health insurance for a new sponsored person

[canadadubai]

Dear all,

i am a PR did the first landing on June 2012 and will return back to Canada soon with my pregnant wife whom I obtained for her a TRV already, then I am planning to apply for sponsor her INLAND immediately and the ""health card"" is the most important issue for me since it will cover the baby delivery which will cost me a fortune if i dont have this health card!

HOW I CAN GET THE HEALTH CARD TO MY WIFE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND BEFORE THE DELIVERY?? frankly speaking i dont have extra 20 thousand CAD to pay?so what shall i do?

I HEARD THAT ALBERTA GIVES the health card immediately?is that true? if it is true then can i apply for my wife INLAND from there?please advise me

thank you all

thanx

 

[TSauretBaxter]

My husband did get Alberta health care right away after landing, but I was already an Alberta resident and was adding him to my health card. Do you already have health care coverage in the province you landed in?

Also, my husband is a PR.

 

[Leon]

A couple of things need to be clear. Did you marry after you landed or before? If you married after you landed, fine. If you married before you landed, did you include your wife in your PR application as not accompanying?

I see from your other posts that you applied under the skilled worker program. That means you got your PR federally, not from Ontario. You did however land in Ontario. However, with a federal PR, you are not bound to stay in Ontario, you can move to AB now if you want to.

If you did not stay in Ontario for very long after your landing, Alberta health may consider your move an international move and not a move from Ontario. If they do, that means they will give you health coverage starting right away. As for your wife, I do not know. If you have health coverage and have already applied to sponsor your wife inland, it is possible. I have heard of such cases where people make their home in AB for more than 6 months a year and the spouse is already covered. I have heard that a person who was on a visitor record, that is had a 1 year visa was given health insurance. I do not work for AB health so I can not tell you exactly how they will handle your case. If you want to talk to them yourself, you can contact them at this number: 780-427-1432 (see http://www.health.alberta.ca/contact.html )
However, make sure you tell them that you really want to settle in AB and want to make sure you have all your bases covered, not just that you want to come to AB for the free healthcare.

If you have any thoughts of just going to AB to get the health card and then going to Ontario with it as soon as you get it, keep in mind that in order to be eligible for healthcare in any province, you must live there for at least 6 months a year. If you do not stay in AB for 6 months in your first year after getting AB health, they could theoretically backcharge you for everything they have paid for you. I have not heard of AB health doing this but I know BC health has so it is possible that AB health could do it too.

 

[canadadubai]

Dear LEON,

Thank you for the reply,

1- I did the landing first and at that time i was not married yet, then i returned back to my home and got married after two months.
2- i staid in Ontario only TEN days(10).
3- i will apply for sponsorship my wife on March 2013 when i come back to canada for the second time.
2- i want to settle down in Alberta since i am electrical engineer and job opportunities are much more there for me.
3- i have no EXTRA money to spend for the baby deliver which will cost me around 20 Thousand CAD$ as per the prices from the internet, so when i reach CANADA on March ,my wife expecting to deliver the baby on June! means only after 3 months from our landing to canada,because as i said we will come to canada on March 2013 and the baby expeting to be delivered on June 2013.
4-YES you are right, i applied under skilled worker program.
5- i want immediately to sponsor my wife INLAND once we both land to Canada, so if ALBERTA will grant my wife a healthcard then NO need for me to wait in Ontario one single day.

i will call them Monday and will send them an email now as well.


PLEASE advise me if you have any further comments?!

Many Thanx Leon

 

[computergeek]

1- I did the landing first and at that time i was not married yet, then i returned back to my home and got married after two months.
2- i staid in Ontario only TEN days(10).
3- i will apply for sponsorship my wife on March 2013 when i come back to canada for the second time.
2- i want to settle down in Alberta since i am electrical engineer and job opportunities are much more there for me.
3- i have no EXTRA money to spend for the baby deliver which will cost me around 20 Thousand CAD$ as per the prices from the internet, so when i reach CANADA on March ,my wife expecting to deliver the baby on June! means only after 3 months from our landing to canada,because as i said we will come to canada on March 2013 and the baby expeting to be delivered on June 2013.
4-YES you are right, i applied under skilled worker program.
5- i want immediately to sponsor my wife INLAND once we both land to Canada, so if ALBERTA will grant my wife a healthcard then NO need for me to wait in Ontario one single day.

Health care is definitely managed provincially. AB and BC both extend benefits to dependents and that includes spouses (BC requires they have an active PR application, AB seems a bit more liberal in that regard.) ON seems to require AIP and while AIP is coming faster these days (7 months now and the posted time is down to 8 months) that's probably not quite fast enough for Ontario.

If you need to pay for it yourself, find a midwife. Cheaper and safer generally than a hospital delivery.

Good luck!

 

[canadadubai]

Dear Computergeek,

*I am sorry but i dont know what midwife is?!is she eligible to enjoy the midwife services at low cost as you said same as PR or canadian citizen?
*what did you mean "AB is more liberal" please?can i get for my wife a health card immediately after applying the sponsorship or i have to wait for 2 or 3 months for example?
*yes Ontario will provide the health card to the sponsored person at least after 7 months after applying for the sponsoship, but my wife will deliver the baby after 2 months of our landing,so this option is not useful for me.


