I have just been approved for a working holiday visa. It says I need health insurance for 24months (the whole duration of my stay). I am from Australia, going to British Columbia. I have to buy the insurance before I land. Do I buy it from an Australian company or a Canadian company. Also I'm noticing that cover for more than 1 year is hard to come by. Are there particular companies that specialize in this?
Health Insurance Working Holiday Visa
- Thread starter kmaust
- Start date
Unfortunately, the Canadian companies do not sell insurance for longer than 1 year period. What you can do is get two policies, one that will start on the day you are supposed to come and another one that would start one year after. Both would have to be for one year.
You can visit our website and use our 'live chat' for any questions you might have or send us an email at arbetov.office@gmail.com.
We'll be happy to help
You can visit our website and use our 'live chat' for any questions you might have or send us an email at arbetov.office@gmail.com.
We'll be happy to help
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Thanks Haver and Gary Goldshmidt for the replies. I may follow that up but I was hoping to hear from someone who is or was, in the same boat as me. Not from people offering their products. If anyone out there has done this before can you let me know who you went with and if you went with a 12 month insurance policy whether you were still granted your visa for 2 years?
I suggest you go to the insurance company web sites download and read their policies. I trust you can interpret legal and medical terminology, if you get a bit confused call the companies directly and ask them to assist you.
All the best.
All the best.
From my experience all Canadian work visa's require two years of coverage. Usually it is cheaper to buy from an Australian Insurer however they don't have expertise in the Canadian medical system. What I typically do for clients is issue two one year policies from a Canadian Insurance Company to satisfy the requirement of Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC). If someone is traveling to Canada on a short term trip for business them they are better off having the company they work for buy the coverage for them.
Regards,
Gary Goldshmidt
Regards,
Gary Goldshmidt
Depending on a country, IEC (Working Holiday) visas are issued for 1 year (i.e UK) or 2 years (Australia). If you were approved for 2 years of stay in Canada you should purchase coverage for the whole duration of stay, i.e 2 years. If you don't have a full 2 year coverage, the point of entry officer can shorten your visa to match the duration of your coverage.kmaust said:
Both Australian and Canadian companies offer coverage for IEC visa holders. There are some important differences though:
Canadian insurance companies have the following advantages:
Easier to file a claim and receive your money back
Canadian insurers mostly set up direct billing so that you don't have to pay out of your pocket
Comprehensive coverage and benefits (sports and all kinds of work included)
Local branches where you can come and speak with a representative
Those Policies satisfy all the requirement of IEC visa and cover you in all provinces. What you get is comprehensive coverage, hospitalization, repatriation, prescription drugs and dental. You can also apply for additional benefits such as <a href=http://arbetovinsurance.com/why-i-choose-tic/>Routine checks, eye exams and maternity benefits</a>. Accidental death and dismemberment, and baggage protection can also be included.
You can compare among all Canadian companies to find the optimal IEC Insurance plan as well as read about the IEC Program here:
<a href=http://arbetovinsurance.com/iec-travel-insurance/>IEC Program</a>
You can also apply for a <a href=https://www.srmrm.com/cgi-bin/underwrite/start.pl?xxx:BrokerID=2644&xxx
lan=VTC&xxx:UserLang=english/>2 year coverage directly</a>.
I would caution on sports coverage and work related injuries. All the policies I deal with have exclusions and limitations. As far as work related injuries, this is something the employer has to pay for. What CIC requires is emergency medical, this is not a disability insurance policy. I do deal with insurance companies that offer company group plans that can include specific coverage for foreign workers but this is different than what CIC requires.
I would also like to point out that it is cheaper to have the company pay for the emergency medical coverage versus paying for it personally with after tax dollars.
I would also like to point out that it is cheaper to have the company pay for the emergency medical coverage versus paying for it personally with after tax dollars.
Dear goldenbrown,
In case there are any complications with IEC insurance, is there a refund or reimbursement for SRMRM? I have already purchased a 2 years insurance for Working Holiday program and I might leave a little earlier and might even not need medical assistance.
In case there are any complications with IEC insurance, is there a refund or reimbursement for SRMRM? I have already purchased a 2 years insurance for Working Holiday program and I might leave a little earlier and might even not need medical assistance.
Great! And one more question: are there any fees related to reimbursement that I should be aware of?haver said:
Thank you, haver.
Any cancellation fees should off been disclosed at time of purchase. Sometimes they are in the policy wording or an addition document. Either way the client should of been advised of any cancellation fees.
In case you decide to go back to home country or your visa is refused you are entitled to a refund if you had no claims. Most companies don't charge any fees for this type of cancellations. Some have small fees in the amounts not exceeding $25.garyoswald said:
You can contact our representative or visit our website to look up the refund policies for each particular company.
<a href=http://arbetovinsurance.com/iec-travel-insurance/>IEC Companies/Policies</a>
In case you become eligible for the provincial health care you still need coverage for things like repatriation so make sure you take this into consideration.
I deal with eight companies. If the visa is rejected I have not seen companies charge cancellation fees. However if someone decides not to travel or returns home early, some companies charge as much as $250.00 administration fee.
Before you buy a policy check their fees.
Before you buy a policy check their fees.