Important OHIP eligibility info for all PR applicants residing in Ontario

[bartjones]

Just trying to share MY EXPERIENCE. and I don't believe I have to..

I was merely pointing out that the information you were given and that I highlighted i.e. I still have to wait 3 months from the moment I got my DM letter is incorrect. I didn't say you had to appeal, just that if you did, you would get your coverage sooner.

 

[bartjones]

Just an update on my wife's OHIP application. Last August I requested that the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee review the denial of OHIP coverage for my wife, who is with me here in Canada on a visitor's visa and has a PR application pending in Manila. In October I received a letter from OHIP advising me that they had made inquiries with CIC and decided that my wife was not yet eligible for OHIP coverage because her PR application had not progressed to the point where CIC had found her to be "eligible to apply for PR".

In April 2014 I wrote to them again and asked that they make inquiries again with CIC to determine whether she was now eligible.

Today I received a letter from the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee telling me that CIC determined that my wife was "eligible to apply for PR" as of November 22, 2013. Accordingly, she became eligible for OHIP effective February 22, 2014 and we are off to Service Ontario today to get her OHIP card.

What's interesting is that according to ECAS, Nov. 22 2013 is the date that CIC began processing my wife's application. She still does not have PR approval and according to her GCMS notes, her application is still languishing in Manila.

So, the moral of the story seems to be that you do not have to wait for PR before becoming eligible for OHIP. You can become eligible much sooner than that. And Reg 552 applies to both inland and outland applicants.

 

[Gugi123]

Just an update on my wife's OHIP application. Last August I requested that the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee review the denial of OHIP coverage for my wife, who is with me here in Canada on a visitor's visa and has a PR application pending in Manila. In October I received a letter from OHIP advising me that they had made inquiries with CIC and decided that my wife was not yet eligible for OHIP coverage because her PR application had not progressed to the point where CIC had found her to be "eligible to apply for PR".

In April 2014 I wrote to them again and asked that they make inquiries again with CIC to determine whether she was now eligible.

Today I received a letter from the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee telling me that CIC determined that my wife was "eligible to apply for PR" as of November 22, 2013. Accordingly, she became eligible for OHIP effective February 22, 2014 and we are off to Service Ontario today to get her OHIP card.

What's interesting is that according to ECAS, Nov. 22 2013 is the date that CIC began processing my wife's application. She still does not have PR approval and according to her GCMS notes, her application is still languishing in Manila.

So, the moral of the story seems to be that you do not have to wait for PR before becoming eligible for OHIP. You can become eligible much sooner than that. And Reg 552 applies to both inland and outland applicants.

Do you know if this also applies to Quebec under RAMQ under a similar clause?

 

[bartjones]

I don't know. Different province=totally different rules.

 

[morgan22]

So, the moral of the story seems to be that you do not have to wait for PR before becoming eligible for OHIP. You can become eligible much sooner than that. And Reg 552 applies to both inland and outland applicants.

Just got off the phone with Services Ontario about applying for OHIP before receiving my PR status.

The rep told me that, in order to apply, I'd need to bring a confirmation letter that I am eligible to apply for Permanent Residence (IMM5292). I submitted my PR application back in October 2013 and have not yet received this document.

Did your wife have IMM5292 when she applied for OHIP?

 

[bartjones]

Just got off the phone with Services Ontario about applying for OHIP before receiving my PR status.

The rep told me that, in order to apply, I'd need to bring a confirmation letter that I am eligible to apply for Permanent Residence (IMM5292). I submitted my PR application back in October 2013 and have not yet received this document.

Did your wife have IMM5292 when she applied for OHIP?

Whoever you spoke to is wrong. IMM5292 is Confirmation of Permanent Residence. My wife doesn't have that yet, but you don't need that to qualify for coverage. It doesn't really surprise me that they got it wrong, since most Service Ontario folks aren't well informed on this issue and think you can only get OHIP after your application for PR has been approved. That's simply incorrect.

Follow the same process I followed. Go to the Service Ontario center and apply. They will probably refuse you. Get that decision in writing and appeal to the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee. If your PR application is far enough along you'll qualify. If it isn't, you can ask the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee to look into it again a few months later. Good luck.

 

[Blackdisc]

Bartjones

I sponsored my wife, Inland. Our application AOR was August 2013. We are about 1-2 months away from receiving AIP. Are you saying that it is possible for me to apply OHIP for her at this point, even though AIP has not been given.

BlackDisc

 

[dassine2013]

Whoever you spoke to is wrong. IMM5292 is Confirmation of Permanent Residence. My wife doesn't have that yet, but you don't need that to qualify for coverage. It doesn't really surprise me that they got it wrong, since most Service Ontario folks aren't well informed on this issue and think you can only get OHIP after your application for PR has been approved. That's simply incorrect.

