Clinical Trial Visa?

[gain_wiz]

Hi everyone,
I was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis b and I want to participate to a clinical trial but unfortunately my legal papers in Canada has expired. I understand that before I could apply for a permit (any kind of permit) for me to stay here temporarily legally I need proof of documents that I am enrolled to that clinical trials (assuming this process exists) as a reason for my application. My question is, if my enrollment was approved, am I allowed to apply for a permit 'inside' Canada while being an undocumented resident or will they ask me to leave the country first before I could apply for a permit to let me stay in Canada temporarily and participate in the clinical trials?

Thank you so much.

 

[canuck78]

Hi everyone,
I was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis b and I want to participate to a clinical trial but unfortunately my legal papers in Canada has expired. I understand that before I could apply for a permit (any kind of permit) for me to stay here temporarily legally I need proof of documents that I am enrolled to that clinical trials (assuming this process exists) as a reason for my application. My question is, if my enrollment was approved, am I allowed to apply for a permit 'inside' Canada while being an undocumented resident or will they ask me to leave the country first before I could apply for a permit to let me stay in Canada temporarily and participate in the clinical trials?

Thank you so much.

The bigger issue is that you also won’t qualify for provincial healthcare and typically both are necessary to participate in any clinical trial in Canada. How long have you been out of status? There are some examples of people in medical need being able to visit Canada but that is primary charity based and for complex medical services like surgeries that are not available in their home countries and primarily geared to children.

 

[scylla]

Hi everyone,
I was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis b and I want to participate to a clinical trial but unfortunately my legal papers in Canada has expired. I understand that before I could apply for a permit (any kind of permit) for me to stay here temporarily legally I need proof of documents that I am enrolled to that clinical trials (assuming this process exists) as a reason for my application. My question is, if my enrollment was approved, am I allowed to apply for a permit 'inside' Canada while being an undocumented resident or will they ask me to leave the country first before I could apply for a permit to let me stay in Canada temporarily and participate in the clinical trials?

Thank you so much.

You cannot apply for a work permit or TRV from inside of Canada. Your only option would be to leave Canada and apply from outside of the country. Or you would need to remain in Canada without status. You should check with the clinical trial coordinator if they are willing to accept people into the study who have no status in Canada.

 

[scylla]

The bigger issue is that you also won’t qualify for provincial healthcare and typically both are necessary to participate in any clinical trial in Canada. How long have you been out of status? There are some examples of people in medical need being able to visit Canada but that is primary charity based and for complex medical services like surgeries that are not available in their home countries and primarily geared to children.

This isn't actually correct. The sponsor pays for the costs related to the clinical trial. This isn't covered through provincial health care.

 

[canuck78]

This isn't actually correct. The sponsor pays for the costs related to the clinical trial. This isn't covered through provincial health care.

There typically is complementary care needed to be part of the trial and the potential for hospitalizations which often is billed provincially if no hospitalizations are part of the trial. It often becomes a shared expense in the case of complications or complications that may trigger other medical issues. You also don’t want to enrol a patient who won’t have access to provincial medical care during and after the trial. Without secure status in order to finish the trial and the ability to support yourself you also don’t make a good candidate. OP can certainly ask. What once may have been possible because Canada ignored those without status and rarely deported people along with hospitals running deficits it is becoming more difficult to receive healthcare without insurance or provincial coverage and then get billed after the fact with a very low repayment plan. Hospitals just don’t have the budgets so they will be more risk adverse.

 

[canuck78]

Hi everyone,
I was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis b and I want to participate to a clinical trial but unfortunately my legal papers in Canada has expired. I understand that before I could apply for a permit (any kind of permit) for me to stay here temporarily legally I need proof of documents that I am enrolled to that clinical trials (assuming this process exists) as a reason for my application. My question is, if my enrollment was approved, am I allowed to apply for a permit 'inside' Canada while being an undocumented resident or will they ask me to leave the country first before I could apply for a permit to let me stay in Canada temporarily and participate in the clinical trials?

Thank you so much.

Who is referring you to the trial? Normally a GI would need to refer you.

 

[gain_wiz]

Who is referring you to the trial? Normally a GI would need to refer you.

They are probably connected to AHS (Alberta Health Services).

 

[gain_wiz]

Hi,
Thank you for all your replies. It seems to me that there's no such thing as clinical trial visa permit? I would then have to undergo a regular process like any other does (obtaining a work or study permit), then eventually apply for provincial healthcare plan (all processes outside Canada).

But is there any exceptions? Like if I enroll for a clinical trial and for some odd reason I was approved, can I use that documentation to apply for a Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds application inside Canada since I now have a purpose to stay and probably grant me a temporary visa permit?

