one of the parents must be a Canadian citizen/permanent resident. You can always double check this with revenue Canada. Not sure which province you are in but do you and your husband have health coverage and if you do, will you be giving birth before your work permit/health card expires? If you have health coverage up to the birth, you would not have to pay for delivery etc but I as a visitor there is no OHIP coverage. If you don't have OHIP now, be prepared to pay out of pocket for yours AND the baby's hospital stay. I paid for only my stay because my husband is Canadian but if he was not, I would have to pay for the baby's hospital stay too. The baby should get health care after.
 

chusana

Full Member
Jan 20, 2010
35
0
We both working as a temporary, my husband is a contact worker and I am a live in caregiver. I delivered our baby here in Alberta and my application for CCTB and UCCB were granted.
 

aravoh

Newbie
Jul 27, 2010
3
0
chusana said:
We both working as a temporary, my husband is a contact worker and I am a live in caregiver. I delivered our baby here in Alberta and my application for CCTB and UCCB were granted.

what is CCTB and UCCB?

we are both working in one company, and our work permit has the same validity which is April 28, 2011...my expected due date is April 20-onwards 2011...what if the baby will be due after april 28? will our baby still be entitled of the benefits?
 

chusana

Full Member
Jan 20, 2010
35
0
You are not eligible for the benefits since you need to have a legal status. You said, your due date will be on April 2011? Right now it is July...you must be kidding us...
 

Wenremoc

Newbie
Jan 5, 2024
8
0
Hi Im new in the forum and in Canada too, currently under Temporary Working Permit. I just came to know I'm pregnant just last week. Im just turning 6 months here this month. Will I be eligible for maternity leave, will Alberta Health Card be able to help us until giving birth or shall I pay my own?
Thank you for kind response...
 

Naturgrl

VIP Member
Apr 5, 2020
44,991
9,551
Hi Im new in the forum and in Canada too, currently under Temporary Working Permit. I just came to know I'm pregnant just last week. Im just turning 6 months here this month. Will I be eligible for maternity leave, will Alberta Health Card be able to help us until giving birth or shall I pay my own?
Thank you for kind response...
How long have you worked? Go on the EI-Mat leave website and see if you meet all conditions. Will your employer be topping up your salary because mat leave is not enough to even live on. If covered by Alberta health then you will be covered.