birth tourism visa canada

'All about the money': How women travelling to Canada to give birth could strain the health-care system

Birth tourism leads to complaints of compromised care at b.c. hospital.

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Women travelling to Canada to give birth to babies who will automatically become Canadian citizens are prompting concerns about the strain they may be putting on the health-care system, The Fifth Estate has found.

Canada is one of fewer than three dozen countries that follow the practice of citizenship based on birthplace, regardless of parents' nationality or status.

At one British Columbia hospital with a high concentration of such deliveries, complaints have arisen that the influx of these non-resident patients — also known as birth tourists — has led to compromised care for local mothers-to-be and struggles for nursing staff.

Some of these patients fail to pay hospital and doctors bills, leaving taxpayers and individual care providers on the hook.

"Most of them, they get the Canadian passport, and then they leave the country," said Dr. Mudaffer Al-Mudaffer, a B.C. pediatrician and neonatologist who sees babies of non-residents when they need critical care. "It affects the integrity of the fairness of the health system."

No statistics are available regarding how many people are travelling to Canada specifically to ensure their child is born here and will have a Canadian passport.  

But figures from the Canadian Institute for Health Information and several Quebec hospitals indicate there were about 5,000 non-resident births across the country in 2018, an increase of nearly 15 per cent over the previous year. 

In the fall of 2019, Cathy Shi arrived in Richmond, B.C., from Shandong, on China's east coast, to give birth to her third child. She said through a translator that she wanted her unborn child to have more opportunities.

"My concern is about their education, such as going to university. If the kid wants to live in Canada, it would be convenient for them if they're born here."

Handful of hospitals

At this point, the practice of birth tourism appears to be concentrated in a handful of hospitals in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.

At the Richmond Hospital, south of Vancouver, non-residents make up nearly a quarter of all births, according to records obtained from Vancouver Coastal Health, the health authority which runs the hospital. In many ways, that hospital can be seen as a test case for how this issue could play out elsewhere as numbers continue to climb.

The health authority declined a request for an interview with The Fifth Estate  and issued a warning directing its staff not to speak to the media.

Despite that, four current and two retired nurses shared their concerns, requesting that their identities be protected.

• Watch "Passport babies" on The Fifth Estate on CBC-TV Sunday at 9 p.m.

Since 2013/14, the number of non-resident births has tripled at the hospital. The patients — many from China — pay privately for their care, often in cash, may not speak English and are unfamiliar with the Canadian health-care system. The nurses who spoke to The Fifth Estate say the influx has led to increased workloads and has compromised care. 

"There are times when ... the people living here don't get the service that they need," one nurse said. 

When the unit was very busy, one nurse said services like prenatal tests to check the baby's health, labour inductions and other tests to check fetal and maternal risk factors would be delayed or cancelled. 

"We would often have to decide whose need was greatest and abandon the rest for the next day where we would face the same situation again," she said.

"Our normal scheduled or add-on C-sections lie here all day and then they take the IV out, we send them home and say come back tomorrow. A private pay never goes home — she gets her C-section that day," said another nurse.

"She will be fit in somewhere because nobody wants to lose that $5,000. But our normal people are lying there all day, no food or drink, waiting and nobody's interested in moving them."

Some hospitals, like Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, have taken steps to limit the number of non-resident births in order to prioritize residents of their own communities. That hospital says it won't treat non-residents patients without Ontario Health Insurance Plan coverage.

• Ottawa probes birth tourism as new data shows higher non-resident birth rates

'It's fraudulent': Former immigration official says action needed on 'passport babies'

When asked in an email why the Richmond Hospital doesn't have a similar policy, Carrie Stefanson, a public affairs representative with Vancouver Coastal Health, said: "VCH cannot speak for other hospitals or health authorities. VCH will never deny urgent and emergent care based on ability to pay or where a patient is from."

The hospital requests deposits for privately paid births: $10,000 for a vaginal birth and $16,000 for a caesarean. More than $18 million has been invoiced for non-resident births since 2017, according to data released through freedom of information by Vancouver Coastal Health.

Nursing staff say they have not seen this money go into easing their workloads.

"The amount of money that's coming into Richmond from the private pay, it doesn't make our staffing better," said one nurse.

Their union says that is a problem. 

"I certainly think adding additional patients into a health-care system that isn't staffed appropriately, isn't funded appropriately, is causing strain," said Christine Sorensen, president of the BC Nurses' Union. 

She said the union has regularly heard complaints from nurses at Richmond Hospital but they have not filed a formal complaint with the hospital.

The health authority declined to answer a question about how it has responded to complaints from nursing staff.

Financial incentives within the medical system

Two doctors at the Richmond Hospital have delivered 1,300 of the 2,206 babies born to non-residents there since 2014, according to documents released through freedom of information.

While the health authority will not disclose their names, insiders and birth tourism company representatives say Dr. Xin-Yong Wang and Dr. Brenda Tan, two Mandarin-speaking family doctors, see the majority of these patients for prenatal care and delivery. 

Both appear on multiple websites of companies advertising services such as assistance with immigration, travel and housing to women looking to come to Canada to give birth.

Wang said the companies do not have permission to use his name. 

Tan did not respond to interview requests and a list of questions sent to her.

Wang and Tan billed the province $272,198.50 and $428,456.17 respectively in the 2018/2019 fiscal year, according to data publicly available through the province. Those billings do not include earnings from non-resident patients because they pay privately. 

There are no limits on what physicians can charge outside the public system in British Columbia, but information from birth tourism company websites suggests that these doctors earn at least $100 per prenatal visit and more than $2,500 for a delivery, several times more than could be billed through the public system for the same services.  

