To see our website filtered by a specific destination, select the country: You are viewing content related to . To view a specific destination, . To view a specific destination, click here

Healthcare in Canada Explained for Immigrants

By Ella Bergquist May 16, 2019 (Updated July 20, 2020) 2 min. read
Healthcare in Canada for Immigrants

Canada has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Many people want to move to Canada for their healthcare system to ensure their family is well taken care of. Although much of the healthcare is free in Canada there are some restrictions for immigrants and some procedures. Continue reading for us to explain how Canada’s healthcare works with immigrants.

As many people know, healthcare is free in Canada but just as the saying goes, nothing in the world is free. The program is a publicly funded system. This means that the people of Canada contribute to fund the program. The way that Canadian’s fund this program is directly through income taxes. Canada’s income tax is extremely higher than other countries because of the public healthcare.

Healthcare in Canada for Immigrants

Can Immigrants Get Free Healthcare in Canada?

In Canada in order to get universal healthcare you must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. There are also restrictions to newcomers. You must have been living in Canada for at least three months to become eligible for Canada’s universal health care.  In a nutshell, new immigrants have limited access to free medical care and will likely have to pay for some treatments or insurance.

What is Covered under Canada’s Healthcare?

In Canada, regular visits to primary care doctors, hospitals, and diagnostic services are covered by Provincial Health Insurance.

What is Not Covered Under Canada’s Healthcare?

There are several things not covered under Canada’s health care such as ambulances, prescription/over-the-counter medications, dental care, vision care, and long-term care facilities. This does pose a bit of an issue for people who have large out-of-pocket expenses, but the government does provide a tax credit to ease this burden.

Can I Buy Private Canadian Healthcare as an Immigrant?

Yes! Just like in the United States, Canada has private health insurance you can purchase. Most of these private insurance companies are for-profit and can be expensive.

How Can I Apply for Public Health Insurance as an Immigrant in Canada?

We recommend applying for health insurance in Canada as soon a s you arrive. Many of the application forms can be found at hospitals, pharmacies, doctor offices, immigration law offices, etc. There are some documents required to be eligible for health insurance such as your identification card and confirmation of permanent resident status in Canada.

Are You Interested in Immigrating to Canada?

If so, Contact VisaPlace today. All our cases are handled by competent and experienced immigration professionals who are affiliated with VisaPlace. These professionals consist of lawyers, licensed paralegals, and consultants who work for Niren and Associates an award-winning immigration firm that adheres to the highest standards of client service.

Ready for the next step? Book your 1 on 1 consultation now or call us at 1-877-296-0874.

Have a Question related to your Immigration Needs?

Click here to fill out the FREE Immigration Assessment form below and get a response within 24 hours to see if you’re eligible.

The assessment form should take approximately 5-7 minutes to complete. We will get back to you within one business day to let you know if we are able to help

Rodlin Paul Avatar

Rodlin Paul

Let me express all my gratitude to all the team for your guidance and support throughout my permanent residency application process.
Your expertise and thorough attention to detail have been invaluable, ensuring that each step of the application was handled with the utmost professionalism….
You’re the best 👌 ❤️❤️❤️✨️💖

Tom Cameron Avatar

Tom Cameron

Bansuri was very helpful in helping me setup my consultation. She was able to confirm my appointment right away and develop a profile to make the process streamlined. There is a reason why my wife and I have used visa place in twice in the past!

Tristan Johnston Avatar

Tristan Johnston

Visaplace was very accommodating to all my questions and emails, and walked me through everything step by step. After many months and a lot of paperwork, I successfully became a permanent resident of Canada and am now living with my wife, the love of my life. They’re not terribly expensive compared to other immigration lawyers either.

Krunal Panchal Avatar

Krunal Panchal

I had a great experience speaking with Bansuri Pandya from VisaPlace. She was incredibly helpful in understanding my case and clearly explained the next steps. Bansuri was professional, knowledgeable, and empathetic, making the process much easier to navigate. She even assisted in booking my consultation quickly. Highly recommend her services for anyone needing immigration advice!

Christine Rodriguez Avatar

Christine Rodriguez

Hi everyone just wanna thank Visa Place for my Permanent Residency with my two children through Common Law.My case is very complicated and it tooks 30months to get our Pr inside Canada application.Today Nov 13, 2024 we finally received our PR cards.Thank you to Miss Reena Sandhu and to her team for helping us out our immigration matters. They are really not always updating you time to time because they are nothing to update. But everytime they have something to update to the clients they asap update you and tell everything what you need to do and to be done…So all in all im very satisfied and happy to this firm…Thank you again and keep up the good work…God bless you all

Juwel Patil Avatar

Juwel Patil

Our 3 PR cases (Self, Spouse and Son) were processed very professionally via all detailed documentation and other mandates by Felicita (Visa Palace). Her excellent support and guidance, I would strongly recommend for other aspirants. Thank you Felicita !!

Jade Arnold Avatar

Jade Arnold

Our company needed to fast-track some documents to retain skilled international talent. After shopping around, we settled on partnering with VisaPlace to accomplish this as quickly and efficiently as possible, and they held up their end of the agreement quite well. We will use them again should the need arise.