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I am an American looking to move to Canada. Do skilled immigrants get access to health care? I believe you can become a citizen after 3 or 4 years of residence, is that correct?
By "skilled immigrant" do you mean someone who has attained Permanent Resident's status through their job skills?
Someone with PR status may enter and leave the country freely, but is not eligible to vote in municipal, provincial, or federal elections. They are also not eligible to hold a Canadian passport. There are also certain government jobs which may be held only by citizens.
Those with Permanent Resident status may apply for citizenship after accumulating about 1100 days of physical presence in Canada. The application may take up to 6 months to process, and there is both a fee and a citizenship test involved.
Health care is a provincially administered function and differs from province to province. In Ontario, someone is eligible for health coverage 90 days after their PR status is granted.
By "skilled immigrant" do you mean someone who has attained Permanent Resident's status through their job skills?
Someone with PR status may enter and leave the country freely, but is not eligible to vote in municipal, provincial, or federal elections. They are also not eligible to hold a Canadian passport. There are also certain government jobs which may be held only by citizens.
Those with Permanent Resident status may apply for citizenship after accumulating about 1100 days of physical presence in Canada. The application may take up to 6 months to process, and there is both a fee and a citizenship test involved.
Health care is a provincially administered function and differs from province to province. In Ontario, someone is eligible for health coverage 90 days after their PR status is granted.
Thanks for the great reply. Do you know about the health care eligibility in BC?
New residents or persons re-establishing residence in B.C. are eligible for coverage after completing a waiting period that normally consists of the balance of the month of arrival plus two months. For example, if an eligible person arrives during the month of July, coverage is available October 1. If absences from Canada exceed a total of 30 days during the waiting period, eligibility for coverage may be affected.
You should apply for MSP coverage immediately after arriving in B.C., rather than at the end of the waiting period, to allow time for your application to be processed.
When a family moves to B.C. from another part of Canada and the husband and wife arrive separately, the waiting period for family coverage begins on the later date of arrival. If, however, a spouse will reside in B.C. for 12 or more months before the rest of the family moves here, that spouse needs apply for MSP coverage before the end of the 12 month period (coverage provided by the former home province cannot exceed 12 months). Once they arrive in B.C., the other family members can be added to the account - see Adding and Removing Dependents below. The rest of the family remains eligible for coverage in the other province for the balance of the month of departure plus two months, and will be required to complete the waiting period once arriving in B.C.
Coverage During the Waiting Period
New residents from other parts of Canada should maintain coverage with their former medical plan during the waiting period. New or returning residents arriving from outside Canada should contact a private insurance company for coverage during this period.
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