In an interview, Wang declined to respond to questions about how much he was earning from birth tourism but said he was not motivated financially to take on these patients.

"It's like a dessert — occasional patients like this is fine, and it's pretty financially rewarding … they are a small percentage of our overall income."

Nurses who spoke to The Fifth Estate said the financial incentives within the health-care system are a problem. 

"It is all about the money. If there was no financial income for the hospital or physicians, the private pay would have been out of the door a long time ago," said one nurse.

Unpaid bills

While these births are bringing in money, bills owed to both health authorities and individual doctors are not always paid.  

According to documents released by Vancouver Coastal Health, more than $2 million is outstanding as a result of non-resident births since 2017 at the Richmond Hospital alone. This does not include any debt that has been written off.

Births at the Richmond Hospital represent 11 per cent of overall non-resident births outside Quebec, according to 2018 data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. 

No national financial data exists on how much revenue is outstanding as a result of non-resident hospital bills across the country.

But some say the health-care system and Canadian taxpayers are losing out. 

Al-Mudaffer said having an uninsured baby in neonatal intensive care can cost $10,000 a day just for the hospital bed, not including doctors' fees.

Watch Dr. Al-Mudaffer express concerns about birth tourism: 

Dr. Mudaffer Al-Mudaffer

He said he's seen large bills for families with babies requiring multiple nights and even weeks in the NICU.

"You can easily acquire a bill of $100,000 to pay the health authority, and that's why they can't pay it, you know? And they leave the country without paying," said Al-Mudaffer. 

He said he has seen hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills go unpaid at the Royal Columbian Hospital where he works, but Fraser Health, which runs that hospital, said it could not confirm this amount.

The Fifth Estate requested provincial numbers on unpaid bills from the British Columbia government but was told these numbers were not tracked provincially.

"Obviously if any bill is unpaid, I'm concerned about that because that's money that we could and should be spending on something else or saving the health-care system so of course we're concerned about it," said B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix.

Even with little formal research to examine the practical implications of a growing number of non-resident births on the Canadian health-care system, Dix said "we are handling that situation.

"It's two per cent … of total births in British Columbia, so it's an issue but there are other issues."

But it's not only hospital fees going unpaid. Al-Mudaffer said when he sees birth tourists, he only gets paid three out of 10 times.

He is not alone. Dr. Kathleen Ross, president of Doctors of B.C., has personally been affected by unpaid bills and has called for a national conversation on the issue.

"Our federal government needs to find a way to disincentive people coming to the country to have access to citizenship and to our health-care support," she said.

Federal research planned

Marco Mendicino, the newly appointed minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, declined an interview with The Fifth Estate . 

But the department wrote that while "statistics indicate that birth tourism is not widespread, the Government of Canada recognizes the need to better understand this practice."

It said it has started work with the Canadian Institute for Health Information and Statistics Canada to integrate health and immigration data that would allow for a better understanding of the practice of birth tourism by looking at visitor visas and births. 

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada anticipates results from this research will be available in the spring.

Cathy Shi said she hasn't thought much about criticism of birth tourism and isn't receiving any government benefits here.

"We may come here often for travelling around, living or even investing. People are not just looking for status by having a baby here. They will have established a connection to Canada and later on some may apply to immigrate." 

For more information, on this story please contact Annie Burns-Pieper [email protected]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Annie Burns-Pieper is a freelance investigative reporter and producer. She has a particular interest in themes of gender equality, public safety and health.

• @Aburnspieper

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Giving Birth in Canada – Benefits, Cost, Citizenship, Tourism Visa…

Are you considering the possibility of giving birth in canada, if you are an expectant mum considering baby tourism in canada, this is the guide for you read on.

The Canadian Citizenship Act – paragraph 3(1)(a) – states that all individuals born in Canada are Canadian citizens, regardless of their parent’s status in Canada. The only exclusion is foreign diplomats who give birth to a child in Canada, cannot be Canadian citizens.

Therefore, if you are a temporary resident in Canada (e.g. a visitor, worker, tourist) and you give birth to a child in Canada, your child automatically becomes a Canadian citizen.

Did you know? The United States of America (USA) and Canada are currently the only G7 nations that have birthright citizenship.

Benefits of Giving Birth in Canada

What is the meaning of birth tourism and is it legal in canada , non-residents (visitors) wishing to enter canada for the purpose of giving birth – birth tourism, the cost and procedure of giving birth in canada, what documents do you need to have your baby in canada, best hospital to give birth in canada, how do you register your child in canada , how to apply for the child’s canadian passport, faq’s on birth tourism canada visa – temporary resident visa (trv), final words: childbirth in canada – birth tourism.

If an individual is born in Canada, the Canadian-born child has all the rights and privileges as every other Canadian citizen, including:

• The right to live/reside in Canada or travel to Canada at any time without a visa.
• The child is entitled to receive and enjoy benefits such as free health care benefits , free education , and free social benefits.

The act of travelling to another country to give birth and as a result getting citizenship for the child, even if the parents are neither residents nor citizens is known as baby or birth tourism.

Only a few developed countries allow this and Canada is one of them. It is also completely legal in Canada.

Like visitors or tourist visa holders, the expectant mother has to prove that she is financially capable and will return to her home country after delivery.

The expectant mother can provide a letter from the doctor who will deliver the baby in Canada and proof of funds for the doctor’s services to make the visa process easier. 

If you will be delivering your baby while you’re in Canada as a visitor, tourist, or non-resident, you will have to pay out-of-pocket for your medical care. The Canadian health care system will not cover the cost. If you don’t want to handle this cost alone, then you should obtain international medical insurance. 

