BC Inlanders thread

[VioletBlue]

Thank you! Same to you and your family...every day we are closer to our dream of being able to live here like everyone else

And, omg!!! Few weeks/mths wait in Australia!?!?
How Lucky r they!!!

Sending positive thoughts to you and your family.

 

[sophieee]

Hi Ponga, thanks for the very useful post!

 

[lynz213]

Forgive my ignorance I'm still waiting for my PR application to be approved. They approved my sponsor 7 months ago and I haven't heard anything since? What is a landing interview? Will I need that after they give me my COPR? (I'm in a Vancouver now)

 

[Ponga]

Forgive my ignorance I'm still waiting for my PR application to be approved. They approved my sponsor 7 months ago and I haven't heard anything since? What is a landing interview? Will I need that after they give me my COPR? (I'm in a Vancouver now)

You are forgiven.

For an Inland applicant, the landing interview is where you receive your COPR.

Unlike an Outland applicant, that receives COPR in the mail and then they land whenever they choose, Inlanders have to wait for their interview to be scheduled.

Is Vancouver your local office? Meaning, did you have a Vancouver address when you started the process? Your landing interview location will be scheduled, based on the address you used on your application. If you have relocated to Vancouver after submitting your application, you should notify CIC ASAP.

 

[Y2CY]

Hi have anyone from BC got their msp? I am having problems with them.

 

[computergeek]

Hi have anyone from BC got their msp? I am having problems with them.

Sometimes it does require fighting with the eligibility people, as they don't seem to understand the "spouse with a pending PR application as a qualified dependent". But plenty of people have fought and won this battle - BC really is generally pretty good about this (better than Ontario, not as good as Alberta - though Alberta doesn't cover common law couples until they have three years together).

 

[maica1x]

Hi Ponga, I cant find anywhere that mentions this 2 month temporary drivers licence. I have applied outland sponsorship, am living here in BC now and waiting for approval. MSP should kick in end of April and have valid UK licence. How much is this temporary licence?

 

[Ponga]

Hi Ponga, I cant find anywhere that mentions this 2 month temporary drivers licence. I have applied outland sponsorship, am living here in BC now and waiting for approval. MSP should kick in end of April and have valid UK licence. How much is this temporary licence?

It's called an `interim' licence. They will take your picture and your application for a Driver Licence but will only issue the paper [interim] license. It will be valid for 60 days, but you can renew it as needed until you receive your PR. The fee is $31

And for those interested, I was able to get MSP coverage before AIP...but it was a real struggle!!

 

[sophieee]

And for those interested, I was able to get MSP coverage before AIP...but it was a real struggle!!

I will start a battle for it as soon as I get AOR. So, any advice or suggestion is appreciated.

 

[maica1x]

Thanks, will look into the interim one. They say once i extend my visa...i can get a proper one if its longer than 6 months. So, I'll just do interim in meantime if get car then. All very strange. Re MSP, I applied with a formal letter someone else posted on here, and have a copy of the actual legal document from MSP stating we can have it before AIP. Not sure if it works, as I havent got a reponse yet but others say it did. Will see about posting the letter and link for legal doc, can't seem to attach it on here.

 

[maica1x]

http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/infoben/pdf/covering-a-spouse-or-child-who-is-an-applicant-for-permanent-resident-status-in-canada.pdf

 

[Netkid]

I've been trying to get this sorted - I've called my work HR and MSP twice now - I got diff answers each time, but the latest is:
I have to go through my HR dept - and they will forward my request to MSP - BUT my spouse has to sign the form, be in the country (even as a visitor), and the 1st stage AOR is not sufficient - sounds like SA at minimum...which isn't what it comes across when you read some of the documentation/what I was advised before. But anyway - bottom line in my case - make sure my spouse has insurance while visiting until MSP kicks in!

What a nuisance - although I shouldn't complain too much..

Since there are some provincial differences in the overall `process', specifically regarding eligibility for health care, driver licence, etc., I thought it might be helpful to have a thread for those of us in BC that have applied Inland, to discuss those issues (and more) here.

1. BC MSP (health insurance)-

A spouse or a child of an eligible B.C. resident may also be deemed a resident provided that an application for permanent residence status has been accepted for processing by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), and the application remains active. For more information, see: http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/infoben/pdf/covering-a-spouse-or-child-who-is-an-applicant-for-permanent-resident-status-in-canada.pdf

Some people have been refused, due to the person(s) at BC MSP not fully understanding this `exception' to their standard eligibility requirements. Several members here have been successful, albeit after a bit of a battle over this part of their own language- "provided that an application for permanent residence status has been accepted for processing by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), and the application remains active".
This is the date that is shown in eCas that CIC has ACCEPTED (not started processing) your application.
If you need the coverage, and have AOR...don't be afraid to empower yourself and keep trying!!

 

[steerpike]

Hi have anyone from BC got their msp? I am having problems with them.

We got it, but i quoted the rules from the website in the letter, so the person reading it would have no doubts.

What i wrote was:

Medical Services Plan
PO Box 9690 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria BC V8W 9P8


This is an application to add my spouse to my BC medical services plan.

According to the BC MSP website:

“A spouse or a child of an eligible B.C. resident may also be deemed a resident provided that an application for permanent residence status has been accepted for processing by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), and the application remains active.”

Since her PR application has been accepted, has passed stage 1, and continues to be processed (stage 2), my wife now qualifies for coverage.

The Sponsorship application was received on Nov 14, 2012. And Stage 1 was completed on Oct 30, 2013. It has now been 3 months since the application was accepted and processed to Stage 2.

Attached with this application are the following supporting documents:

• MSP Account Change application form

• Receipt proving the application fee for permanent resident status has been paid to CIC

• Identity page of her passport and all other pages stamped by CIC and CBSA

• Pages 1 and 2 from the CIC e-Client Application Status web site showing the receipt and processing date of the application for permanent resident status.

The CIC e-Client print-off states “We started processing XXXXX application on October 30, 2013. ”

Sincerely,
Steerpike

Also, check with your HR dept if you work for a large corporation, because for me, my HR department actually wanted me to submit my materials to them and then they would submitt it on my behalf to BC MSP. I didnt do it that way, but found out after the fact, that is the way they prefer it to be done. Its because my company uses "MSP Direct". So ask your HR if they use "MSP Direct" and if they want it submitted thru them.

 

[Ponga]

Again, you have to fight to get through to someone that understands this policy, as most at HIBC do not!

I had to include about a dozen pages of information, to educate the person at MSP on their own policy for a person that has applied for PR under the Family Class Spousal Sponsorship program:

One example-

From the Medicare Protection Act [B.C. Reg. 426/97]:

Part 2- deemed residency:
(d) a person who
(i) is a spouse or child of a resident if the person has applied for permanent resident status and as long as the application remains active...

Has applied...This does NOT mean has applied and the processing has commenced. AOR means that CIC has accepted for processing, your PR application.

 

[Netkid]

Thanks - that's what I thought too - hard to argue over the phone usually...

worth trying right - and they said i can send a BC marriage cert. also - that's good proof!

Again, you have to fight to get through to someone that understands this policy, as most at HIBC do not!

I had to include about a dozen pages of information, to educate the person at MSP on their own policy for a person that has applied for PR under the Family Class Spousal Sponsorship program:

One example-

From the Medicare Protection Act [B.C. Reg. 426/97]:

Part 2- deemed residency:
(d) a person who
(i) is a spouse or child of a resident if the person has applied for permanent resident status and as long as the application remains active...

Has applied...This does NOT mean has applied and the processing has commenced. AOR means that CIC has accepted for processing, your PR application.