cic_me

My work permit expired in May this year, and so too did my health card. I received my new work permit in July and I'm going to re-apply for OHIP. The OHIP website gives two options: renewal or "first", well technically neither apply to me so I was wondering which one I should go for?

I'm just hoping they don't want me to wait the 3 months again before applying, because even though my last one expired I've been living and working here continuously for over 3 years.

Thanks!

MarylandNed

It's likely a renewal so I would go that route first - in which case you won't have to wait 3 months again. But what was your status in Canada between May and July? Plus you've possibly complicated things further by waiting another 2 months or more since you got your new work permit. My advice is not to call them to check - you might get the wrong answer and draw attention to yourself. I would just play dumb and go in to a Service Ontario office to process the renewal. Bring your passport and work permit.

cic_me

That's kind of what I was thinking. I had implied status in the months between work permits. Thanks for the advice!

MarylandNed

And don't take any crap. If the jobsworth tries to tell you it's a new application, stay calm, polite and ask if a supervisor is available to double check.

A related story. My daughter is a Canadian citizen and when she moved to London, Ontario to go to college 6 years ago, the jobsworth tried to tell her she wasn't eligible for OHIP because she really lived in the US and was only in Ontario for college. Luckily I was with my daughter at the time. I told the jobsworth that my daughter had moved out of my house in the US, was moving back to live in Ontario (where she was born) and she was entitled to apply for OHIP regardless of whether she was also going to college or not. The jobsworth then said she wasn't talking to me - she would only speak with my daughter. So, in front of the jobsworth, I told my daughter to ask for a supervisor and at that point the jobsworth backed down. So don't take the word of the first one you encounter as law.

BristolUK

Hmmm...you're not sure if it's new or a renewal but your advice is to treat it as a renewal just in case it's technically not but in the hope that the OP may get away with it.

And when a Service Canada employee says something which you admit you don't know is right or not, automatically assume that they are incorrect and a jobsworth just because you'd prefer a different answer.

I get so annoyed when people snobbishly look down on others and call them a jobsworth. But, really, this one takes the biscuit.

Allie73

It's almost certainly a renewal. When I moved back to Ontario after 10 years in the UK, I had to renew not reapply. I took it with me to the Service Ontario office and they used the same number, but issued a new card with a new expiry date.

Snowy560

Implied status is legal status.

However in BC they changed policy recently (July I think) where those on implied status can't continue their MSP until they get a new document.

Jerseygirl

That's good to know...I was under the impression that absences over 6 months reset the OHIP clock...meaning the 3 month wait period applied.

MarylandNed

I have dealt with government employees a lot in my job, while travelling and also having gone through moves to other countries and dealing with the various issues that immigrants have to deal with. I never underestimate the ability of government employees to get their "facts" wrong. Some are too arrogant to admit that they don't know the answer so they make something up that they think is reasonable. I've been given different "facts" by different government employees on the same day on the same issue - and this has happened multiple times on different issues. I've had people tell me until they are blue in the face "facts" that I knew were completely incorrect because I had more knowledge of the subject.

In this case, I'm not 100% sure that it's a renewal situation but it I think it is (99.9% sure) because the OP already has an OHIP card. However, it's possible that the OP will be told it's not a renewal because the card expired in May - that assertion may well be incorrect. My advice is to challenge that assertion simply because, as I said, the "facts" you get are often not actually facts at all.

Allie73

The 3 month waiting period did apply. I didn't actually get the new card in the mail until about a week before I was able to use it. I had Blue Cross for the first 90 days.

bats

It's a renewal. They will dig up your old file from the depths - or search on the 'puter using your OHIP number then tell you to wait 3/12. Maybe you'll get a piece of paper from them.

MarylandNed

I suspect that there won't be a waiting period as the OP has already been in Ontario legally for more than 3 months. I bet they just mail out a new card with an updated expiry date.

bats

Well then they'll get a bit of paper with the new letter code at the end of the existing number. This will tide them over til the plastic arrives.