The parents of the newborn can neither get a residence permit nor Canadian citizenship by virtue of their child being born as a Canadian citizen . However, when the child reaches the age of 18, he or she can sponsor his or her parents to come live permanently in Canada. You don’t have to wait till then though. Find the right Canadian immigration program for you here.

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A temporary resident who gives birth in Canada is not considered to have violated any terms or conditions.

According to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), a TRV cannot be refused just because an applicant intends to have childbirth in Canada.

Assessment of the TRV application of a pregnant applicant should centre on the essential requirements of TRV just like any other applicant.

The fact that an applicant is pregnant should only be considered as a component in the TRV assessment but only in the manner that it affects the assessment of the main requirements for TRV issuance. They are:

• Does the applicant have sufficient funds for the duration of the trip to Canada ?
• Will the visa applicant depart Canada at the end of their authorized period of stay in Canada?
• Is the applicant admissible to Canada ?

The intent to give birth in Canada (whether indicated or evident) and the pregnancy consideration must relate back to one of the three above primary requirements for issuance of the TRV.

COVID-19 Update: Due to COVID-19, there are  travel restrictions that limit those who can come into Canada. Answer some questions to find out if you may be allowed to enter Canada.

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Who Covers the Health Care Costs for Childbirth in Canada?

As a visitor/tourist in Canada, deciding to give birth to a child in Canada has some associated costs ranging from $5,000 CAD to $20,000 CAD.

The cost is based on various factors, such as:

• The health care costs in the province you decide to have your child (some provinces have higher health costs than others).
• The medical facility that is handling the care (hospital vs. mid-wives)
• The type of delivery (normal delivery vs caesarean section).

The parent of the child born in Canada is NOT eligible to have the costs of the child’s birth covered by Canadian healthcare.

The mother of the child will be required to pay out-of-pocket expenses for all the associated medical costs and bills related to the birth of the child. This is mandatory since the parent is not a Canadian resident.

The Cheapest Way to Transfer Money to Canada

Paying for your childbirth costs in Canada just got simpler. Wise (formerly TransferWise) is great for sending money internationally with low fees – much cheaper than using your local bank.

Take the stress out of managing your finances. Use a Wise debit card to pay and withdraw money from ATMs when you travel internationally.

If you are a temporarily residing in Canada resident (e.g. student, worker, etc.), you will usually have medical coverage through your educational institution or the provincial government, depending on how long you’ve lived in a specific province.

For example, if you are an international student studying in British Columbia, your educational institution will usually arrange for health coverage through a private insurer for the first 3 months before your provincial health care coverage takes effect.

What is the Procedure for Giving Birth in Canada for Non-Resident?

The procedure for giving birth in Canada for foreign nationals is:

• Decide that you want to give birth in Canada.
• Apply for a Canadian Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) * .
• If your TRV application is approved, arrive in Canada.
• Give birth to your child in Canada.
• Apply for your child’s birth certificate and the child’s Canadian passport.
• Return back to your home country.

* Citizens of certain countries (such as the United States of America) do not require a TRV to give birth in Canada. However, you may need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA ) to enter Canada.

Applying for an eTA is a straightforward online procedure. The majority of applicants get their eTA clearance (through email) within minutes. However, if you are required to provide supporting documentation, some requests may take several days to complete. It is essential to get an eTA before booking a flight to Canada .

Need Help to Submit a TRV Visa Application for Birth Tourism? Contact Us!

⚠️ COVID-19 Update: Temporary Pause on our Birth Tourism Services

Due to the impacts of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Government of Canada (IRCC) is prioritizing applications from:

• Canadians trying to return to Canada,
• Vulnerable people, and
• People who perform or support essential services.

Thus, it is not likely that you will receive a visa decision early enough for you to give birth in Canada. Check IRCC’s current processing times here .

Similarly, due to COVID-19, there are travel restrictions that limit those who can come into Canada.

Therefore, even if you have a valid Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) – tourist visa, you may not be allowed to come into Canada for birth tourism. You can find more information on the current travel restrictions here .

Additionally, the health care facilities are currently overwhelmed. Hence, medical practitioners and health authorities in Canada may be reluctant to provide a letter, if IRCC requests one.

Based on the preceding, our birth tourism services may not meet your intended purpose. Thus, we have put a temporary pause on our TRV visa application services for birth tourism in Canada. We will keep monitoring the situation and update this section accordingly.

You should bring certain documents along with you when going to the hospital to deliver your baby. These are copies of:

• Your medical records if you have them with you.
• Your birth plan.
• Insurance cards and/or healthcare coverage.
• Your Social Insurance Number (SIN), if applicable. 
• Your passports and visas.

If you’re a non-resident (visitor) thinking of having your baby in Canada, you may be wondering which hospital is the best place to give birth.

Every province and territory has different hospitals that offer different levels of care, so it can be tricky to figure out which one is right for you.

The following are the top ten (10) hospitals in Canada with the highest number of non-resident births:

• Ste-Mary Hospital, Quebec
• St. Paul’s & Mount Saint Joseph, British Columbia
• Richmond Hospital, British Columbia
• Mackenzie-Richmond Hill, Ontario
• McGill, Quebec
• Trillium-Mississauga, Ontario
• St. Joseph’s Health, Ontario
• Mount Sinai Hospital, Ontario
• North York General, Ontario
• Trillium-Credit Valley, Ontario

Keep in mind, however, that the above list is not necessarily the “best” hospital list – every province and territory has several excellent hospitals to choose from. So if you did not see your hospital of choice above, don’t worry – you’re still in good hands!