Thank You

 

[Leon]

If you have to pay yourself, midwife is cheaper than hospital. A midwife is a woman who helps your wife prepare for the birth and to give birth at home if there are no complications. However, from what I have heard, there is a shortage of midwifes in Alberta so if you arrive with 2-3 months to go, you will probably not find one that is available.

AB is more liberal in the way that they are more likely to give a health card to a spouse being sponsored. Aside from that, BC has a 3 month waiting period after you move so it is no good for you.

Talk to AB health about your options. If they say they will cover you, good. If not, you might want to stay in your homeland until the baby is born.

 

[canadadubai]

My husband did get Alberta health care right away after landing, but I was already an Alberta resident and was adding him to my health card. Do you already have health care coverage in the province you landed in?

Also, my husband is a PR.

Dear my wife has only a TRV, and for me NO, i dont have the healthcard yet since i left canada after 10 days of my first landing!

Your husband was on TRV also??

 

[TSauretBaxter]

Dear my wife has only a TRV, and for me NO, i dont have the healthcard yet since i left canada after 10 days of my first landing!

Your husband was on TRV also??

No my husband was Permanent Resident when we applied. He was never here on a TRV.

I agree with Leon. A midwife is a great option for people without healthcare. However, if there are any complications you could need to go to the hospital. I would definitely find out for sure from AB health if you would be covered or not, before making your decsion. Is it an option to come to Canada after the baby is born?

 

[truesmile]

There is another thread dedicated to 'midwivery'. I recall in at least one province their services are FREE and that is regardless of your status here. Amongst all the risk of some cost somewhere I'm betting it's worth ALL that risk to have the baby born in Canada . . . since you're settling here "automatic Citizenship" is in it for your baby for starters!

 

[canadadubai]

Dear Leon,TSauretBaxter & Truesmile

TSauretBaxter; i got the TRV with difficulties to my wife and if i wait till she deliver the baby then her TRV will be expired at that time in addition i have to get a TRV to our new baby later! i dont know if they will grant the TRV for both of them that time! Not sure about that!and i cant take the risk so better for me to come before the deliver and at early stage.



Trusmile; do you mean my baby will have a Canadian citizenship? even though I am still a PR and NOT a Canadian citizen yet???Really!


I contacted the midwife CLINIC/Ontario and they informed me it is free for the midwife services BUT i have to pay for all the Lab tests and Sonar plus any additional cost that may occur if a doctor is needed at the delivery due to any complications! or Cesarean! And they said it may cost me anything between 8,300CAD$ to 20,000$!!! i am so frustrated and need to find a real solution ASAP.

Now from this forum i got the following info
1-British Columbia BC may take upto 3 months to provide with the health card and BC is not my destination at all.
2-Ontario will take upto 8 months for the first stage approval
3-for Alberta,I have already sent an email and waiting for their reply, i used LEON link.

Thanks to all and appreciate any more feedback PLEASE!

 

[computergeek]

Trusmile; do you mean my baby will have a Canadian citizenship? even though I am still a PR and NOT a Canadian citizen yet???Really!

If your baby is born in Canada, he or she will be a Canadian citizen at birth.

I contacted the midwife CLINIC/Ontario and they informed me it is free for the midwife services BUT i have to pay for all the Lab tests and Sonar plus any additional cost that may occur if a doctor is needed at the delivery due to any complications! or Cesarean! And they said it may cost me anything between 8,300CAD$ to 20,000$!!! i am so frustrated and need to find a real solution ASAP.

Keep in mind that IF there are complications and there is a large bill, the hospitals will work with you to pay that off over time - they aren't going to hold you hostage until you pay the costs involved. I've read cases where people pay a small amount each month until the bill is paid in full.

Good luck, wherever you end up!

 

[canadadubai]

If your baby is born in Canada, he or she will be a Canadian citizen at birth.

Keep in mind that IF there are complications and there is a large bill, the hospitals will work with you to pay that off over time - they aren't going to hold you hostage until you pay the costs involved. I've read cases where people pay a small amount each month until the bill is paid in full.

Good luck, wherever you end up!

Dear, for the first time i come to know if our baby born in Canada then he/she will be a canadian citizen! can you guid me with a link/official website, where i can find this information, i am so excited keep in your mind i am a PR only and not canadian citizin yet!

thanks

 

[computergeek]

Dear, for the first time i come to know if our baby born in Canada then he/she will be a canadian citizen! can you guid me with a link/official website, where i can find this information, i am so excited keep in your mind i am a PR only and not canadian citizin yet!

From the CIC website (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/proof.asp) :

Provincial or territorial birth certificates are often enough to prove that you are a Canadian citizen if you were born in Canada.

Your birth certificate cannot serve as proof of citizenship if you were born in Canada after February 14, 1977, and at the time of your birth, your parents were neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents, and at least one parent had diplomatic status in Canada.

Children born in Canada are Canadian citizens automatically, regardless of the status of their parents except for the diplomat status case. But since you are a PR, even if you or your wife are a diplomat, your child born in Canada will be a Canadian citizen.

 

[canadadubai]

Dear computergeek

I extracted the following from the link you sent me(((Your birth certificate cannot serve as proof of citizenship if you were born in Canada after February 14, 1977, and at the time of your birth,your parents were neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents, and at least one parent had diplomatic status in Canada.)))

they said "your parents" does that mean BOTH the father and the mother should be a PR or citizines at the birth date? because i am a PR and my wife is on TRV on the birth date? though at that time her PR will be under process because i will apply for her once we reached to canada.

what do you think?