I feel your frustration. As a young woman I have to pay out of my pocket for the gynecologist visits/medicines. It really sucks that your wife can't work atm. If she could work, she would be able to apply for OHIP. On the other hand you should think about others. A person who's not a PR and is not working at this moment they aren't paying taxes. Once they start working they start contributing towards "the system". People aren't really willing to let their taxes be spent on a candidate for a PR who isn't working because of this and that. If That was possible, there would be a lot of people abusing the system and just giving births in Canada because they would meet the criteria of being pregnant and being applicants for PR which takes 12 months to complete. Fair and unfair at the same time. Every sponsor signed that they would provide their wives proper medical and dental care etc. So... we can't do much about it. Good luck to everybody.
I don't mind paying out of pocket, we have insurance but the doctors and clinics they are on a power trip.
Thanks for the reply, my initial email to the minister, did mention that I've been paying taxes since 2005. And that if paying taxes is what makes the temporary foreign workers spouse and dependents eligible, then why not mine. The policy can be argued. The response I got was the following, and they say that eligibility is not aligned based on paying taxes.,
3. Spouses and dependants of Temporary Foreign Workers
Canadian citizenship and immigration is conferred under federal legislation and administered by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The ministry relies on federal documentation from IRCC to determine whether newcomers to the province are eligible for OHIP. Eligibility for OHIP coverage is, for the most part, based on the degree of permanence of an individual's residence in Ontario.
However, in the case of foreign workers, their spouses and dependants, OHIP eligibility is provided in support of provincial and federal efforts to attract and retain skilled workers to Ontario.
4. OHIP Eligibility Review Committee
Your wife may wish to request a review of her OHIP eligibility by the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee (OERC), in order to further review the documentation to determine if she meets any of the requirements under the Regulation to be eligible for OHIP. A request can be sent to the following address:
<Address>
Kindly note that typically new and returning residents to Ontario must serve a 3-month waiting period from the date they become an eligible resident to the date they can access OHIP-insured services.
Additionally, it is to be further noted that eligibility for Ontario health insurance coverage is in no way aligned to the payment of either provincial or federal taxes. Eligibility for Ontario health insurance coverage is determined solely by the requirements set out in Regulation 552 under the Health Insurance Act.
The ministry wishes to thank you for the observations and recommendations made. Your suggestions have been forwarded to the appropriate area, where we routinely review policies regarding OHIP eligibility.