Question regarding an American married to a Canadian

[kelly]

Hi All, not sure if this is the right thread to post this in, so if I'm in the wrong place, or if there is a better thread to post this to, would you mind letting me know? Thanks.

Anyway, we had a question regarding an American married to a Canadian: Does an American married to a Canadian get any benefits or privileges before applying to be sponsored by their spouse? meaning, in the US for example, by being married to an American, even before sponsorship, the foreign spouse can have access to some benefits even before being sponsored (for example, access to the spouse health insurance, access to the social security benefit etc.) so we wanted to ask if that is the case in Canada too?
Do they get anything or will they get privileges only after sponsorship starts? (Right now the American spouse is still in visitor status)

Thanks for your assistance
Stay Safe

 

[scylla]

Hi All, not sure if this is the right thread to post this in, so if I'm in the wrong place, or if there is a better thread to post this to, would you mind letting me know? Thanks.

Anyway, we had a question regarding an American married to a Canadian: Does an American married to a Canadian get any benefits or privileges before applying to be sponsored by their spouse? meaning, in the US for example, by being married to an American, even before sponsorship, the foreign spouse can have access to some benefits even before being sponsored (for example, access to the spouse health insurance, access to the social security benefit etc.) so we wanted to ask if that is the case in Canada too?
Do they get anything or will they get privileges only after sponsorship starts? (Right now the American spouse is still in visitor status)

Thanks for your assistance
Stay Safe

Benefits generally only kick in after the sponsorship process has been completed and you have become a permanent resident.

Which province are you in?

 

[kelly]

Thanks for the reply scylla.
We're in Ontario.

 

[scylla]

Thanks for the reply scylla.
We're in Ontario.

In that case you're really not going to qualify for anything until the PR application is well underway.

You'll want to submit the sponsorship application as soona as you can (everything is taking longer right now due to COVID-19). You'll want to apply using the inland route and include an open work permit application with the sponsorship package. Normally it takes around 4-5 months for the OWP to be approved - but longer right now. Once the person being sponsored has an approved OWP and is able to secure a job, then will qualify for provincial health care benefits. Assuming you haven't submitted the application yet, you're probably still at least six months away from that. Make sure you have private insurance to cover emergencies.

 

[kelly]

In that case you're really not going to qualify for anything until the PR application is well underway.

You'll want to submit the sponsorship application as soona as you can (everything is taking longer right now due to COVID-19). You'll want to apply using the inland route and include an open work permit application with the sponsorship package. Normally it takes around 4-5 months for the OWP to be approved - but longer right now. Once the person being sponsored has an approved OWP and is able to secure a job, then will qualify for provincial health care benefits. Assuming you haven't submitted the application yet, you're probably still at least six months away from that. Make sure you have private insurance to cover emergencies.

Hi scylla, Thanks for the thorough reply and information. Yes, we haven't submitted the application yet, we're newlyweds and are still waiting for the marriage certificate, which we assume will be needed for the application.
If you don't mind a couple of clarification questions: Is the inland route faster/easier? or is that it is best to do it via the inland route mostly because the spouse can get a work permit? And what if they don't get a job offer immediately after getting the work permit, does that mean that they will not be able to get health coverage?
Thanks again for your assistance and sharing of your knowledge.

 

[scylla]

Hi scylla, Thanks for the thorough reply and information. Yes, we haven't submitted the application yet, we're newlyweds and are still waiting for the marriage certificate, which we assume will be needed for the application.
If you don't mind a couple of clarification questions: Is the inland route faster/easier? or is that it is best to do it via the inland route mostly because the spouse can get a work permit? And what if they don't get a job offer immediately after getting the work permit, does that mean that they will not be able to get health coverage?
Thanks again for your assistance and sharing of your knowledge.

Yes - you need to wait for the marriage certificate. Don't submit without this or your application will be returned as incomplete and you'll end up wasting a bunch of months.

There's really no answer right now to the "which is faster" question due to COVID-19. Pre-COVID, I would have said that outland is generally a few months faster for Americans. Not sure that's true anymore. Also, no open work permit with an outland application so you won't qualify for provincial health care coverage until after you have PR.

You need a job to get health care coverage. You have to present a letter from your employer (along with showing you have the work permit) when you apply.