Each Canadian territory or province has its process for registering childbirth . If you have your child in Ontario, for example, you’ll have to register the baby within the first 30 days. So you should contact the local authorities for information specific to the province you are in. 

When you register your child online, you can also sign up for Canada’s child benefits, register for the child’s birth certificate and his or her social insurance number.

After completing the birth registration and getting a birth certificate to prove Canadian citizenship, you can then proceed to apply for the child’s Canadian passport. To do this, you will have to:

• Complete the Government of Canada form .
• Provide your baby’s birth certificate.
• Provide two photographs for the passport.
• Get a representative (the representative could be a doctor that observed your child in the first days after birth). 
• Pay the stipulated fees. 
• Send the documents by courier or mail service with tracking, to: Government of Canada Passport Program Gatineau, QC K1A 0G3 Canada

Was Your Canada Tourist Visa (TRV) Application Rejected?

If you are considering reapplying , it is a good idea for you to first get the complete details on your previous application from ircc..

Should I disclose that I am pregnant or that I intend to give birth in Canada when applying for a Canadian  TRV?

Yes, you should indicate in your visa application that you are pregnant or that you intend to give birth in Canada. This is important as it may be considered as a material fact in the evaluation of your TRV application.

If the Canadian visa officer is not advised of the pregnancy, it may go unexamined; the fact you are pregnant or that you intend to give birth in Canada may be significant to your TRV application assessment. For instance:

• Have you made pertinent arrangements for your medical treatment in Canada?
• Do you have the financial capacity to cover the full costs of childbirth in Canada, or
• What is the likelihood that you’ll depart from Canada after the birth of your child?

Hence, in some circumstances, the deliberate cover-up of intent to give birth in Canada may result in a conclusion of inadmissibility for misrepresentation (under A40), thereby resulting in a visa refusal prior to visa issuance or refusal of entry into Canada on arrival at the port of entry.

Should I answer “Yes” or “No” in the TRV application form where I’m asked if I or “any accompanying family members have any physical or mental disorders that will require social or health services during their stay in Canada”?

The TRV application form asks whether the visa applicant or if any family member(s) that will be going along to Canada with the applicant, have any physical or mental conditions that will need Canada’s health or social services during the stay in Canada.

As pregnancy is not typically deemed as a “medical condition”, the visa applicant may answer “No” to this question. This is not usually considered misrepresentation in the instance of pregnant applicants, based on the wording used.

READ ALSO >> Chances of Getting Canada Tourist Visa after Refusal

Could being pregnant be considered as medical inadmissibility to canada.

No, pregnancy by itself cannot deem a TRV visa applicant as inadmissible to Canada .

Although a “high-risk” pregnancy could result in undue demand on the Canadian health care system, this would usually be hypothetical and would not be applicable to the unborn child, as the child born in Canada will become a citizen at birth.

Any concerns that the child after birth in Canada may be a burden on Canadian health and social services, cannot be used in evaluating the medical admissibility of the TRV applicant.

The focus of Canadian visa officers should be on available financial support, when utilizing the guidelines on temporary resident applicants seeking medical treatment in Canada, as part of their assessment of admissibility.

Will a medical examination be required from pregnant TRV applicants?

As per IRCC, a medical examination should only be requested in extraordinary cases. For instance, where the information from the medical examination would be material to the assessment of the TRV visa application.

Can I travel to Canada if I am pregnant?

Yes, you can travel to Canada if you are pregnant. Travelling to Canada is perfectly safe as long as there are no known issues or concerns with the pregnancy.

It is strongly advised that pregnant women who want to travel visit a health care professional at least six weeks before their anticipated departure date.

How much does it cost to deliver a baby in Canada?

The cost to deliver a baby in Canada for Canadian permanent residents and citizens is typically free in most Canadian provinces and territories.

On the other hand, the cost to deliver a baby in Canada for non-residents (visitors) depends on whether they have health insurance coverage or not. The cost ranges from $3,000 CAD to $20,000 CAD.

What countries allow birth tourism?

The countries that allow birth tourism are Canada and the United States. Furthermore, Chile, Brazil, and Mexico do not only allow birthright citizenship, they subsequently expedite permanent residency and time to naturalize as citizens for the parents of the child.

In the majority of European countries, the child of an immigrant is not eligible for citizenship.

What happens to a child born in Canada to foreign parents?

A child born in Canada to foreign parents is entitled to Canadian citizenship by birth. On the other hand, if the child’s parent does not already have Canadian permanent residency or Canadian citizenship, the parent will have to return to their home country with their child, despite the fact that the child was born in Canada.

If the parent wishes to become a Canadian citizen, there are legal ways to attain residency with a Canadian-born child; typically once the child attains the age of majority (18 years old).

There has been a consistent increase in “birth tourism” to Canada, whereby expectant mothers from other countries travel to Canada in order to give birth so that their children can acquire Canadian citizenship.

Some people are opposed to this trend, arguing that it amounts to cheating the system and gives an unfair advantage to children born in Canada over those born elsewhere.

Others maintain that as long as everyone is playing by the rules, there is no harm in birth tourism and it should be allowed.

What do you think? Got questions? Feedback? Leave a comment.

Read also >> cost of having a baby in canada – with or without insurance.

Charee Oisamoje is the founder of CanadaWiz. She leads the editorial team, which is comprised of subject matter experts that aim to create well-researched, highly detailed content related to studying, working, immigrating, and settling/living in Canada as a newcomer.

Charee's personal experiences as a Canadian immigrant and her professional competencies make her uniquely qualified on the subject matter.

