Outland application - Wife baby due prior to getting PR - No insurance

[VermiciousKnish]

Outland application where sponsor is living in Canada and wife came to Canada to stay with her husband while she waits for PR. She received a 12 month visitor record. She is pregnant and is due in about 6 months. CIC requested medical exam about 6 weeks ago but she could not have chest x-rays done because of pregnancy. Without full medical, PR likely will no be issued until it is done and that will not happen until baby has been born.
Hospital will not cover birth (even for cash) and doctor will not see patient either. What are the options for this mother? Is there any way for her to have a child now in Canada? She would not like to return to the USA but she can not get private insurance now that she is 2.5 months into the pregnancy? Any ideas?

 

[scylla]

Which province?

Getting any sort of coverage is most likely out of the question. However hospitals / doctors should be willing to see her provided she has the cash.

PR cannot be issued without a chest x-ray being completed.

 

[VermiciousKnish]

Ontario. Hospital wants $20K upfront to cover a birth??

 

[Rob_TO]

Ontario. Hospital wants $20K upfront to cover a birth??

That sounds about right. You would pay them upfront, then they would refund you some if the bill was less. For them it's better then having to chase you for the money afterwards.

First step would be seeing if you can find an OB willing to take her as a patient with no insurance, and arrange a cash payment system. Go to a walk-in clinic and see if they can refer any OBs, or just start calling around.

Or my recommendation, is to phone all the midwife offices in your area and see if any will take her. Midwives in Ontario can offer their services for free even to those with no OHIP. Trick is finding one as they are in high demand. Best to call them immediately after you find out you're pregnant. This will also significantly reduce cost of delivery in a hospital, or can even do for free at home (assuming no complications).

Worst case if she shows up to an emergency room in labor, they are obligated to assist and do her delivery, and would present her a bill at the end.

 

[VermiciousKnish]

The applicant wants to withdraw the whole application and apply for a work permit instead so that she can have OHIP when she has the baby. She thinks she can get a legitimate work permit through the clergy program as her and her husband both work full time in the church (non-profit). Sounds like a waste to withdraw the sponsorship application this late in the game but I presume that would get her OHIP for the baby in the meantime?

 

[scylla]

The applicant wants to withdraw the whole application and apply for a work permit instead so that she can have OHIP when she has the baby. She thinks she can get a legitimate work permit through the clergy program as her and her husband both work full time in the church (non-profit). Sounds like a waste to withdraw the sponsorship application this late in the game but I presume that would get her OHIP for the baby in the meantime?

She won't qualify for an open work permit through her husband - except through inland spousal sponsorship. If they were to withdraw the outland sponsorship application and apply inland (including an OWP) - the OWP will be approved approximately four months after the application is submitted.

If she wants to go the clergy work permit route, she will need to qualify completely independently. Her husband's role won't help her.

 

[VermiciousKnish]

She won't qualify for an open work permit through her husband - except through inland spousal sponsorship. If they were to withdraw the outland sponsorship application and apply inland (including an OWP) - the OWP will be approved approximately four months after the application is submitted.

If she wants to go the clergy work permit route, she will need to qualify completely independently. Her husband's role won't help her.

If she were were to apply inland (including the OWP), would she be eligible for OHIP as soon as she receives the OWP? Or would there still be a 90 day wait/residency period from that time? I imagine the 90 day period would not apply in this case as she would be have been residing in Canada for 4 months already (approx) and would not still need to establish residency here. Is that the case?

 

[MrB]

Cancelling the application is not going to help the situation. You have to consider the OWP processing times and also the 3 month wait after receiving the OWP to be eligible for OHIP.

 

[Rob_TO]

If she were were to apply inland (including the OWP), would she be eligible for OHIP as soon as she receives the OWP? Or would there still be a 90 day wait/residency period from that time? I imagine the 90 day period would not apply in this case as she would be have been residing in Canada for 4 months already (approx) and would not still need to establish residency here. Is that the case?

No this is not accurate.
FIrst off, an OWP doesn't qualify you for OHIP. One also needs a full time job letter with a position lasting at least 6 months.
From OHIP website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-ohip-and-get-health-card
You must also meet at least one of the following additional requirements. You:
-are in Ontario on a valid work permit and are working full-time in Ontario, for an Ontario employer, for at least six months

And second, 90-day waiting period will start once she becomes eligible for OHIP. Time spent in Ontario before being eligible, typically doesn't count for the waiting period.

I'll repeat my previous recommendation - find a midwife that will take her as a client

 

[MrB]

The person involved may also attempt to apply under meeting the requirement of having applied for permanent residence, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has confirmed that:

• you meet the eligibility requirements to apply
• you have not yet been denied

There are no guarantees but there is a chance that it could work. Please refer to the link below
https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-ohip-and-get-health-card#section-2

 

[CaroM8]

I think this mother’s only real options are to pay cash for all her pregnancy/birth related costs.

Getting a midwife might reduce some of these costs but you’d have to phone around as they all operate slightly differently. A home birth is possible with a midwife, which would be less costly, assuming everything goes smoothly with delivery and baby.

The mother is from the US you said? Maybe she qualifies for some type of insurance over there? If so, might be worth staying in the US for the pregnancy/birth.

 

[VermiciousKnish]

The person involved may also attempt to apply under meeting the requirement of having applied for permanent residence, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has confirmed that:

• you meet the eligibility requirements to apply
• you have not yet been denied

There are no guarantees but there is a chance that it could work. Please refer to the link below
https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-ohip-and-get-health-card#section-2

This is correct but she misses the residency requirements right off the bat since:

To meet the minimum qualifications you must:

• be physically in Ontario for 153 days in any 12‑month period
• be physically in Ontario for at least 153 days of the first 183 days immediately after you began living in the province
• make Ontario your primary home

Can she prove any of these if she is an outland applicant?

 

[scylla]

This is correct but she misses the residency requirements right off the bat since:

To meet the minimum qualifications you must:

• be physically in Ontario for 153 days in any 12‑month period
• be physically in Ontario for at least 153 days of the first 183 days immediately after you began living in the province
• make Ontario your primary home

Can she prove any of these if she is an outland applicant?

Not how it works.

My husband is American was sponsored outland. He lived in Canada for a couple of years before he became a PR (as a visitor). He still had to wait three months after he became a PR to qualify for OHIP.

 

[Rob_TO]

FYI There is a way to qualify for OHIP while living in Canada with an OUTLAND app in progress. It's quite the bureaucratic process though and takes some time.
See this thread: https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/important-ohip-eligibility-info-for-all-pr-applicants-residing-in-ontario.56695/#post-2518001

 

[bafonso]

FYI There is a way to qualify for OHIP while living in Canada with an OUTLAND app in progress. It's quite the bureaucratic process though and takes some time.
See this thread: https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/important-ohip-eligibility-info-for-all-pr-applicants-residing-in-ontario.56695/#post-2518001

I wonder if this is also possible with QC..