New Brunswick Health Minister Mary Schryer announced today that immigrants will no longer have to wait three months after moving to the province to become eligible for provincial healthcare coverage.

Currently, immigrants are eligible for provincial healthcare coverage upon their arrival in most Canadian provinces. However, in some provinces newcomers have to wait three months in order to become eligible. In the meantime, they can purchase private health insurance for the three month waiting period.

The change announced by New Brunswick today will benefit all immigrants, especially those newcomers who cannot afford private health insurance for three months.