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75 thoughts on “giving birth in canada – benefits, cost, citizenship, tourism visa…”.

I am a pregnant Nigerian female with the intention of going to Canada for delivery. I have a brother in Alberta who is currently a permanent resident with his family. What I would like to know is, does having my baby become a Canadian citizen by virtue of birth afford me a better chance of obtaining a permanent residency/citizenship status in the near future? I mean can my husband and I apply for permanent residency by virtue of our child being a Canadian citizen?

Ganiyat Abdulsalam Haway, Neither you nor your husband can apply for permanent residency/citizenship by virtue of your child being a Canadian citizen due to being born in Canada. However, in the future (if Canadian immigration law is still the same), when your child reaches the age of majority (usually 18 years of age), he/she can apply to sponsor you and your husband to immigrate to Canada as permanent residents. If you and your husband are looking to becoming Canadian permanent residents in the short-term, you will want to consider other immigration routes, for example, Express Entry .

Hello , I’m Kudirat and I want your help on how to go give birth in Canada or better still refer me to a trusted company

Hello, I need the process to travel to Canada for childbirth as soon as possible.

Just google it man !!! if you go to the IRCC website you will find all the information and process you need.

MY NAMES AR JOSEPH IDRIS. I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION FOR TRV TO CANADA TO GIVE BIRTH. I WANT MY WIFE TO GIVE BIRTH IN CANADA AND I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT MY CHANCES OF OBTAINING VISA AND THE REQUIREMENTS.

Idris Jiseph, The requirements for application for TRV to give birth in Canada is similar to a regular TRV. The only difference being that your wife has to indicate in her application that the purpose of her visit to Canada is to give birth and meet the additional requirements. Refer to the answer we provided above to the question “Should I disclose that I am pregnant or that I intend to give birth in Canada when applying for a Canadian TRV?” What country will you be applying from? If you will be applying from Nigeria, this post has detailed information on the Canada TRV process.

I’m permanent resident of Canada and living in Ontario , but my wife dose not have PR and she has TRV and also Expresses entry application in process , she is pregnant now and I’m wondering if I can use my Ohip coverages for some of her maternity costs or do I have to pay from my pocket

Al the best to you bro. i am in the same position and wondering the same.

Can you please help my wife with the process too, she will like to give birth in Canada my no is {your phone number has been deleted to protect your privacy}.

Adefemi, Check your email inbox (Also check your spam/junk folder too).

Can you also assist me in getting birth tourism.

Armin, To ensure that you get the most accurate information, we recommended that you contact OHIP to ask. Please come back and post a follow-up comment to let us know what you found out, so that others like Gaspar Raposo can gain from your knowledge. All the best!

Please help me out here I want my wife to deliver in Canada and I was introduced to an agent who took our money and for one year now story story from the agent and my wife have birth in my country Nigeria and this time I do not want to make the same mistakes again Please help us out here my email {your email has been deleted to protect your privacy}

Obuefuna Cyprian, Sorry to hear about your experience with an agent who defrauded you and your wife. To ensure that you do not make the same mistakes again, you want to first ensure that your wife meets the requirements to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) from Nigeria . If she meets the requirement, she can follow the step-by-step process here and apply on her own. Or if you/she requires one-on-one assistance, feel free to contact us for help.

Hello please my hubby wants me to give birth in Canada,please help us with the easiest way out

Good morning, do I need to register with a hospital while in Nigeria or when I get there.

In my place of work, I will only be allow to leave for Canada when I m about to put to bed, what maximum age limit(pregnancy age now) will be allo to travel

I want my wife to give birth in Canada. Can you help me with the process.

Maloof Olawale, Sure, we can help you with the process. Keep in mind that you will be expected to provide your own supporting documents . Feel free to contact us .

Hello, I am a Canadian permanent resident, my girlfriend is pregnant in the United Estates. I would like to know if she can come to gift birth to my kid in Canada where I live and if my health care will cover that?

Jon, Congrats to you and your girlfriend on the pregnancy. As health care varies by province, kindly confirm the province you live in to ensure that we provide you with accurate information.

Need some guidance.

I am a Candian Citizen. Born and raised here in winnipeg, Mb. My Wife is currently here on a visiting visa from Vietnam. She is expected to go back to Vietnam in March 2021. However I do t believe restrictions will allow her. I am in the process of sponsoring her.

My wife is now pregnant. I want to have the child here in Canada. Can I extend the visa? What options do I have to keep her here. And also, if my wife gives birth here in winnipeg, will it be covered under my health care?

Please help.

Best Regards, Andrew

Hello Andrew, We are in the same situation as you and your wife, down to my wife being from Vietnam (only difference is we’re in Sask). Did you get any answers? Any advice you’d be able to share?

Are there any travel ban for people from Nigeria who want to give birth in canada this year? Because i want to commence the process of obtaining TRV.

Oare Fredrick Ojehomon, The COVID-19 restrictions by the Prime Minister / Government of Canada stop most discretionary (non-essential) travel to Canada. An individual wanting to travel from Nigeria to Canada to give birth will fall into this category. As of today, people from Nigeria (or any other country for that matter) wanting to give birth in Canada cannot travel to Canada, even if they have a valid visitor/tourist visa. As travel restrictions may change with little notice, I cannot say if/when the restriction will be lifted this year.

Hi! I am pregnant and have a working visa and I have a valid health care card. Is my medical fees, and hospital bills will be free? I’m worried if not. Please help me. The father of my becoming child is Permanent resident but we’re not married.

