Family sponsorship

[ramaswamyc]

I have recently received my passport with acceptance of my immigration fixing up the last date of entry as November 2nd. Now I have to move to Canada before that date. I have one doubt in my mind ie., As I have some urgent work in India I will have to return after 3 months and can go back only after about 8 months . I would like to know if the OHIP which is going to be issued after my waiting period of 3 months would be valid after my return to Canada as stated earlier by me after about 8 months.

 

[kial]

usually OHIP valid for 5 years

 

[CdnWifeLivingInThailand]

I have recently received my passport with acceptance of my immigration fixing up the last date of entry as November 2nd. Now I have to move to Canada before that date. I have one doubt in my mind ie., As I have some urgent work in India I will have to return after 3 months and can go back only after about 8 months . I would like to know if the OHIP which is going to be issued after my waiting period of 3 months would be valid after my return to Canada as stated earlier by me after about 8 months.

No, you will not have OHIP when you come back from India. You will need to restart the 3 month waiting period with no OHIP coverage once you come back from your 8 months out of Canada. See a copy of information form their website. [Note: If you will definitely leave after only 3 months (and not wait the minimum 5 months), and definitely be gone for more than 7 months (not less than 7 months), than it might make sense to just wait to apply for OHIP until you are back from India, so you don't waste time applying and then re-applying, since you wouldn't even get to benefit from OHIP before you left for India anyways.]

Who qualifies (https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-ohip-and-get-health-card)
To qualify for OHIP, you must meet all of the minimum qualifications listed below plus at least one of the additional requirements.

To meet the minimum qualifications you must:

• be physically in Ontario for 153 days in any 12‑month period
• be physically in Ontario for at least 153 days of the first 183 days immediately after you began living in the province
• make Ontario your primary home

As you see I bolded the requirement that you will not be meeting. You must stay in Ontario for the first 153 days of your first 183 days since moving to Ontario... so you can only leave Ontario for 30 days within your first 6 months of moving to Ontario. Furthermore, even if you delayed your move to Ontario until AFTER you have stayed in Ontario for approximately 5 months (153 days of your first 183 days), you still wouldn't be able to keep you OHIP while you were out of country for 8 months since you need to have lived in Ontario for 2 years (153 days of each of the previous 2 years) before you are permitted to keep your OHIP while you leave the country for more than 7 months at one time. (See another excerpt below).

Away for more than seven months (https://www.ontario.ca/page/ohip-coverage-while-outside-canada)
If you plan to be outside Canada for more than seven months in any 12-month period you can keep your OHIP coverage for up to two years if you:

• have a valid health card
• make Ontario your primary home
• will be in Ontario for at least 153 days a year in each of the two years immediately before you leave the country

Before you leave, take the following items to the nearest ServiceOntario centre to make sure your OHIP coverage stays active:

• your health card
• proof of residency (e.g. mortgage, lease or rental agreement, property tax bill, valid driver’s licence)

Hope this information has been helpful. So, if you want to only apply for OHIP once, either wait to apply until after you return from India OR stay in Ontario for 153 days (slightly more than 5 months) before you leave, and make sure you don't leave Ontario for more than 7 months (less a few days to be safe).