Follow the same process I followed. Go to the Service Ontario center and apply. They will probably refuse you. Get that decision in writing and appeal to the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee. If your PR application is far enough along you'll qualify. If it isn't, you can ask the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee to look into it again a few months later. Good luck.

Thank you bartjones for the very important and interesting information. My husband and I went this morning to service Canada to get more information about OHIP, we are given a form to fill and a brochure on which is listed the needed documents : First: one proof of residency of Ontario, second: one support of identity, and third: proof of OHIP-eligible immigration status like a WRITTEN CONFIRMATION from CIC that I am eligible TO APPLY for permanent resident. My question is what is the written confirmation of CIC that you provided? For me my sponsorship application was received ON January 14, and have my file in E-CAS since April 25. Thank you for answering.

 

[bartjones]

My question is what is the written confirmation of CIC that you provided?

If you applied inland it will be the letter from CIC giving you first stage approval. Assuming you applied Jan 14, 2014 you won't have that yet. It's just too early.

If you applied outland, there is no document. You will need to follow the process I described earlier in the thread, i.e. go to the Service Ontario center, tell them you're an outland PR applicant. They will probably refuse you. Get the refusal in writing. Then you take the refusal document and send it off to the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee and request a review. They will contact CIC on your behalf in order to determine whether your application has progressed to the point where you have been found to be eligible to apply for PR.

In all likelihood, if you only filed your application in January this year, your application will not have progressed to the point where you are OHIP eligible. In my wife's case that took about 8 months from the time her application was filed. So, if I were you I would wait until August before applying for OHIP coverage.

 

[Rorosgurl]

If you applied inland it will be the letter from CIC giving you first stage approval. Assuming you applied Jan 14, 2014 you won't have that yet. It's just too early.

If you applied outland, there is no document. You will need to follow the process I described earlier in the thread, i.e. go to the Service Ontario center, tell them you're an outland PR applicant. They will probably refuse you. Get the refusal in writing. Then you take the refusal document and send it off to the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee and request a review. They will contact CIC on your behalf in order to determine whether your application has progressed to the point where you have been found to be eligible to apply for PR.

In all likelihood, if you only filed your application in January this year, your application will not have progressed to the point where you are OHIP eligible. In my wife's case that took about 8 months from the time her application was filed. So, if I were you I would wait until August before applying for OHIP coverage.

This is very helpful. I have a question thu. How long the process is thu from going to the ohip office to having the OhIP eligibility review committiee to contacting cic to check the eligibility?

I am pregnant and due august 31st and was wondering if I have time to get ohip before I go into labor. I sent my application back in October of 2013. And they requested a new fbi bc mine has expired. By the time I get the results and send it back to them it will be in july.

Any ideas what to do?

 

[bartjones]

This is very helpful. I have a question thu. How long the process is thu from going to the ohip office to having the OhIP eligibility review committiee to contacting cic to check the eligibility?

I am pregnant and due august 31st and was wondering if I have time to get ohip before I go into labor. I sent my application back in October of 2013. And they requested a new fbi bc mine has expired. By the time I get the results and send it back to them it will be in july.

Any ideas what to do?

In my wife's case the initial request we made to the OERC was processed in about 6 weeks. That was denied, but the follow up request, which they granted, only took a few weeks.

You may be eligible now. Maybe you could go through the process and see what they say. You will probably have a reply from the OERC by your due date.

 

[Rorosgurl]

In my wife's case the initial request we made to the OERC was processed in about 6 weeks. That was denied, but the follow up request, which they granted, only took a few weeks.

You may be eligible now. Maybe you could go through the process and see what they say. You will probably have a reply from the OERC by your due date.

So the wait time to hear from the OERC then the request which will be either granted or denied will be considered part of the 3 months waiting period?

 

[bartjones]

So the wait time to hear from the OERC then the request which will be either granted or denied will be considered part of the 3 months waiting period?

No. The OERC will find out from CIC if you are eligible to apply for PR and what date CIC determined that. You will be eligible for OHIP three months from the date CIC determined that you were eligible to apply for PR.

 

[Rorosgurl]

No. The OERC will find out from CIC if you are eligible to apply for PR and what date CIC determined that. You will be eligible for OHIP three months from the date CIC determined that you were eligible to apply for PR.

So to be clear. If the CIC say I was eligible since May 1st they will back date it? Like start my 3 months from may 1st?

 

[bartjones]

So to be clear. If the CIC say I was eligible since May 1st they will back date it? Like start my 3 months from may 1st?

Correct. In my wife's case CIC determined that she was eligible to apply for PR on November 22, 2013, so she became eligible for OHIP coverage 3 months later on Feb. 22, 2014. I'm assuming here that you can satisfy them that you meet the residency requirement. Are you in Ontario now?