 

[canuck78]

They are probably connected to AHS (Alberta Health Services).

How do you not know? Your MD is typically the one who would suggest the clinical trial as an option and typically would have done an initial screening to determine whether you are a potential candidate for the clinical trial based on the listed parameters. When did you lose your status in Canada and were you being followed by a GI or at least a GP before you lost your status?

 

[canuck78]

Hi,
Thank you for all your replies. It seems to me that there's no such thing as clinical trial visa permit? I would then have to undergo a regular process like any other does (obtaining a work or study permit), then eventually apply for provincial healthcare plan (all processes outside Canada).

But is there any exceptions? Like if I enroll for a clinical trial and for some odd reason I was approved, can I use that documentation to apply for a Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds application inside Canada since I now have a purpose to stay and probably grant me a temporary visa permit?

Typically foreign nationals trying to access healthcare in Canada apply for a visitor visa with detailed information about what medical care they want to receive in Canada, proof of the arrangements that have been made with the physician and the hospital as well as proof of a payment arrangement and proof that you have the funds to cover the cost of the healthcare you will be receiving (slightly different given the clinical trial costs should be covered by the pharma company but there are likely going to also be healthcare costs not associated with the clinical trial) and the ability to financially support yourself while you receive the medical treatment. You will likely also have to prove that you the support from at least a friend or family member for both the immigration and clinical trail application. Like for any temporary resident you’d also have to provide proof that you will return home after receiving the medical care. You would also have to justify why you wanted/needed to access healthcare in a Canada where whether you had the means to do so. Is there an enrolment period for this clinical trial or is there an end date for enrolment? Getting a study or work permit these days could take over a year starting from scratch. Even getting a rather simple TRV can take a long time but this is a much more f complex situation and so getting all the necessary information to apply for a TRV will easily take many months if not much longer. Would start with trying to figure out whether participating in the clinical trial is even a possibility.

How long have you been in Canada without status? What is your immigration history in a Canada? Were you always compliant with the terms of your previous visas/permits? Did you ever apply for asylum or H&C? Have you ever had a removal order or do you have one now? Would you be able to work or study full-time while undergoing treatment or as a patient with chronic hepatitis B? How old are you? Do you know French? What is your education and what NOCs have you worked in especially in the last 5 years? Your ability to pass a medical may make getting any form of visa or permit impossible so something that you also need to consider. The processing time for H&C is over a decade these days and realistically a few decades. There are likely going to be significant reforms to this program after bill c-12 passes so whether H&C would even be an option down the road is impossible to say. H&C also doesn’t prevent removal so also not the solution you may have thought it was.

 

[gain_wiz]

How do you not know? Your MD is typically the one who would suggest the clinical trial as an option and typically would have done an initial screening to determine whether you are a potential candidate for the clinical trial based on the listed parameters. When did you lose your status in Canada and were you being followed by a GI or at least a GP before you lost your status?

Hi. Sorry I'm too slow in catching up with the acronyms. What is GI and GP?

 

[canuck78]

Hi. Sorry I'm too slow in catching up with the acronyms. What is GI and GP?

Sorry forget that not everyone may be familiar with the acronyms. GI would be gastroenterologist. A gastroenterologist treats conditions of the digestive track but that is a fairly broad term so the doctor who you may have seen to treat hepatitis could have referred to him or herself a hepatologist which is typically a gastroenterologist who has specialized in treating diseases affecting the liver. A GP is a general practitioner. They can also be referred to as a family medicine doctor or primary care physician. In Canada you need a referral to see a specialist doctor like a gastroenterologist. The referral typically is sent by a GP.

 

[scylla]

There typically is complementary care needed to be part of the trial and the potential for hospitalizations which often is billed provincially if no hospitalizations are part of the trial. It often becomes a shared expense in the case of complications or complications that may trigger other medical issues. You also don’t want to enrol a patient who won’t have access to provincial medical care during and after the trial. Without secure status in order to finish the trial and the ability to support yourself you also don’t make a good candidate. OP can certainly ask. What once may have been possible because Canada ignored those without status and rarely deported people along with hospitals running deficits it is becoming more difficult to receive healthcare without insurance or provincial coverage and then get billed after the fact with a very low repayment plan. Hospitals just don’t have the budgets so they will be more risk adverse.

Sorry. This isn't really accurate. How many clinical trials have you been part of?

 

[scylla]

Who is referring you to the trial? Normally a GI would need to refer you.

Many clinical trials do not need referrals.

 

[Buletruck]

Many clinical trials do not need referrals.

But they probably need status regardless.