Doesn’t matter if you’re planning to visit, or have a temporary work permit, there are numerous companies from which you can buy travel insurance for Canada.
The truly lucky ones are those moving to Canada through the permanent residence program, as they would eventually participate in universal healthcare in Canada.
The only downside is having to wait a few months after landing; it could very possibly be your case if you are using the study permit or work permit route to move into Canada.
It is crucial to get standard health insurance for you and your family, if applicable, during those early months of the waiting period. Both Cigna Global and BestQuote are industry leaders in these policies.
As a participant of the IEC Working Holiday Visa in Canada program, one of the mandatory requirements is to have insurance covering the whole period of your work permit and insurance covering possible repatriation costs.
Regular provincial healthcare insurance and the usual medical coverage given by employers typically don’t cover these sets, so you must purchase separate travel insurance for Canada.
Many privately owned insurance-selling companies have policies built specifically for the IEC market, but we recommend you begin your search with BestQuote.
They offer a comprehensive comparison of rates for many varying options present on the market.
Provinces like British Columbia and Alberta are globally famous for snowboarding and skiing.
Before hitting those slopes, please ensure your Canadian travel insurance policy covers any possible injuries that could arise while skiing.
Canadian health insurance
If you are a Permanent residence applicant, you should consider a more comprehensive healthcare insurance policy, something above the typical travel insurance packages for Canada.
And for this, we recommend comprehensive Expatriate health insurance, which ensures you get access to the best available healthcare while living and working in Canada.
Cigna Global is an industry leader when it comes to this policy, which usually spans a 12-month period and provides absolute cover in Canada, irrespective of your nationality or age.
Why does IEC work permit holders need travel insurance for Canada?
1. It’s compulsory for IEC work permits.
Yearly, there are uncountable stories on different forums and many online communities from people who were not issued the IEC work permit simply because they didn’t buy Canadian travel insurance.
That may seem harsh, but the rules stipulate that you should have insurance for the full-time covered by your work permit.
2. You aren’t allowed to buy a short policy, and then extend it later.
As we have said earlier, the rules are crystal clear: you cannot purchase a three-month insurance package and later agree to extend it to the mandated two-year policy solely to appease the immigration officer.
So, let’s say you only purchase a three-month or six-month plan, and every other document is intact, making you eligible for the permit.
At that point, the immigration officer is within their rights to issue you only a three-month or six-month visa, which cannot be extended at a later date.
3. Provincial insurance isn’t accepted as adequate.
Remember how we discussed a possible repatriation cost cover earlier?
This is exactly why provincial insurance on offer is not recognized as adequate by federal immigration officers.
Provincial insurance doesn’t cover costs like flying back to your home country when necessary; therefore, you need to get comprehensive insurance that covers that and other relevant situations.
Other costs not covered by provincial healthcare insurance include ambulance, dental accidents, medications, medical aides like casts and crutches, and most especially, trips to the US and Mexico.
4. No one likes paying for insurance, but the alternative could be a lot worse.
No one really enjoys paying for insurance; in fact, we don’t like paying for it either, but we buy it in the event that the worst happens.
More often than not, we feel it’s a waste of money if that big disaster does not happen.
From one adult to another, we advise you to take the responsible option, as your family wouldn’t appreciate a CAD 72,000 hospital bill when a serious injury occurs or maybe death and you need to be repatriated home.
So please make the responsible choice and buy insurance today. Good luck!