Hello, I applied for Temporary Residence Visa for birth 2 months ago. My hospital appointment is in a month time. I haven’t received any response which is making me nervous. I paid medicals fees in full and attached all necessary documents. Is there hope for me? My due date is in 4 months

hi there, my name is Alan, I and my wife are originally from Mexico and we are permanent residents of Canada, we are trying to have family, but for us, in order to do that, we will need to use a surrogate mother. My brother’s sister in law (also from Mexico) has offered to be our surrogate mother. We also have already our own embryos in Vancouver and are ready to be transferred. So we need our surrogate to come to Canada for the transfer as soon as flights from Mexico are open again (right now there are no flights because of COVID until April 30, and then we would like to have the baby delivered also here in Canada. so is this all possible? and what kind of visa should be applied for her for this matter? is it the TRV as well? and what are the chances we will get approved?

Hi, Im a Canadian living in USA (for 2 years now) and I want to give birth in Canada, how can I get free health care again in order to delivery in Canada for free? Thank you!

Hi, I am a permanent resident of Canada but my partner is not. She is in Canada with me on a TRV (visitor visa). We are planning to have a baby in Canada, Ontario, where we are staying. I have OHIP only for me, but can I get coverage of some of our maternity and delivery costs using my OHIP? Also, how can I get OHIP for my partner? Thanks.

Hi, If your wife is on a visitor visa, she, unfortunately, cannot be covered provincially or federally. I would call OHIP to double-check.

Greetings I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION FOR TRV TO CANADA TO GIVE BIRTH. I WANT MY WIFE TO GIVE BIRTH IN CANADA. WE PRESENTLY HAVE 🇦🇪 UAE RESIDENT VISA.

Good day, I am a Nigerian whose wife is currently pregnant and I would like her to Deliver the baby in Canada in 3 months from now. Kindly advise on the possibility of having this done and the financial implication.

How long does it take to process the birth certificate and passport of the child once born in canada 🇨🇦?

This depends on your province. I would give it 3 weeks to 1 month for birth certificate and for non-urgent passports, 3 weeks to 1 month as well. If travel is imminent, indicate it when applying for your child’s passport.

Hello I would love to have my baby in Canada , please what are the procedures?

like a month i think

As you said there is no certain of opening for birth tourism visa but still can i process to apply for tourist visa,( due date is in september)??

Hi, i’m lebanese and pregnant and want to give birth in Canada. Is it possible to get visa for that matter? Where should i mention the purpose of my trip? Will i be granted the visa?

I’m 18 years old on a student permit – if I give birth will the government support me ?

Hi, I would like to give birth in Canada, Montreal to be exact. Could you give be options of hospitals, OBGYN sound that area and costs associated with giving birth.

God Bless Great countries like Canada, I would love to have a direct chat with the admin if given an opportunity.

Warm Regards

Can you please help my wife with the process too, she will like to give birth in Canada

I am Canadian and my wife is not she is currently pregnant and needs a visa to enter Canada. I would like for my child to be born in Canada I have the means to pay for all hospital bills and any other expenses. What is the process time? her visa application has been summited but when it was summited we were not married and we were not pregnant.

Hi, I am engaged to a Canadian citizen, and we live in the UK (I’m from Southern Africa). I’m 4 months pregnant and we were hoping to travel to Canada together before the baby is born to be with family. Would I qualify for healthcare (and would I be able to deliver the baby for free) in BC if we were to do so (assuming that the visa application was processed in time, of course)? Because I will be married to a Canadian, we did not think this counted as ‘birth tourism’, but its not clear from the website exactly what visa we should apply for, and whether I would have to pay all medical fees out of pocket…

Thanks for your guidance!

Can I apply for a Canada visa now to give birth ?? And do I have to go for a interview?

Greetings Please, I’m from Ghana and 5 months pregnant. I want to know if is possible now to get a visa to give birth in Canada?

I’m an overseas Canadian that wants to return to Canada to give birth, but I have lost my OHIP. I can only stay in Canada for about 3-6 months based on the nature of my husband’s job. Can I get OHIP for my Canadian family members if we stay the 153 days, which will cover the cost of labor and delivery and any other health care required upon return if I show proof of PR. What if I have to leave before the 153 days? How do I pay taxes after?

hiiii. my name is pradeep saini me and my wife we have been permanent residency of alberta .my wife is pregant nd i just want to about the delivery cost or free of delivery ..our health is working on delivery or not ..please help me out this ???

Hi, My name is blessing from Nigeria, my husband and I will want to give birth to our child in canada. Please can you provide us with every information we will be needing on the process. The cost of the hospital bills, the best city and probably hospital to have our baby, and how long the process will take. Am aware of the covid restrictions but I need the info pending when restrictions will be lifted. This is our contact 07062318302 Thanks.

Hi I have been applying for a student visa for almost 2 months and my wife has applied for an open work permit visa. My wife recently found out she was pregnant. If our visa is issued and my spouse gives birth in Canada, will the delivery costs be free for us or do we have to pay out of pocket?

Congratulations to you and your wife on the pregnancy.

As an international student in Canada, you will typically have health insurance coverage arranged through your school or you may be eligible for Provincial health coverage after a period of time. Thus, if you add your wife as a dependent on your health insurance and she gives birth in Canada, the delivery costs should typically be covered either through your school’s group health insurance plan or the provincial health insurance plan.

I’ll recommend you check with the educational institution in Canada, where you’ll be studying for precise information.

