james.mc

We've been here a couple of weeks now (Sooke, BC) and thought it about time to swap our UK licences our for the BC equivalent.

So, yesterday off we trotted to the ICBC service office in Sooke (at Coast Capital insurance services). We were armed with everything we thought we would need.

UK driving licences (obviously they wanted these!)
DVLA Driving History/Entitlement printout which we requsted from DVLA before we left for Canada. (They took the originals from us and gave us copies back)
Passports (Used them to confirm ID! - yes I know)
Confirmation of PR certs (Looked at at them and we think recorded the numbers into the system)
Social Insurance Numbers's (just in case we were asked - but we weren't)

In BC, they are in the process of combining the driving licence with the medical service card so we will receive, eventually, the new combined type of card. This will happen to al BC residents over the next 5 years on licence renewal anyway. You can can your BC licence to any ICBC licence centre and do this sooner if you wish. Not sure why anyone would want to though??

There is a small drawback to processing this as a new immigrant though. Our PR cards are not likely to turn up for another 4-6 weeks. PR Cards are deemed by ICBC as a primary means of ID for such an application.

It seems that, when processing a new application for a combined driving licence/MSP card, our UK passports are not accepted as a Primary form of ID here in Canada, nor are our COPR's. (Just bear with me as that is what the system with newly updated guidelines told the woman processing our application).

Based on the above, and the new guidelines she had to work under, she was able to processing our application with limits, she took our UK licences from us (just the plastic cards - she didn't ask for the paper counterparts and we didn't offer them) and issued us with temporary BC driving licences on yellow sheets of paper.
They do have a BC drivers number on them.
They are valid for 2 months.

We were advised that we are now in the ICBC system and once we have our PR cards to bring them into the ICBC office and they will issue our BC licences initially valid for 2 years. After 2 years, on renewal, they will be valid for 5 years.

During the process we also had our photos taken on site and performed an eyesight/peripheral vision test using a little gadget they also had at the desk.

So, we have handed over our UK licences, now have temporary BC driving licences (me for Car and Motorbike, my OH for Car).

In addition last week we learned that all new immigrants registering for BC MSP have to download the relevant application form, fill it out, sign and post to the MSP processing centre near you. As new immigrants you cannot apply online. Once you are in the system you can carry out changes online for personal information changes.

We were advised by our local ICBC office (by way of a follow up) and call up our local Health inquiry number ( Toll-free: 1 800 663-7100 ) and mention that we have applied for new driving licences plus applied by post for MSP, and make sure they can find us on the system so that they can start to marry the two up. We'll be calling them today on that score.

snoopdawg

As an FYI for anyone else- don't rely on just your UK plastic card as your driving licence if it has been changed in the last 2 years. Mine had and Service BC tried to insist that it meant I only had proof of less than 2 years driving therefore should enter the graduated driving scheme- I was equally insistent that they had to also look at my paper counterpart and asked for a manager who eventually agreed with me.TBH I think I was just unlucky but others could be too!

Theoldfields

Excuse the silly question but what is an MSP and what does it do?

jobop

Interesting, please keep us updated as we are moving to Vancouver in September so will be interested on how this all goes for you as we will be going through the same process I guess.

it all goes smoothly.

Did they say what would happen if two months pass and you still do not have your PR card sent through yet? Could you then get the 2 month temporary licence extended?

Aviator

Google is your friend. MSP and it is top of the list.
http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/

MrWindUpBird

They'll give you another two-month temp. license.

I guess the moral of the story is to wait until your PR card arrives if at all possible. You can drive on your UK license for six months I think.

PMM

Hi


Actually it is 90 days for a PR. http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing...most-countries

scrubbedexpat091

Its BC's medical plan, stands for Medical Services Plan.

james.mc

Jobop - I'm sure they will extend as someone else mentioned above.

We have a valid reason for applying for temporary licences as we work overseas and would not want to be out of the country when the 90 days is up for UK licence exchange
At least we are now in the ICBC system and have a BC driver number. If our ICBC temporary licences expire when we are away I am sure we can get new ones. If we had not bothered to apply, were not in the ICBC system, and the 90 days expired on our UK licences I could see ICBC insisting that we take driving tests.


As for the combined card - it's not quite as straightforward as it seemed initially.
The ICBC office told us that we would be issued with the new BC combined Driving Licence/Health Cards and suggested we called our local health office right away to let them know that we now have temporary licences, are in the ICBC system and are awaiting a combined BC Driving licence/health card.

When I called the local BC Health admin office they advised that had received our posted application, all was in order on the application (copies of COPR and Passport supplied) and confirmed that cover would start on 1st may 2013.

As a side note:
We landed on Feb 26th, filled out, signed and dated the forms on 28th Feb 2013 and posted the application recorded on the next working day.
Therefore we only have to wait 2 months for MSP coverage as the last day of Feb was the remainder of the first month. FYI The waiting period for MSP coverage is the remainder of the first month you apply, plus 2 full months thereafter.
I would suggest that anyone landing in BC near the end of a month makes sure they get their MSP application completed and posted ASAP before the month ends. If you delay and post on (say) 2nd of the following month you will have all of then remainder of that month plus 2 more months to wait before MSP coverage commences. i.e. pretty much 3 months before cover would commence.

Combined card? Maybe not... just yet.
ICBC told us we would receive a combined card but they could not issue the new licence until we have our PR cards. Over the phone the Health admin office said they would issue a separate health card and they felt that ICBC would issue a separate driving licence and it should not matter if our PR cards have been issued or not. Clearly not what ICBC thinks will happen. They (Health admin) then went on to say that we would then need to take both newly issued cards to the local ICBC office and apply to have them combined. BC have only very recently (Feb 2013) updated the system to try and combine the two services on the one card. It seems it will take a while for both departments (ICBC & BC Health) to marry up the information for new applicants. Right now there is a case of the left hand not fully knowing what the right hand is doing.
I'm guessing Health will issue us with a card 1st May. Not sure what ICBC will do right now but I suspect they will keep us on a temporary driving licence, with extensions if needed, until such times as we have a PR card and Health card. Then ICBC will convert both to a combined card.

I have read that all of those BC residents out there that already have separate cards will need to combine both on next BC driving licence renewal (or within 5 years, which ever comes sooner.

R I C H

Not quite. I had to renew my licence a week or 2 ago, and ICBC gave me the option of having a combined card issued, or leaving it to me to sort it out sometime in the next few years. It's not compulsory to have a combined card yet.

james.mc

Fair enough Rich.

I'm sure what is being pumped out by the authorities, or mentioned at services centres, is not quite in line with experiences such as yours. It'll take them a while to settle the new system down for sure.

No benefit putting the option off though is there?

R I C H

None that I could see, I just went ahead and combined them.

james.mc

Cheers!

PMM

Hi



There is for seniors, MSP issued a gold card for seniors, and all you had to do was flash it for the ferry freebies on Tue-Thurs, now you have to haul out your license and the ticket taker has to figure out your age.

scrubbedexpat091

I wonder how it will work for those who don't have a license or BC ID?