Having my Baby in Canada

[DandJ]

Hi,

We officially landed in September 2010, and immediately went home to the UK to get our lives in order.

I am now expecting a baby in June 2011. I have a few questions please:

1. If I go back to Canada and have the baby there, will the baby automatically have Canadian citizenship?
2. If I do have the baby in Canada, will new health insurance cover me?
3. If I have the baby in the UK, is it an easy process to register the baby as a PR once we finally move?

Many Thanks for your help & words of wisdom at this very confusing time!!

Diane

 

[PMM]

Hi

Hi,

We officially landed in September 2010, and immediately went home to the UK to get our lives in order.

I am now expecting a baby in June 2011. I have a few questions please:

1. If I go back to Canada and have the baby there, will the baby automatically have Canadian citizenship?
2. If I do have the baby in Canada, will new health insurance cover me?
3. If I have the baby in the UK, is it an easy process to register the baby as a PR once we finally move?

1. Yes.
2. Only after the 3 month waiting period after starting to reside in the province. The child is covered by birth.
3. The child would have to sponsored. You, as PRs would have to be in Canada to sponsor the child.

Many Thanks for your help & words of wisdom at this very confusing time!!

Diane

 

[bobshynoswife]

Hi,

We officially landed in September 2010, and immediately went home to the UK to get our lives in order.

I am now expecting a baby in June 2011. I have a few questions please:

1. If I go back to Canada and have the baby there, will the baby automatically have Canadian citizenship?
2. If I do have the baby in Canada, will new health insurance cover me?
3. If I have the baby in the UK, is it an easy process to register the baby as a PR once we finally move?

Many Thanks for your help & words of wisdom at this very confusing time!!

Diane

2. Depends which province you will be living in. Alberta will cover you from the day you arrive. In other provinces you have to wait until up to 3 months after moving back.

It would be much easier for you to have your baby in Canada, if you are able to get things in order and move before then. Otherwise you will have to sponsor him/her.

Congratulations!

 

[PMM]

Hi

2. Depends which province you will be living in. Alberta will cover you from the day you arrive. In other provinces you have to wait until up to 3 months after moving back.

It would be much easier for you to have your baby in Canada, if you are able to get things in order and move before then. Otherwise you will have to sponsor him/her.

Congratulations!

Alberta will only cover you from day one, if you have "landed" and then immediately moved to Alberta or landed in Alberta. If you have "landed" then returned home, Alberta treats you as if you have lived in another province and then there is a 3 month waiting period.

 

[DandJ]

Hi

Thanks v much for your response. We landed in Nova Scotia, but are hoping to try out BC for a while and head to Vancouver. Do you, or does anyone else know, if there is a wait to get health insurance in BC, or if it's immediate?

If I am heading out to have the baby, I would rent my house here and arrange a furnished lease in Vancouver, so I think it shouldn't be too (!!!!!) stressful as all the paperwork and official matters are already taken care of.

I see you landed 7 days after us - hope Canadian life is treating you well so far...

Diane

 

[Leon]

Thanks v much for your response. We landed in Nova Scotia, but are hoping to try out BC for a while and head to Vancouver. Do you, or does anyone else know, if there is a wait to get health insurance in BC, or if it's immediate?

There are only 4 provinces currently that have a 3 month waiting period for people moving from another country. They are BC, ON, QC and NB although NB was going to change their rules regarding that. I haven't heard if they have yet. QC has an exception from the waiting time for pregnancy and childbirth related expenses.

Like PMM says, it is possible that the health care plan in a province that doesn't have waiting time would see you as having moved from NS because you landed there. I don't actually think so because you never really lived in NS, you just landed and went back but if you think of a province you want to move to that has first day coverage, you can ask their health care before you move if you would get it or not. Policies can vary from province to province.

 

[bobshynoswife]

Hi

Alberta will only cover you from day one, if you have "landed" and then immediately moved to Alberta or landed in Alberta. If you have "landed" then returned home, Alberta treats you as if you have lived in another province and then there is a 3 month waiting period.

I disagree. If they never took up residence in NS or applied for Health Care, Alberta will cover them from day 1. The three month wait is because Alberta assumes you have health coverage from another province which will cover you. If you have proof of Alberta residency and that you do not have any other health care from another province, you will get immediate coverage.

My husband landed in Ontario, and had no problem getting Alberta Health Care immediately.

