Wife with tourist visa and also expecting baby

[Snell]

Hi House,

I am a Canadian PR holder, currently residing in India.

I have got a job in Calgary and have job offer letter with me.
I'm a Ontario PNP nominated PR holder having lived close to 6 months in Ontario

I am planning to return in the month of September. I am planning to file for PR and OWP once my wife lands(plus visitor visa extension). We as a family are planning to travel together or my wife can later join me in a month's time.

My wife has already got a tourist visa which is valid till 2023. And she is pregnant too with 8 weeks.

I have couple of questions. I will greatly appreciate if you can share Insights.

1. Since my wife has already received Canadian Tourist Visa. Can we still deliver baby when she is on Tourist Visa? Just reconfirming.

2. Is visitor visa stay extension allowed in such scenarios? What are the things that I need to be careful of while filing for extension.?

3. I read in the forum that spouse is also covered in Alberta province under healthcare coverage if she is on visitor visa. Is it correct? Does this mean her delievery is also covered?

4. My employee too has health insurance for me with Manulife. I will also add my wife in the same plan. Is there anything that I need to specifically look for so that delivery is also covered?

5. If wife' delivery is not covered under Alberta provincial healthcare plan. And the same is not covered by Manulife. Can I go for insurance coverage with delivery?

6.My mother is coming with us and she has tourist visa.She is travelling to Canada for first time.
May I know what is process to get super visa for her.What would be the best time to apply it.

7. Since I have already received offer from an employer based out of Calgary, does moving to Calgary jeopardize my PR extension process once I complete 730 days in Canada?

Thank you again for all the help.

 

[YVR123]

only have answer for 5. If Albert doesnt cover for spouse of foreign worker, (usually have to stay in the province long enough after. there is residential requirement), then you have to pay out of your own pocket.

Employer's insurnace by Manulife is extended health coverage which only kicks in when the person is covered by provincal health and is only for things like dental, physio, prescription...etc. No new insurnace will allow you to purchase and cover an existing condition. (as she is already pregnant). If she decided to come, she should still get emergency health insurnace in case she needs medical attention for emergency that's not related to pregnancy.

https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-eligibility.aspx

btw. I don't understand question 7. What is PR extension process?

 

[Snell]

So when you say foreign worker.. does it include PR holders too?

And long enough means, how much time I have to spend after baby's birth (I hope this what you mean when you say 'after')

PR extension means..once I complete my 730 days period (i.e. 2 years out of 5yrs) I would like to renew my PR..

Thank you @YVR123 for your reply.

 

[Snell]

@canuck78 can you plz share Insights? Thank you so much.

 

[YVR123]

So when you say foreign worker.. does it include PR holders too?

And long enough means, how much time I have to spend after baby's birth (I hope this what you mean when you say 'after')

PR extension means..once I complete my 730 days period (i.e. 2 years out of 5yrs) I would like to renew my PR..

Thank you @YVR123 for your reply.

I though you are a foreign worker waiting to get your PR.

If you are a PR and meet your RO, then I think she would be covered. Double check with Albert Health.
It's how much time you stay in the province. (so before and after in the year you settle back in Alberta)


You mean to renew your PR card. It has nothing to really do with your PR status. You remain a PR even without renewing your PR card. You need a valid PR card to travel back to Canada. And again, there is no "reset" even after you get a new PR card, they still look at your RO as a rolling 5 years period.
(i.e. every time you enter Canada, you need to meet the 730 days physical stay in Canada in the pervious 5 years)

I am not familiar with Ontario PNP. Since you did spend 6 months there, may be you are OK to show that you attempt to settle there but failed because of lack of job/impact of pandemic ...et c

 

[Snell]

@YVR123 Thank you for your reply. Just to reiterate, my wife's status would be Visitor once she lands. (Planning to apply for PR inland and OWP once landed)

So having her status as Visitor, would she be covered under Alberta' Health Care for her delivery and physician check-ups?

Thank you again

 

[Girlfrombc27]

Hi House,

I am a Canadian PR holder, currently residing in India.

I have got a job in Calgary and have job offer letter with me.
I'm a Ontario PNP nominated PR holder having lived close to 6 months in Ontario

I am planning to return in the month of September. I am planning to file for PR and OWP once my wife lands(plus visitor visa extension). We as a family are planning to travel together or my wife can later join me in a month's time.

My wife has already got a tourist visa which is valid till 2023. And she is pregnant too with 8 weeks.

I have couple of questions. I will greatly appreciate if you can share Insights.

1. Since my wife has already received Canadian Tourist Visa. Can we still deliver baby when she is on Tourist Visa? Just reconfirming.

2. Is visitor visa stay extension allowed in such scenarios? What are the things that I need to be careful of while filing for extension.?

3. I read in the forum that spouse is also covered in Alberta province under healthcare coverage if she is on visitor visa. Is it correct? Does this mean her delievery is also covered?

4. My employee too has health insurance for me with Manulife. I will also add my wife in the same plan. Is there anything that I need to specifically look for so that delivery is also covered?

5. If wife' delivery is not covered under Alberta provincial healthcare plan. And the same is not covered by Manulife. Can I go for insurance coverage with delivery?

