No OHIP on an open work permit...

[tigger]

Hello,
We went to get our OHIP cards today (in preparation for that 3 months timeline we have to wait).
It seems my hubbie can't get one as his permit is an open one...
They said once he gets a job he could change his work permit but they'll only grant one if it has the employer on the permit.
They did say if my company writes a letter saying they'll have me for up to 3 years he can come onto my OHIP but I didn't really understand how that works and I feel cheeky asking my new employer to do a letter!!!

Does anyone know a way around this (I mean alternatives!) - we are in the process of applying for PR but who knows how long that may take!

Thank you

Tigger

[carolinedraper]

When we were in NS we got around this because he set up his own business which you can do under an open work permit - as a photographer so therefore he had a job. It was not a con from us though as he is still a full time photographer now PR has come. Our son got a NS health Card automatically cos we had one each. They only did them for a year though and you have to apply each year.

[pfw]

We were in exactly the same situation the first time we tried to apply for the cards - they wouldn't accept the app without some proof of intention to employ me for the duration of my permit.

I got my employer to write a letter of employment saying that they were employing me on the work permit and it was their current intention to employ me for the 3 years (not quite the same thing as saying they will definitely employ me for the 3 years). My employer didn't seem to mind - it seems to be a pretty standard sort of letter - and this was sufficent to get my partner (who is on an open work permit) and my kids registered.

Our OHIP is due to kick in on 15th September so I'll let you know if anything goes wrong

[tigger]

Thank you both for sharing your experiences.
I hinted to my employer today about writing a letter but she won't do it.
I asked them previously to do a letter for my PR and they said no as the contract I have should be enough - I think the HR is reluctant to do anything other than the basics so it is a no go...

Has anyone heard of a company who does good value private insurance as this was suggested by my employer as an alternative?

[Kay]

Has anyone heard of a company who does good value private insurance as this was suggested by my employer as an alternative?

If they have then perhaps they can suggest to the insurance company that they pay for an advert on our adverts board. We have to live too and don't allow free adverts on here. (Read the posting guidelines.)

[deppfan64]

Hey Helen

OMG I could not believe what I was reading!!! How mean of your company not to do that. I had the same problem when we were here on work permits....hubby got his but I couldn't get it and neither could the children.

Luckily hubby's company wrote a two line letter to say that they will be employing him for more than 3 years and past our residency...I took it down to Service Canada and we got them

Healthcare is so important out here. I think this rule is so unfair....if you are both working and paying taxes...you should be entitled to the healthcare.
I'm sorry I don't know of any private companies....

Take care

Mal

[jessica]

I hinted to my employer today about writing a letter but she won't do it.

I asked them previously to do a letter for my PR and they said no as the contract I have should be enough - I think the HR is reluctant to do anything other than the basics so it is a no go...

That's shameful.

We had to do the same, husband's company wrote a two line letter saying they planned to employ him permanently. That's all that was required to get OHIP for myslef and our son.

Sorry I can't help more. Can you push your work on this?

[tigger]

Thank you Kay - I did realise that folk can't list companies but thought if someone knew a good one they could e-mail me privately!
If I do find one I think I will ask if they fancy an advert on here as you are spot on and expat would i am sure benefit from some dosh!
I will ask more carefully in the future. Thank you for the reminder!
Tigger x

[tigger]

Thank you guys for all your replies. Perhaps i will ask if they would do a letter and it was useful to hear how others have done it.
I am much obliged for the messages re good places too (sent privately) so thanks again for the advice - always helpful!
Tigger

[Kay]

I'm really glad to hear that this forum is helpful. But please be aware that in all these years we've been running this service for you, we've had one donation via the Canada forum. I don't know how long we can continue without a little bit of support.

[tigger]

Just an update... Work still refuse to do me a letter so no OHIP card yet for hubbie..

In the process of appealing... The Service Ontario folk were helpful in how we can appeal

If you come out on an open work permit - be warned - you get no healthcare coverage unless you pay privately...

Not happy with healthcare out here right now...

Tigger

[RSK]

Hi Tigger,

We were in the same situation for a while. My OHIP was easy to arrange as I was the one with the work permit, but my wife and daughter could not get coverage.

I tried several times to get the letter from work but they refused saying that they could not guarantee my employment for the next three years. I pointed out that I was not looking for a guarantee but an intention but they still would not write the letter. The HR people at work insisted that they had not heard of such a thing before and that no employer would write such a letter. They also seemed to develop sudden deafness when I tried to explain the difference between intending to employ me and guaranteeing to employ me.

I spoke to the service Ontario helpline, who initially said that with a three year work permit I should not need the letter from work. Then I rang the service Ontario office to confirm and was told "sorry but you do need the letter". Aaargh!

What the office did say though was that I could come into the office, have my OHIP application refused, and ask for an eligibility assessment to be carried out. This would at least give me a piece of paper that I could take to HR saying that without a letter from them I could not get coverage for my wife and daughter.

In the end I went in to the office to apply and made sure that I emphasised the fact that I had a three year work permit. The application was accepted with no questions asked. Go figure!

If this hadn't worked, plans B,C and D were:

B: Get wife to set up as self employed on open work permit.
C: Write my own letter (slightly dishonest but... My employer had said to me that they did plan to employ me for at least three years they just weren't prepared to put that in writing)
D: Look into getting my wife a student visa for a full time course.

Good luck

RSK