Important OHIP eligibility info for all PR applicants residing in Ontario
- Thread starter Intel
- Start date
Hello guys,
I have applied for PR(inland) then I applied for BOWP (bridging open work permit), I got my BOWP and the remarks section stated (Pending APR). Currently, I'm on a part time Job.
Today, I went to Service Ontario to renew my health card. But the clerk told me that I have to bring a letter from my employer stated that I'm on a full time Job. So, after 30 minutes of surfing I found this thread.
Do I still need to bring a letter from my employer even I have work permit document stating that I'm waiting for PR ???????
I read the following references and I need confirmation please !!!!!!!!!!!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting April 1st, 2009, Ontario considered a PR applicant residing in Ontario eligible for OHIP according to the following:
"Being a person who has submitted an application for permanent residence in Canada to the proper federal government authority, even if the application has not yet been approved, as long as Citizenship and Immigration Canada has confirmed that the person meets the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residency in Canada, and the application has not yet been denied"
Source: Health Insurance Act R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 552, Subsection 1.4 paragraph 5
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r09133
What immigration documents must I present to confirm my immigration status as an Applicant for Permanent Residence (previously called an Applicant for Landing) when applying for Ontario health insurance coverage?
If you are applying for Ontario health insurance coverage as an Applicant for Permanent Residence, you are required to present written confirmation from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that you are eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada, which may be one of the following :
· CIC Confirmation Letter – letter on CIC letterhead addressed to the Applicant for Permanent Residence that confirms that the applicant is eligible to apply for permanent residency in Canada;
· CIC Immigration document such as a Work Permit, Visitor Record, Temporary Resident Permit or Study Permit with note in the "Remarks Section" that indicates that you have applied for permanent residence and the CIC has confirmed that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ohip/ohipfaq_mn.aspx
I have applied for PR(inland) then I applied for BOWP (bridging open work permit), I got my BOWP and the remarks section stated (Pending APR). Currently, I'm on a part time Job.
Today, I went to Service Ontario to renew my health card. But the clerk told me that I have to bring a letter from my employer stated that I'm on a full time Job. So, after 30 minutes of surfing I found this thread.
Do I still need to bring a letter from my employer even I have work permit document stating that I'm waiting for PR ???????
I read the following references and I need confirmation please !!!!!!!!!!!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting April 1st, 2009, Ontario considered a PR applicant residing in Ontario eligible for OHIP according to the following:
"Being a person who has submitted an application for permanent residence in Canada to the proper federal government authority, even if the application has not yet been approved, as long as Citizenship and Immigration Canada has confirmed that the person meets the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residency in Canada, and the application has not yet been denied"
Source: Health Insurance Act R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 552, Subsection 1.4 paragraph 5
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r09133
What immigration documents must I present to confirm my immigration status as an Applicant for Permanent Residence (previously called an Applicant for Landing) when applying for Ontario health insurance coverage?
If you are applying for Ontario health insurance coverage as an Applicant for Permanent Residence, you are required to present written confirmation from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that you are eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada, which may be one of the following :
· CIC Confirmation Letter – letter on CIC letterhead addressed to the Applicant for Permanent Residence that confirms that the applicant is eligible to apply for permanent residency in Canada;
· CIC Immigration document such as a Work Permit, Visitor Record, Temporary Resident Permit or Study Permit with note in the "Remarks Section" that indicates that you have applied for permanent residence and the CIC has confirmed that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ohip/ohipfaq_mn.aspx
And how to get the AIP?
---
I have work permit document with the following in the remarks section:
"Temporary resident status maintained as per R183(6)
Pending APR
"
Doesn't this meet the following paragraph?
· CIC Immigration document such as a Work Permit, Visitor Record, Temporary Resident Permit or Study Permit with note in the "Remarks Section" that indicates that you have applied for permanent residence and the CIC has confirmed that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
In my experience you have to show that you have approval in principal to show that you meet the eligibility requirements. You can certainly bring in those documents and see if they work.
