xz2y:
The first point you need to be clear on is that there is no national health care. Health care plans are administered by each province with differing rules and wait times.
From the sounds of things, you plan on entering Canada on a visitor's visa and then marrying. Your vistor status must be maintained while your application for Permanent Residence is considered. Be aware that your visitor visa is good for only 6 months and then must be renewed. The renewal takes at least 30 days and involves paperwork and fees. It is not guaranteed to be granted. If your status lapses, you run the very real risk that Permanent Resident status will not be granted.
It is very important that you check into the requirements for getting an Ontario Marriage Licence. It may well be more complex than just trotting down to city hall with cash in hand.
Ok, so you come into Canada on your visitor visa and try to get married. You say you are in your 50's, so I will assume you have been married previously. If you have been married previously and have received a divorce outside of Canada, there are special hoops you will have to jump through before the Province of Ontario will grant you a marriage licence.
If you've been divorced outside of Canada, you will be required to hire an Ontario lawyer. You will need to present this lawyer with a certified copy of your divorce decree. He will then have to write a letter stating that, in his opinion, your divorce is valid. The letter and your marriage licence application will then have to be forwarded to the Ontario Office of the Registrar General. They will eventually review your application and reply with a decision. If the decision is positive, you will then be allowed purchase your marriage licence. This process does not happen overnight. The Registrar General is notoriously slow, so plan on at least 6 weeks. Your fiance should be able to find exact information about times at his local marriage licence issuer.
So now you have your licence and the happy deed is done. You're home free, right? Wrong.
You and your husband must now begin the process of application for Permanent Resident's status.
First you download all the appropriate forms from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
www.cic.gc.ca
Have a fresh cartridge in your printer and start printing them off.
You will have to provide information basic personal information. Be prepared to provide a detailed history of you and your family. You will also be asked to provide a criminal record check ($) from your country of origin. You'll also need to have a Canadian criminal record check ($). You will need to take a physical at a designated doctor's office ($). You will need to obtain acceptable pictures of yourself to attach to your application ($).
Here's a special consideration. You will need to include a certified copy of your marriage certificate (not your licence) with your application. The certificate can only be issued by the Registrar Generals Office ($). The Registrar General has a policy of not issuing certificates until 12 months after the marriage date. You will likely want your sooner, so be prepared to battle bureaucrats to obtain your certificate sooner than 12 months. It can be a brute.
When all the paperwork is complete, you can send it off to Vegreville, Alberta for investigation. Be sure to include your non-refundable fee ($$).
Now you wait. And wait. Wait some more. Plan on 12-18 months minimum. Time frames can be longer if CIC decides detailed investigation is necessary, or if face-to-face interviews are required.
While you are waiting you have to remember to maintain your visitor visa ($). You should have plenty of time on your hands, because you won't be allowed to work until
after you are granted PR status.
CIC also advises those who are waiting for application to be processed that if they leave Canada, they may not be allowed back in the country and their application would then be null and void.
You won't be eligible for the Ontario health plan until 3 months
after you receive Permanent resident's status, so you better plan on purchasing health insurance from a private company ($$).
If things turn out for the best and your application is granted, you will then be required to attend at an Immigration office where an officer will perform an interview and make the final decision as to whether your application will be granted.
Let's assume things go well. You will soon be receiving your Permanent Resident card which will need to be renewed every 10 years ($). You will be eligible for OHIP in 90 days. You will finally be able to apply for a Social Insurance Number which will allow you to work if you wish.
You are now allowed to enter and leave Canada as you see fit. You have most of the same rights as a citizen except you can't vote, and you aren't eligible to work in certain government jobs.
If you wish to apply for Canadian citizenship, you may do so after 3 years. Luckily for you, you have spent time in Canada while waiting for your PR application. Every 2 days you were in Canada prior to your application being granted will counted as one day toward the 3 year waiting period.
Please enjoy your ride through the Canadian immigration system.
If your spouse was to die after you were granted PR status, you would maintain that status.