 

[bobshynoswife]

Hi

Thanks v much for your response. We landed in Nova Scotia, but are hoping to try out BC for a while and head to Vancouver. Do you, or does anyone else know, if there is a wait to get health insurance in BC, or if it's immediate?

If I am heading out to have the baby, I would rent my house here and arrange a furnished lease in Vancouver, so I think it shouldn't be too (!!!!!) stressful as all the paperwork and official matters are already taken care of.

I see you landed 7 days after us - hope Canadian life is treating you well so far...

Diane

In BC, your health care will start on the first day of your third month. So if you arrive Jan 1 it will begin on April 1. If you arrive on Jan 31 it will still be April 1.

In BC midwives are covered under the provincial health plan (they are also covered in some other provinces, but in some, like Alberta, if you don't call the midwife the minute you pee on the stick you won't get in!) BC has a lot of midwives so you'd be able to go that way if you'd like. They can deliver you in hospital or at home. If you think there's a chance you might be in Canada and go that route, it would be good to start calling around to find one you jive with who will take you.

 

[PMM]

Hi

I disagree. If they never took up residence in NS or applied for Health Care, Alberta will cover them from day 1. My husband landed in Ontario, and had no problem getting Alberta Health Care immediately.

But from you Sig, you spouse "landed" in Edmonton. He didn't land in another province, return home for a number and then relocate to Alberta did he?

 

[bobshynoswife]

Hi

But from you Sig, you spouse "landed" in Edmonton. He didn't land in another province, return home for a number and then relocate to Alberta did he?

No, but he technically landed at Pearson and then went on to Alberta. His landing papers clearly state that he landed in Toronto, ON. My point is that they didn't question where he landed at all.

I am absolutely positive that if the OP did not take up residence in Nova Scotia they will be covered in Alberta from the day they arrive as residents. Not that it matters, since they're going to BC...

 

[PMM]

Hi

No, but he technically landed at Pearson and then went on to Alberta. His landing papers clearly state that he landed in Toronto, ON. My point is that they didn't question where he landed at all.

I am absolutely positive that if the OP did not take up residence in Nova Scotia they will be covered in Alberta from the day they arrive as residents. Not that it matters, since they're going to BC...

Look at this way, most people destined to Alberta for PR "land" at International Airport, such as Vancouver, Toronto Montreal, because there are no direct flights to Calgary Edmonton. Then they proceed directly to Alberta and apply for Medical, they haven't resided anywhere else except Alberta. The OP "landed" then returned to their home country. Dollars to Donuts, if they now went to Alberta, the medical services plan is going to treat them as arrivals from another province. If they do that there is a 3 month waiting period.

 

[Leon]

Ok, I just got off the phone with AB health and the nice lady told me that if you landed in NS and never stayed there, that is not for more than 3 months in which case they would have expected you to get health care there, your move will be treated as an international move and you will get health care from day 1 so there you go.

If you are thinking to move to some other province than AB, by all means, look up their health care and phone them and ask them how your move will be treated. In BC, you will definitely have a 3 month waiting period because they have that for everybody.

 

[DandJ]

Very interesting points - thanks to all who have gotten involved.

I think it's going to be a bit of a push to try and tie up in the UK by Feb / March and get out to BC 3 months before due date to ensure we are covered.......also, some of you are saying it can be difficult to get a midwife now and I understand that.....also baby might decide to make an appearance early - before the 3 months wait is up....

I think we will stay in the UK, have baby and then head out and catch the last of the summer in Vancouver, and go through the sponsor paperwork, which I understand is quite straight forward.

It would have been lovely to have our baby in Canada, but perhaps not practical....

Thanks Again Everyone,

Diane

 

[bobshynoswife]

Very interesting points - thanks to all who have gotten involved.

I think it's going to be a bit of a push to try and tie up in the UK by Feb / March and get out to BC 3 months before due date to ensure we are covered.......also, some of you are saying it can be difficult to get a midwife now and I understand that.....also baby might decide to make an appearance early - before the 3 months wait is up....

I think we will stay in the UK, have baby and then head out and catch the last of the summer in Vancouver, and go through the sponsor paperwork, which I understand is quite straight forward.

It would have been lovely to have our baby in Canada, but perhaps not practical....

Thanks Again Everyone,

Diane

I think you are right. We can never plan the way things will go with pregnancy and birth, and heaven forbid you have some complication or need to deliver early and you are not yet covered.

Just get your baby a passport as soon as it's born and you'll be ready to move. Seeing as you're from UK, you'll have no problem bringing the babe in, and can do your sponsorship papers from there or here.