As per my understanding once you get an ITA you have an AIP or approval in principle. The assumption is that you have an ITA because you've truthfully provided the information regarding your application and hence are qualified to come to Canada and good enough to be sent an invitation. So basically your ITA is showing that you've been approved in principle. Which is why if you notice they say that you should be good for ohip as long as you're not rejected.
Although you should keep the relevant laws for your record and make sure there has been no change so that you can show it to the employees at service Ontario.
Although you should keep the relevant laws for your record and make sure there has been no change so that you can show it to the employees at service Ontario.
I believe in your understanding, but still need an answer for the following question:
Do I still need to bring a letter from my employer to prove a full-time contract?
No, unless it is specifically stated in any law, you don't really need to bring any employer letter. There might be an issue if your ITA is not 90 days old. Since you are applying for ohip on the basis of ITA, it should at least be 90 days old for you to qualify getting healthcare on its basis (at least that would be my interpretation ).
In my experience, it is hard to convince the SO employees so you should have the appropriate laws on you backing up what you're saying.
Hi guys,
I have some updates here. Fortunately, I was able to renew my OHIB today using the "acknowledgement of receipt letter" of my PR. Here is the story for more details.
As I mentioned before, I applied for PR (Inland) in April. My close work permit ended in June before my PR get approved, so I had to apply for Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP).
I received my BOWP in August, so I went to Service Ontario to renew my health card. The clerk there asked my to bring a letter from an employer to prove that I'm working full time. I turned back home very frustrated but after surfing the internet for a couple of hours I figured out that I could apply for OHIB long time ago only using the "acknowledgement of receipt letter" which is the automatic email you receive just after you submit your PR application.
I copied all the legal statements and the web links which prove my claims in one file. The next day I visited Service Ontario for the second time. A different clerk asked me the same question: "Do you have a letter from you employer?" I answered her: "No, actually I don't need this letter because I have applied for PR and here is my acknowledgement of receipt letter. Additionally, there is a remark at the end of my work permit mentioning this clearly". She said: "that's fine we are all good now".
The funny thing is that the clerk from last time, rushed to the clerk who is serving my request to mention that my documents are not complete. However, the new clerk said: "Today, he is OK". It seems like the old clerk know about this law but she just refused my request for nonsense reasons (may be hidden racist feelings ... who knows ?!!!)
I want to add one more thing, I also succeeded to renew my wife and my son OHIB. The clerk asked me to prove that they are dependents in my PR application. So, i logged in into my CIC account and showed here the dependents section.
Below is the text I used to prove my eligibility for OHIB, may be someone can reuse it in the future.
Good luck guys
---
Starting April 1st, 2009, Ontario considered a PR applicant residing in Ontario eligible for OHIP according to the following:
"Being a person who has submitted an application for permanent residence in Canada to the proper federal government authority, even if the application has not yet been approved, as long as Citizenship and Immigration Canada has confirmed that the person meets the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residency in Canada, and the application has not yet been denied"
Source: Health Insurance Act R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 552, Subsection 1.4 paragraph 5
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r09133
What immigration documents must I present to confirm my immigration status as an Applicant for Permanent Residence (previously called an Applicant for Landing) when applying for Ontario health insurance coverage?
If you are applying for Ontario health insurance coverage as an Applicant for Permanent Residence, you are required to present written confirmation from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that you are eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada, which may be one of the following :
· CIC Confirmation Letter – letter on CIC letterhead addressed to the Applicant for Permanent Residence that confirms that the applicant is eligible to apply for permanent residency in Canada;
· CIC Immigration document such as a Work Permit, Visitor Record, Temporary Resident Permit or Study Permit with note in the "Remarks Section" that indicates that you have applied for permanent residence and the CIC has confirmed that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ohip/ohipfaq_mn.aspx
I have some updates here. Fortunately, I was able to renew my OHIB today using the "acknowledgement of receipt letter" of my PR. Here is the story for more details.
As I mentioned before, I applied for PR (Inland) in April. My close work permit ended in June before my PR get approved, so I had to apply for Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP).
