Health coverage under Maintained Status

This article outlines the eligibility and coverage details for individuals residing in British Columbia (BC), Alberta, and Ontario who are waiting for their work or study permits, permanent residency status, or extensions of their immigration documents.

Maintained status definition

All temporary residents have an automatically imposed condition that they must leave Canada at the end of their authorized period of stay. However, as per section R181, a temporary resident may apply to extend their period of authorized stay before it ends. If they have done so, their period of authorized stay as a temporary resident is extended by law until a decision is made [R183(5)]. Such a person is considered to have legal status as a temporary resident during the processing period known as Maintained status (previously called Implied status)

British Columbia

In BC, eligible individuals with maintained status while awaiting a subsequent work or study permit may receive temporary coverage for an initial six months, with the possibility of additional temporary coverage. To qualify, individuals must demonstrate their maintained status by providing Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) receipts showing they applied for their new permit before the expiration of their original permit, along with documentation from IRCC if the receipt is not available. Additionally, if the temporary coverage is requested four weeks or longer after the expiration of the original permit, documentation from IRCC demonstrating the active status of the application is required.

What is the eligibility criteria for temporary coverage for maintained status holders in BC?

The eligibility criteria for the temporary coverage for maintained status holders in BC are as follows:

1. Individuals must remain in BC on maintained status while waiting for a subsequent work or study permit.
2. They must have been previously enrolled with the Medical Services Plan (MSP).
3. They must demonstrate their maintained status by providing Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) receipts showing they applied for their new permit before the expiration of their original permit, or provide documentation from IRCC if a receipt is not available.
4. If the temporary coverage is requested four weeks or longer after the expiration of their original permit, the individual will also need to provide documentation from IRCC demonstrating their application is still active, which may be from the IRCC website or documentation from IRCC.

Alberta

In Alberta, individuals awaiting permanent residency status may be eligible for Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) coverage if they have a valid Canada entry document or a letter from IRCC indicating a positive first decision or approval in principle regarding their application for permanent residency. If AHCIP coverage was canceled despite receiving a positive first decision letter, individuals can apply to reinstate their coverage to the date of the letter. Moreover, individuals with expiring Canada entry documents and no new document or positive first decision letter may qualify for a one-time 90-day temporary extension of AHCIP coverage. Temporary foreign workers in Alberta may also receive extensions of their AHCIP coverage while waiting for their new documents from IRCC, provided they meet specific criteria and have not received a denial from IRCC regarding their application to extend. Some evidence includes enrollment in AHICP, residency in Alberta, and proof of status extension (work permit application number for example, or documents stating new date of legal status).

To request a second 90-day extension of AHICIP coverage in Alberta, temporary foreign workers must provide the following documentation:

1. Confirmation of employment, which includes the most recent pay stub and a letter from the employer confirming the continuation of employment. This information should be submitted no earlier than one week before the coverage expires.
2. A copy of the confirmation from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) indicating that they have received the request to extend the work permit.

Ontario

Similarly, with Alberta and BC, you can apply for OHIP extension in the following cases:

• You applied for permanent residence in Canada and:
  • have submitted full application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and
  • IRCC has confirmed they have reviewed the application and that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply and
  • you have not yet been denied

• are in Ontario on a valid work permit and are working full-time in Ontario, for an Ontario employer, for at least 6 months:
  • if you meet this requirement, your spouse and dependants may also qualify for OHIP
  • if your work permit has expired but you hold “maintained status”, you may be eligible for 1 time, 1-year extension as confirmed during our most recent call with an OHIP representative.