Open Work Permit, no Health Insurance

[theonlyandy]

Bonjour.

As others posted before, with an Open Work Permit you're welcome to work in Canada and pay taxes, but you have no right to get health insurance (in my case in Québec).

Even worse, not even (most) company group insurances cover you then, and all you get is a travel insurance for your stay in Canada. You'll not be insured when you travel, and additionally they will stop payments after 3 months.

What a great feeling! To me that seems like a systematic exploitation of foreign workers. Not at all what Canada's reputation promises.

How can the Federation accept a worker into the country, but the Province screws them like this?

Is there really nothing one can do?

Is it possible to have an open work permit changed to a closed one? Then one will need to leave the country if the job is terrible if quitting the job, is that right?

They told me that they wouldn't insure me because I could leave the province anytime. But on the other hand the work permit has a field "Employment Location", which they could fix to Québec, but nobody ever offered that.

Thank you.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Bonjour.

As others posted before, with an Open Work Permit you're welcome to work in Canada and pay taxes, but you have no right to get health insurance (in my case in Québec).

Even worse, not even (most) company group insurances cover you then, and all you get is a travel insurance for your stay in Canada. You'll not be insured when you travel, and additionally they will stop payments after 3 months.

What a great feeling! To me that seems like a systematic exploitation of foreign workers. Not at all what Canada's reputation promises.

How can the Federation accept a worker into the country, but the Province screws them like this?

Is there really nothing one can do?

Is it possible to have an open work permit changed to a closed one? Then one will need to leave the country if the job is terrible if quitting the job, is that right?

They told me that they wouldn't insure me because I could leave the province anytime. But on the other hand the work permit has a field "Employment Location", which they could fix to Québec, but nobody ever offered that.

Thank you.

Most temporary foreign workers can actually qualify for provincial coverage in Canada, so the "how can Canada do this" argument doesn't fly.

 

[MarcoB]

Most temporary foreign workers can actually qualify for provincial coverage in Canada, so the "how can Canada do this" argument doesn't fly.

Should the argument change to "How can Quebec do this" then?

 

[canuck78]

Canadian citizens are also not covered for 3 months if they have been living out of the country. Unless you are part of IEC you should qualify.

 

[MarcoB]

This is a terrible situation. You pay taxes every year but you can't benefit from health insurance.
Then you pay for a private health insurance, but you can't find a Clinic to see you, because you don't have the provincial health insurance.
Fear not, there are clinics that accept your private health insurance, but they are not accepting new patients...