6.My mother is coming with us and she has tourist visa.She is travelling to Canada for first time.
May I know what is process to get super visa for her.What would be the best time to apply it.

7. Since I have already received offer from an employer based out of Calgary, does moving to Calgary jeopardize my PR extension process once I complete 730 days in Canada?

Thank you again for all the help.

I have known someone who was on a visitors visa got pregnant and delivered here. she was not covered with any provincial healthcare because she doesnt have a health card. All the doctors appointment are out of the pocket expenses. They delivered via emergency csection and the bill was almost $30k because they had to fly them thru air ambulance from the town they lived to vancouver.

 

[canuck78]

I have known someone who was on a visitors visa got pregnant and delivered here. she was not covered with any provincial healthcare because she doesnt have a health card. All the doctors appointment are out of the pocket expenses. They delivered via emergency csection and the bill was almost $30k because they had to fly them thru air ambulance from the town they lived to vancouver.

30k is very inexpensive if they had to take an air ambulance. If having a child as a visitor costs can end up being a hundreds of thousands of dollars pretty easily.

 

[Girlfrombc27]

30k is very inexpensive if they had to take an air ambulance. If having a child as a visitor costs can end up being a hundreds of thousands of dollars pretty easily.

really? i thought it was already too much as she delivered thru csection. Not to mention the out of the pocket cost for prenatal check ups, ultrasounds and of course the cost of baby
products

 

[canuck78]

really? i thought it was already too much as she delivered thru csection. Not to mention the out of the pocket cost for prenatal check ups, ultrasounds and of course the cost of baby
products

An air ambulance is very expensive to run. On top of that it sounds like she was admitted to one hospital and then was admitted to another one for a c-section. That means double the cost of a bed, admission, initial consults, doctors/nurses, etc. Then you have what sounds like was an emergency c-section which is always more expensive than scheduled and c-sections require 1 anesthesiologist and 2 OBs plus a few nurses and surgical tech. There may have also been a paediatrician consult. You then have a charge for the recovery room, postpartum room plus staff and equipment. Could go on but this adds up quickly. Easily would be 100k in the US. An air ambulance is on average 40k USD. If you don’t have insurance giving birth or being pregnant in Canada can add up. The system isn’t meant for people to seek healthcare without being covered by the provincial health system. If a baby has to go to the NICU the cost is around 20k/day so bills can add up very quickly. Of unpaid bills related to birth tourism NICU bills are the ones that are often unpaid because they are usually the highest bills.


https://www.intrepid247.com/tips-resources/travelling-within-canada
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/ground-and-air-ambulance-fees-health-care-universal-health-care-1.5817284

 

[vendod]

An air ambulance is very expensive to run. On top of that it sounds like she was admitted to one hospital and then was admitted to another one for a c-section. That means double the cost of a bed, admission, initial consults, doctors/nurses, etc. Then you have what sounds like was an emergency c-section which is always more expensive than scheduled and c-sections require 1 anesthesiologist and 2 OBs plus a few nurses and surgical tech. There may have also been a paediatrician consult. You then have a charge for the recovery room, postpartum room plus staff and equipment. Could go on but this adds up quickly. Easily would be 100k in the US. An air ambulance is on average 40k USD. If you don’t have insurance giving birth or being pregnant in Canada can add up. The system isn’t meant for people to seek healthcare without being covered by the provincial health system. If a baby has to go to the NICU the cost is around 20k/day so bills can add up very quickly. Of unpaid bills related to birth tourism NICU bills are the ones that are often unpaid because they are usually the highest bills.


https://www.intrepid247.com/tips-resources/travelling-within-canada
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/ground-and-air-ambulance-fees-health-care-universal-health-care-1.5817284

Yes.. very expensive medical care.

But the question is won't private insurance all these expenses including air ambulance? even if the premium high one.

 

[canuck78]

Yes.. very expensive medical care.

But the question is won't private insurance all these expenses including air ambulance? even if the premium high one.

A large proportion of policies don’t cover deliveries or even pregnancy because it it is a guaranteed expense. It depends on the policy and when you purchased the policy. If you are already pregnant when your purchase a policy most plans won’t cover the pregnancy. They obviously don’t want to lose money on what are guaranteed expenses.

 

[YVR123]

@YVR123 Thank you for your reply. Just to reiterate, my wife's status would be Visitor once she lands. (Planning to apply for PR inland and OWP once landed)

So having her status as Visitor, would she be covered under Alberta' Health Care for her delivery and physician check-ups?

Thank you again

The best way is to call Albert Health and get a confirmation from them.

 

[vendod]

What about GTA Ontario especially the Mississauga area? If I bring my wife to Canada, we will gonna be staying in Mississauga. Will I be able to manage hospital expenses with private health insurance as OHIP doesn't cover my visitor wife?

 

[canuck78]

What about GTA Ontario especially the Mississauga area? If I bring my wife to Canada, we will gonna be staying in Mississauga. Will I be able to manage hospital expenses with private health insurance as OHIP doesn't cover my visitor wife?

Most health insurances don’t cover pregnancy related costs If you are already pregnant. You’ll need to pay out of pocket. She won’t qualify for OHIP