leelo

Hi everyone,

total newbie here but I’m hoping you can help me with some advice for a bit of a pickle I’m in.

I’m from the U.K., I’ve wanted to move to Canada for years, with a view to becoming a citizen.

I’m 30, so I thought I’d take the last chance I have by applying for the working holiday visa, going through a company to help secure a job for me out there due to the current covid redirections etc.

However, I’m HIV positive, undetectable for a few years now - perfectly healthy aside from a few pills a day. I’ve done as much research as I can into how this changes things for me - but there’s not a lot out there for non citizens or non-refugees...

I understand that as a non-citizen I don’t get covered with healthcare - which is understandable - but does anyone have any experience on how it much it costs over there privately? And even though I’m on a 2 year visa I’m only allowed to bring 90 days worth of meds with me - Am I understand that wrong or is there any way around that?

I’m just terrified something I can’t control is going to ruin my dream of moving there

I fully understand the potential issues around permanent residency with HIV but I’m a little way off that at the moment since I’m going down the working holiday route first.

any advice would be so appreciated here before I start throwing money into this and I appreciate it’s a bit niche of a problem!

L

Siouxie

Hello and welcome to BE.

The IEC pool is now open - https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/i...ntry=gb&cat=wh
Please note that it's against the regulations for anyone to charge you for finding or providing you with a job offer.. what is it you do for a living?

As a Temporary Worker with a job you should qualify for Provincial Healthcare, you don't have to be a Citizen for that (Citizenship comes way down the line, after Permanent Residency for a number of years). However, if you came under an IEC working holiday WP you are also required to purchase Health insurance for the length of the work permit (i.e. 'gap year' or similar insurance that provides medical cover and repatriation).

Under the regulations of Canada you would only be permitted to bring in 90 days worth of medication (it's the same for everyone, even residents)
However, you may be able to arrange for more to be sent to you. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-cana...ment.html#a6.4

Have you investigated whether you will qualify for any of the Permanent Resident routes, such as Express Entry, after you have worked under an IEC working holiday work permit? If it's your dream to live in Canada it's better to ascertain what your chances will be prior to spending a lot of money!

Christmasoompa has written a useful quick step by step guide to determine your points... you can find it here: https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Quick..._by_step_guide

I don't know how having HIV may impact an application for Permanent Residence, unless you are being sponsored as a spouse (excessive demand exempt).. hopefully Christmasoompa / Snowy or Former Lancastrian can advise..

Good luck!

leelo

Hi Siouxie,

thanks so much for getting back to me

So I’m in the IEC pool at the moment. I suppose I framed that wrong about the company - it’s a company that helps to arrange seasonal work with employers at ski resorts - sort of like a gap year company - BUNAC if anyone has heard of it. It’s not necessarily the route I wanted to go down but given my age and the covid job offer requirement at the moment it’s my most realistic chance of getting to Canada.

I have a degree, I’m a project manager in the higher education sector as a career - I’m hopeful when I get there and finished my contract with the seasonal work that given my experience I should be fine getting a skilled role with at least a years experience by the end of it which should help me significantly with my express entry score for permanent residency - it comes to about 489 then, 539 with a valid job offer on top of it.

HIV comes into the equation when applying for permanent residency as it could be deemed as excessive demand on the healthcare system - used to be a complete rejection but my understanding is that the threshold for this has increased to around 20,000 Canadian dollars per year - so I think I’ll be fine in that respect as my treatment costs come under that I believe from my research with similar cases.

So IF I do get permanent residency I know I’m in a lot safer position when it comes to my healthcare as that’s sort of covered I think...

I guess it’s the interim during the IEC working holiday visa that I’m worried about. If I’m only allowed 3 months medication with me, I’m sort of screwed, it’s not really viable flying back and forth to the U.K. to pick up more every few months for 2 years. to purchase privately is in the thousands per month. It’s just not sustainable.

I understand the point around having to get medical insurance during my working holiday visa, but that won’t cover the pre-existing condition medication costs I believe? And I guess I’m also going to come at a premium on that.

so from what you’re saying that someone on a working holiday visa is a temporary worker and as such is entitled to some healthcare coverage? The link suggests it’s just Citizens and PR? Sorry for the mountain of questions I guess I feel like I’m a grey area :/ ive tried contacting a bunch of charities over there to see if they can direct me to resources for my position but everything seems to point towards citizens, refugees and PR.

I know I shouldn’t expect anything for free as a wannabe immigrant but god it’s demoralising!

Thank you!

Former Lancastrian

Each Province has it's own rules regarding healthcare on who and what is covered. As for the IEC part you can physically bring a 90 day supply with you then after that you can have it sent via mail/courier.
Canada's health system is not like the UK. A temporary resident in British Columbia might not receive the same coverage as one in Nova Scotia. See link below for health coverage on the IEC

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...e-arrival.html

Without knowing which Province/Territory you would be working in then hard to figure out what they would cover you for.

Link to importation of prescription drugs NOTE see paragraphs 27 to 30. Don't get hung up on the wording of visitor and non resident. On the IEC you are classed as a temporary resident but those rules would apply.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publicat...9-9-1-eng.html

We are certainly not trying to put you off but unfortunately these are the rules involved and only you can decide if to go for it or not.

christmasoompa

Personally, I'd forget the seasonal work if you're hoping for PR. Just go over on a 'normal' IEC visa when the restrictions are lifted, and then you can hopefully start in a skilled job much sooner. If you wait until you've got a year of skilled work experience before you can apply for PR, it's a risk that you may not get PR in time, and I'd suggest you try and apply sooner if possible.

Sounds like your costs will be well under the current threshold, but worth noting that it's what it *could* cost the Canadian healthcare system in the future, rather than what it currently does cost. So as long as you don't anticipate needing any other treatment in the future and the pills will be all you need, you should be fine.

Do you currently get the pills on the NHS? If so, even if you could fly back and forth you would no longer be eligible to get them on the NHS anyway, NHS eligibility is residency based. So once you've taken some with you, that's it unless you move back to the UK.

HTH, best of luck to you.
​​​​​​​

Siouxie

BC: - temp workers Healthcare https://www.welcomebc.ca/Work-or-Stu...Foreign-Worker
Ontario - https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-oh...card#section-2 (the 6 month part is that your contract of employment with an Ontario Employer must be for a minimum of 6 months, not that you have had to work for 6 months before you qualify).