I received my BOWP in August, so I went to Service Ontario to renew my health card. The clerk there asked my to bring a letter from an employer to prove that I'm working full time. I turned back home very frustrated but after surfing the internet for a couple of hours I figured out that I could apply for OHIB long time ago only using the "acknowledgement of receipt letter" which is the automatic email you receive just after you submit your PR application.
I copied all the legal statements and the web links which prove my claims in one file. The next day I visited Service Ontario for the second time. A different clerk asked me the same question: "Do you have a letter from you employer?" I answered her: "No, actually I don't need this letter because I have applied for PR and here is my acknowledgement of receipt letter. Additionally, there is a remark at the end of my work permit mentioning this clearly". She said: "that's fine we are all good now".
The funny thing is that the clerk from last time, rushed to the clerk who is serving my request to mention that my documents are not complete. However, the new clerk said: "Today, he is OK". It seems like the old clerk know about this law but she just refused my request for nonsense reasons (may be hidden racist feelings ... who knows ?!!!)
I want to add one more thing, I also succeeded to renew my wife and my son OHIB. The clerk asked me to prove that they are dependents in my PR application. So, i logged in into my CIC account and showed here the dependents section.
Below is the text I used to prove my eligibility for OHIB, may be someone can reuse it in the future.
Good luck guys
---
Starting April 1st, 2009, Ontario considered a PR applicant residing in Ontario eligible for OHIP according to the following:
"Being a person who has submitted an application for permanent residence in Canada to the proper federal government authority, even if the application has not yet been approved, as long as Citizenship and Immigration Canada has confirmed that the person meets the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residency in Canada, and the application has not yet been denied"
Source: Health Insurance Act R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 552, Subsection 1.4 paragraph 5
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r09133
What immigration documents must I present to confirm my immigration status as an Applicant for Permanent Residence (previously called an Applicant for Landing) when applying for Ontario health insurance coverage?
If you are applying for Ontario health insurance coverage as an Applicant for Permanent Residence, you are required to present written confirmation from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that you are eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada, which may be one of the following :
· CIC Confirmation Letter – letter on CIC letterhead addressed to the Applicant for Permanent Residence that confirms that the applicant is eligible to apply for permanent residency in Canada;
· CIC Immigration document such as a Work Permit, Visitor Record, Temporary Resident Permit or Study Permit with note in the "Remarks Section" that indicates that you have applied for permanent residence and the CIC has confirmed that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ohip/ohipfaq_mn.aspx
Last edited:
Thanks for posting your experience in such a detailed post. It should be helpful for posterity.
Just to add to this, (and thanks to Sallam_ah's posts), I spent two hours today at ServiceOntario, for the agent to keep refusing for various reasons. Once I responded to all of his questions using the links and quotes above, I was referred to a manager. He called their 'help line', who asked for my BOWP to be scanned to them so they could better understand the case. They also concluded that as I did not have an AIP or 'proof of eligibility', that I was not eligible for an OHIP. I asked what should FSW applicants of PR on a BOWP provide and they basically couldn't answer. My AOR was not enough, nor was my BOWP.
At the end of the two hour debacle, I was told that if I disagreed with the decision made by the three people (the agent, his supervisor and their call centre agent, who I was refused the opportunity to speak with, as they are only authorised to speak with agents apparently and not the public?) I should appeal by writing to the Review Committee, which I have done. I'll keep you posted with their reply!
It just showed that ServiceOntario really don't know their own rules and they were completely surprised when I kept quoting their own website back at them.
At the end of the two hour debacle, I was told that if I disagreed with the decision made by the three people (the agent, his supervisor and their call centre agent, who I was refused the opportunity to speak with, as they are only authorised to speak with agents apparently and not the public?) I should appeal by writing to the Review Committee, which I have done. I'll keep you posted with their reply!
It just showed that ServiceOntario really don't know their own rules and they were completely surprised when I kept quoting their own website back at them.
can you show AIP later after PR to get your dates changed and get OHIP earlier ?