Regarding Health Cards

[Looki]

Hi

Basic story, I immigrated to Canada under my father's name as a dependant. The process took something close to five years. As most of you understand, life can't stand still in that time. I found my now husband.

In any event, in order to receive my PR, we realized that I would need to land in Canada unwed, and still a dependant of my dad, which I did in February of this year. My fiance then arrived about 2months later on a visitors visa and a month later, we were married.

We sent in our sponsorship forms and they arrived in Calgary on July 23rd.

In the application package we received, it stated that the embassy will let you know once you are allowed to apply for a work visa, but now I read that had we applied with the application it would have been an "automatic". Does it make a difference if now, instead of applying for an extension of visa, we send in application for work visa?

and secondly, at what point are you allowed to go on health? Only once PR is granted? For a more specific answer, it would be OHIP.

Thanks kindly

 

[Siouxie]

I can give you the answer on the health card, (if you are in Ontario anyway). Once you have passed your medical (and received written notification that you have medical clearance) you will be issued with papers to go to your local OHIP office. You will then wait 3 months from the date of clearance of the medical to be issued with your OHIP card.

I got mine in April

 

[Looki]

Thanks

So if the First Stage Approval comes at about 4-5months, where on the timeline does the medical clearance come about?

Not that my hubby likes doctors much, but you never know when you might need one.

 

[Siouxie]

Well, in my case, almost 3 years! Sorry, I am not sure what the standard time is, when I submitted my application for inland processing I had to wait until they sent me a letter to go and get the medical done - that was approximately 2 1/2 years after first stage approval - it should have been sooner but they sent the first letter to my former address and waited months until they sent me new ones to the current address.

I think now the medical is done much earlier in the process - has your husband had his medical already? If so, I would think that it will be very soon.

 

[Looki]

We did the medical/ police clearance etc etc before actually sending the application in. Proof of Medical needs to be included in the initial package. As far as I understand, if they need to request something (other than your passport) its because you forgot to include it.

If I remember correctly, the medical was done two weeks before we sent it in, so about the begining of July.

 

[Siouxie]

You must have applied after they did the new and improved process, mine was under the old one where you have to wait for instructions from them to go for the medical.

Hopefully you should hear soon about the medical clearance, you can always call CIC and ask.

 

[Anatolia]

Are you saying that if you live in ONTARIO, we get the OHIP even BEFORE we are landed immigrants? WOW. Please clarify. That would be amazing.
Ana

PS My husband and I have bought for himself (he is the foreign national? an emergency insurance, which I recommend you immediately, for 50,000. The cost is about $70 per month, depending on the age of the person.

 

[Looki]

Well we phoned CIC. They never give you nice full answers do they?

Basically, we have to wait for first stage approval before sending in for the work visa. Had we sent it in with the initial application, it would have made it faster, but apparently not by that much so its not such a train smash.

Regarding the health cards, there is no timeline. They'll let you know whenever they're ready to let you know.

 

[Siouxie]

Are you saying that if you live in ONTARIO, we get the OHIP even BEFORE we are landed immigrants? WOW. Please clarify. That would be amazing.
Ana

PS My husband and I have bought for himself (he is the foreign national? an emergency insurance, which I recommend you immediately, for 50,000. The cost is about $70 per month, depending on the age of the person.

It applies mainly to Inland applications where you have established residency in Ontario, once you receive a letter from CIC confirming that you have medical clearance. They send you a letter to take to the OHIP offices, once you have been there you wait 3 months to become eligable.

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/ohip/wait.html

With the waiting period, when am I eligible for OHIP coverage ?
a) If you move to Ontario from another country :

The waiting period begins on the date you establish or re-establish residency in Ontario. If you are an eligible temporary resident, such as a foreign worker or clergy member who meets the citizenship and residency requirements described in Ontario's Health Insurance Act, the waiting period begins on the date you establish residence in Ontario.

Your coverage begins when the waiting period ends - after three calendar months.

Hope that helps

 

[Anatolia]

Thank you for this information. It has been a pleasant surprise!