Even if you’re simply planning to visit Canada or acquire a temporary work permit, you have a variety of alternatives for getting Canadian Travel Insurance. Based on your requirement, you could even get health insurance in Canada. You need to understand the basic difference between Canadian travel insurance and health insurance.
Travel Insurance includes coverage of a variety of different things such as lost luggage, trip cancellation, return immigration, and medical expenses. However, there are Travel Insurance packages also which include and cover health insurance. Therefore, individuals must buy them separately.
In a situation where you’re immigrating to Canada through a permanent residence program, you will be able to access and experience a healthcare system in Canada, which is publicly funded.
However, the first few months after you land in Canada will not fetch you any coverage. The same condition applies if you’re on your Canadian immigration through either a study permit or a work permit. Therefore, for the initial months, you must acquire health insurance. For instance, you can access the policies of Cigna Global and BestQuote.
If you are planning for the Working Holiday Visa in Canada program, which is a part of IEC, you must acquire health insurance for the entire duration of your work permit and insurance also covering your return immigration expenses.
Travel and health insurance for Canada
Depending on your location, you could choose travel and health insurance for Canada.
Europe
BestQuote Travel Insurance provides a service with a wider range of traveler insurance plans for Canadian visitors. The plans under this Travel Insurance provider include health coverage, and coverage supporting the previously existing health conditions. The coverage will be valid for up to 24 months.
True Traveler
Europeans seeking essential insurance for IEC such as the Work Holiday Program can rely on True Traveler as a good option. The IEC insurance of True Traveler provides hospitalization, medical needs, and repatriation, which is much more than what IRCC expects.
Australia
If you’re an Australian seeking travel insurance and health insurance, you could depend upon the BestQuote Travel Insurance as well as the Fast Cover Travel Insurance.
Fast Cover Travel Insurance
Australians participating in the IEC seeking Canadian travel insurance can choose Fast Cover Travel Insurance. There are alternatives to choose between 12 and 24-month coverage. The plans and products range from medical only to other adventurous activities, snow sports, and comprehensive ones.
Couples or two friends opting to travel together will also get 5 percent off.
Places like New Zealand or anywhere in the world including Canada can choose the most appropriate option of BestQuote Travel Insurance.
Health Insurance for Canada
The candidates applying for Permanent Residence can select better and more extensive health insurance policies. They can overlook the traditional Canadian Travel Insurance plans.
The foremost option for health insurance in Canada is Expatriate Health Insurance, which provides one of the best suitable healthcare for those living and working away from their home country. The next best alternative is Cigna Global because it leads health insurance policies, offering coverage for 12 months to those moving to Canada, irrespective of their age or nationality.
Work Permit Holders: their need for Canadian travel insurance and health insurance
IEC Work Permits make it compulsory
Several people have been denied their work permits under IEC because it is essential to purchase Canadian health insurance. According to IEC’s rule, the insurance must be valid for the entire duration of your work permit, for instance, two years.
Purchase of a short policy and its extension isn’t possible
According to the rule, purchasing a three-month policy and then consenting to its extension for up to two years to convince the immigration officer is a prohibited situation.
In the case where you purchase a three to six-month policy, the immigration officer will also have the right to provide you with a short-term work permit or visa of three to six months only. Additionally, the visa or permit will not go through any extension.
Provincial Insurance gives you less coverage
The federal immigration officers don’t consider Provincial Insurance (on offer) as an appropriate option. For instance, in the worst-case scenario, if someone dies in your native country and you need to rush back, provincial insurance won’t provide coverage for return immigration. U.S and Mexico traveling along with an ambulance, medical devices, medications, and dental accidents do not fall under the coverage of provincial insurance. However, BestQuote Travel Insurance will provide you with all possible and essential options. It will also let you compare the rate with other companies providing insurance.
Not choosing health insurance and travel insurance isn’t a good idea
People tend to consider health insurance as a waste of money in case the worst doesn’t happen. But as a responsible adult, it is advisable to purchase insurance for your and your family’s betterment. Serious accidents or injuries or death cases will eventually put you and your family in a pathetic situation, without purchasing health insurance in Canada.
