Leon/Qorax in dire need of advice.

[LJo]

Hi,

My husband and I have received our PR and need to land before 1st July 2012.We were thinking of making a landing and getting back home,and then moving permanently to Canada after about a year.
We only have relatives in Ontario,have not really considered going anywhere else.
Now,I am presently 4 months pregnant,due mid-late August.I have a few big doubts I'm hoping you guys can help me with?

1. How long does the ACTUAL wait take for OHIP?Is it just 3 months or will it in reality take longer?

2. Do we have to physically be there for the entire 3 month period after application?

I have a US multiple entry visit visa and my husband has just applied for one.If he gets it,we were planning on visiting his brother in Detroit and driving to Canada from there to make a landing.Then maybe do a little visiting within Canada and the US to get a rough idea.

3. Can I give my cousin brother's address for all references (he lives in Brampton),as we do not intend to take up residence immediately?Or should we rent out an apartment for the duration of 3 months?Will this also apply for the SIN card?

4. If we do get OHIP and I have the baby there,should we stay for a total of 6 months?If we leave before that,could I get billed for the services like Leon was talking about?What about if we complete 6 months and then leave?

5. If I have the baby back here at home,we would either one of us have to come back there and sponsor the baby right?How long could that take?

6. How tough could applying for a visit visa for the baby be?In case we would all like to come together?

7. Is there any possibility of my getting an extension on landing due to the pregnancy?Can I do that now at such short notice?How long could getting the baby added take,after my delivery?

Gee guys,I am sorry for asking so many questions at once... :-[ But I am so confused and we need to make some decisions ASAP...
Please help.

 

[steaky]

Unless the baby has a visa exempted passport when it was born, it will be extremely inconvenient to bring it with you to Canada. I suggest you take up residence in Canada and deliver the baby in Canada. If the baby is born in Canada, he will get Canadian citizenship immediately and you don't have to spend time and money to sponsor it to come to Canada as PR.

Yes there is 3 months waiting period for OHIP in Ontario. But if you land in provinces such as Alberta, your health coverage begins immediately. That means, literally, you don't need to pay for your child delivery cost if you land in Alberta instead.

 

[LJo]

Hi Steaky,

Thankyou so much.
We have family in Ontario,and this being my first baby,the thought of a whole new place is traumatic
From the date of landing,will OHIP get activated on the completion of 3 months?A friend was saying that it could in reality take between 4-5 months?
Also,along with taking up residence and providing an address,is our physical presence there the entire 3 months a requirement?

Thanks again.

 

[Leon]

1. You can apply for OHIP beforehand but they will not send you the card until after 3 months. If you do not get the card after 3 months, you can look into if they will re-imburse you for any expenses between 3 months and getting the card.

2. In your first 6 months as a PR, you should not be outside Ontario for more than 30 days, see http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/ohip/eligibility.html and you should live in Ontario for at least 6 months a year to keep your coverage.

3. You can give a relatives address although for PR card, the immigration officer may ask if you will be staying at that address when it arrives. If you say no, they may decide to withhold it until you have your own address. As for OHIP, when you register, you may be asked for proof that you have taken up residence in Canada. If you haven't yet and are just using the address of your relative, it may be hard for you to provide proof.

4. To be eligible for health care in some province, you should stay there at least 6 months a year. If you arrive, stay just long enough to have your baby and then leave and do not spend 6 months there in your first year, they could decide that you have cheated their health care and want their money back. This happened to one woman who was in BC.

5. If you have the baby in your homeland, you will have to sponsor it for PR. As a PR, you must be in Canada to sponsor. It is possible that you could get a TRV or TRP to take the baby with you to Canada or if the baby has a visa exempt passport, you just take it along. Sponsoring a baby can easily take a few months, depends on your visa office how fast they are.

6. A visit visa (TRV) may be denied as it is not the intention for the baby to stay in Canada temporarily but in some cases it is worked for people to apply for a TRP instead which is a special visa for people who can't get a TRV but may need to be in Canada anyway.

7. If they have already issued the visas, it is unlikely that they will want to re-open your case to add a baby when you are still in your 4th month and could easily land before the baby is born. You would have to ask the visa office about that.

Also keep in mind that you need an emergency medical or travel insurance. You may have complications with the pregnancy. The baby could be born early. Whatever happens before you get OHIP would be yours to take care of. If you land in another province or go directly there after landing, you could get first day health coverage but then you should also make sure you live there 6 months in the first year to avoid them coming after you if you move.

 

[LJo]

Thanks a ton Leon...
So the most sensible thing to do would be to land as soon as possible,take up residence for 6 months n then take it from there right?
A TRV or TRP for the baby cannot be guaranteed right?In which case either one of us would have to move there n stay there till the sponsoring paperwork is done,to be able to bring the baby?
Thanks again so much for your time...

 

[Leon]

Thanks a ton Leon...
So the most sensible thing to do would be to land as soon as possible,take up residence for 6 months n then take it from there right?
A TRV or TRP for the baby cannot be guaranteed right?In which case either one of us would have to move there n stay there till the sponsoring paperwork is done,to be able to bring the baby?
Thanks again so much for your time...

If you go to Alberta, Manitoba or Saskatchewan, you would have 1st day health care so they would cover all possible problems during the pregnancy. There shouldn't be a problem finding some kind of job there. These provinces have the lowest unemployment in Canada. If you leave to visit his brother in Detroit or somebody else, just make sure you make up for the time so that you stay for at least 183 days in that province. At that point, if you still want to move to ON, you could. Your health care from the first province would then cover you for the first 3 months while you wait for OHIP.

Otherwise, if you really want to go to Ontario, get an emergency insurance and land as soon as possible and hope you have your OHIP before the baby is born. Do not leave for more then 30 days in your first 6 months and make sure you have stayed in ON for at least 183 days before you contemplate moving to another province.

 

[LJo]

Thanks again Leon.