Dear Sir or Madam, I am a non-resident from Poland wishing to deliver a baby in Canada. I would like to get some information on the costs of delivery at hospitals in Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa or Toronto. Could you provide me with any list of hospitals in said cities that accept non-residents? I am especially interested in C-section. Also, I would like to ask how much time it takes to have an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) granted (I am a EU citizen)?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Hi, I have recently applied for study permit to Canada online. one month later I discovered that I am pregnant, is this will affect on the officer decision? However I still didn’t do the medical exam.

Is my Ecuadorian common-law girlfriend covered for medical support if she is carrying my child? I am a Canadian citizen and my now pregnant common-law girlfriend has been in Canada with me on a visitors visa since Jan 2020. We have received two Visitor Records to extend her legal status and have just requested a third out to 2023. We are also applying for her PR status, but it could come after the baby is born.

Cannon, Canada health/medical insurance coverage varies from province to province. Which province in Canada do you currently reside?

Hello, I’m a canadian citizen by birth while my wife is under open work permit status. We both live together in Canada. I’m sponsoring her under the family class, spouse in Canada path. If we have children, while she is waiting for her PR, will we have to pay out of pocket costs for child birth?

To clarify, we both live in Manitoba. We are both legally married to each other. The civil marriage took place in Manitoba.

Hello, If an international student in Alberta is pregnant and decided to come home to home country after giving birth (due to hardship as the husband is inadmissible to Canada). Can the student still come back to finish the study after the husband’s 5 year ban is done?

KP, You can take time off your studies in Canada with the intention of returning back to finish the study afterwards, but keep in mind that there is no guarantee that IRCC will approve your study permit at that time. I recommend you discuss your unique circumstances with an educational counsellor at your institution in Alberta. All the best!

Hi .. I’m 3 months pregnant.. I’d like to know the possibility of having my baby in Canada with my spouse being the sponsor … we both live in Nigeria .. thank you

Dear Canadawiz team, We’ve (non-Canadian) had a child born in Canada. My wife is pregnant again and we are hoping to deliver the second in Canada as well. I understand that immigration officer cannot stop anyone from coming into the country for birth as long as you prove you have the funds but, can there be any sort of repercussion at immigration when they find out my son is Canadian and parents are not. And decline us from any future deliveries in Canada.

Good day, can you please recommend some insurance company and type of insurance for non- residents to give birth in Canada, thank you.

As a non-resident of Canada, our recommendation is that you get maternity insurance coverage from an insurance company in your country of residence before you get pregnant.

This is because most insurance policies will not cover maternity costs for people who are already or soon will be pregnant. There are usually 6 to 12 months of paid maternity coverage before insurers start to cover pregnancy, birth, and newborn care. This is called a “moratorium.”

I am writing to you for the purpose of inquiring about how to make an appointment for my wife to give birth in Quebec, as the date of her birth is in July 2022, as she will be in Canada at the beginning of June. Please provide me with the required information and if it is necessary to send some medical information about her.

Dear canadwiz team, I am appreciating you to give me any information about the cost of giving birth in vancouver for non-resident…thank you very much in advance

Dear Canadawizteam, Please I would like to know how one can get the International Insurance cover for childbirth. Thank you.

This is very fantastic, I’m grateful for such a detailed article, thank you so much.

Work permit holder’s wife can give birth in Canada? All the medical fees-free? need to pay by pocket? Please clarify.

Hello , I’m Abimbola and I want your help on how to go give birth in Canada or better still refer me to a trusted company

Dear Canadian team, My wife is pregnant and wishing to deliver baby in Canada, kindly advise if necessary to do arrangement with hospital in Canada to give us quotation (cost of birth) before submitting application for TRV. Also advise how much time need processing to get TRV from Nigeria as all requirements complete to submit Thank you for your help Regards,

I am from India and I have received an open work permit visa . I will be travelling to Canada with my husband who is the primary applicant and holds work permit . As we are expecting ,I want to know what will be the process to give birth over there in Canada . For Eg, do we need to have an insurance before we want to give birth or how many days does it take to get an insurance once we reach there. How much time does it take to book an appointment with an obstetrician ? P.S. I will be moving to Halifax, NS.

Hi! I’m a US citizen and is currently 4mos pregnant. My boyfriend is a Canadian citizen. We want to give birth in BC. I dont have insurance or international insurance. He doesn’t have one too. Is there any way for him to apply for kne and extend it to me?

Is there any immigration childbirth packages that you can offer?

Thank you!!!

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Canada should deny care to pregnant 'birth tourists,' doctor argues

Denying care is a dangerous and unrealistic 'gut reaction' that some hospitals have already taken, another doctor wrote in response

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Should Canada deny care to ”birth tourists,” pregnant women who visit Canada with the sole purpose of delivering their babies here, thereby obtaining automatic Canadian citizenship for their newborns?

Canada should deny care to pregnant 'birth tourists,' doctor argues Back to video

It’s a provocative, and, some say, dangerous suggestion. However, a leading expert in preterm and multiple births is arguing that Canadian hospitals and doctors should have “absolutely zero tolerance” for birth tourism, a phenomenon that is rising once again now that COVID travel restrictions have been dropped.

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It’s a “sorry state of affairs” that women in Canada face wait times of 18 months or longer for treatment for pelvic pain, uncontrolled bleeding and other women’s health issues, Dr. Jon Barrett, professor and chief of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at McMaster University wrote in an editorial in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada.

“The thought that even ONE patient seeking birth tourism would potentially take either an obstetrical spot out of our allocated hospital quota, or even worse, a spot on the gynaecologic waiting list, should be enough to unite all in a position that anything that in any way facilitates this practice should be frowned upon,” Barrett wrote.

“These are non-Canadians getting access to health care, which we haven’t got enough of for our own Canadians,” he said in an interview.

When planned low-risk births go wrong, and babies end up spending weeks in intensive care, hospitals can be left with hundreds of thousands in unpaid bills. One Calgary study found that almost $700,000 was owed to Alberta Health Services over the 16-month study period.

The women themselves are also at risk, Barrett said, of being  “fleeced” by unscrupulous brokers and agencies charging hefty sums upfront for birth tourism packages that include help arranging tourist visas, flights, “maternity” or “baby hotels” and pre-and post-partum care.

And, while he declined to provide specific examples, “Tempted by large sums of money, even the best of us can be tempted into poor practice,” Barrett wrote.

It sends the wrong message that basically we’re not very serious in terms of how we consider citizenship

The issue has triggered high emotions and debate among Canada’s baby doctors. Under Canada’s rule of jus soli, Latin for “right of soil,” citizenship is automatically conferred to those born on Canadian soil.

Birthright citizenship gives the child access to a Canadian education and health care. They can also sponsor their parents to immigrate when they turn 18.

Other developed nations require at least one parent to be a citizen, or permanent resident.

According to data collected by Andrew Griffith, a former senior federal bureaucrat in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, “tourism” births account for about one per cent, give or take a bit, of total births in Canada. Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information show Canada hosted 4,400 foreign births in 2019.

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At a national level, the numbers aren’t huge, however they can become significant at the local level, Griffith said: In pre-COVID years, non-resident births accounted for up to 25 per cent of all births at a single hospital in Richmond, B.C., while the numbers at a handful of other popular destination hospitals in Ontario and Quebec approached five to 10 per cent of all births.

“In a system that is tight and stretched, it does become an issue at the hospital level,” Griffith said.

But birth tourism also undermines the integrity and confidence in Canada’s citizenship process, he said, “It appears like a short cut, a loophole that people are abusing in order to obtain longer-term benefit for their offspring.”

“It sends the wrong message that basically we’re not very serious in terms of how we consider citizenship and its meaningfulness and its importance to Canada,” Griffith said.

Barrett is careful to stress that birth tourism absolutely doesn’t apply to women who happen to be in Canada because of work, or study programs, or as refugees. “We must declare that people who are here for a genuine reason should have seamless access to health care,” he said.

What he opposes are the “non-urgent planned and deliberate birth tourists in our hospitals.”

Doctors can’t deny care to a woman in labour. Emergency care would always be given, he said. “Obviously you’re never going to turn somebody away.”

But doctors and hospitals could decline to provide pregnancy care before birth. “Eventually, if you create this unfriendly environment,” Barrett said, “if everybody said we are not looking after you and not facilitating this, eventually people will not come. They would realize they are not getting what they are seeking, which is optimal care.”

Some women step off the plane 37 weeks pregnant, three weeks from their due date. “That’s why my colleagues say, ‘You can’t do that. People are going to suffer,'” Barrett said. “Yes, unfortunately, people are going to suffer, because they won’t get pregnancy care, and they’ll show up at the hospital without antenatal care.”

While some women do come to Canada seeking superior medical care, “let’s be frank,” said Calgary obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Colin Birch. “The principal motivator is jus soli.

“Sometimes its veiled under, ‘I want to get better medical care,’ but, interestingly, they fly over several countries that can give them the equivalent care to Canada to get here,” said Birch, countries that don’t offer jus soli.

Birch is co-author of the Calgary study, the first in-depth look at birth tourism in Canada. Their retrospective analysis, a look back over the data, involved 102 women who gave birth in Calgary between July 2019 and November 2020. A deposit of $15,000 was collected from each birth tourist, and held in trust by a central “triage” office to cover the cost of doctors’ fees. A deposit wasn’t collected to cover fees for hospital stays for the mom or baby; women were made aware they would be billed directly.

The average age of the woman was 32. Most came to Canada with a visitor visa, arriving, on average, 87 days before their due date. Birth tourists were most commonly from Nigeria, followed by the Middle East, China, India and Mexico. Overall, 77 per cent stated that the reason for coming to Canada was to give birth to a “Canadian baby.”

Almost a third of the women had a pre-existing medical condition. One woman needed to be admitted to the ICU after delivery for cardiac reasons, another was admitted for a high blood pressure disorder and stroke. Nine babies required a stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, including one set of twins that stayed several months. Some women skip their bills without paying.

“Every conversation about heath care is that we haven’t got money for health care,” Birch said. “Yet you’ve got unpaid bills of three-quarters of a million. It’s not chump change.”

But denying care is a dangerous and unrealistic “gut reaction” that some hospitals have already taken, Birch wrote in his counter editorial for the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada. “Let’s be very clear: They won’t let them through the front door, or they send them on to another hospital.”

“You cannot have zero tolerance for patients,” Birch said. “You can’t do that because that leads to maternal and fetal complications.”

The federal government could tweak the rule of “jus soli,” excluding people who just come to Canada on a temporary visitor visa to give birth, and then leave, he and others said. “You do the Australian approach, that one of the parents has to be a citizen of the country,” said Griffith, a fellow of the Environics Institute and Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

Three years ago, the United States announced it would start denying visitor visas to pregnant foreign nationals if officials believe the sole purpose was to gain American citizenship for their babies.

While some have said birth tourists are being demonized as “ queue jumpers and citizenship fraudsters, ” Griffith isn’t convinced birth tourism is a politically divisive issue.

“I don’t think there are very many people that really would get upset if the government sort of said, ‘We’re going to crack down on birth tourists, women who come here specifically to give birth to a child and who have no connection to Canada.’”

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• You pick the destination, we have all the visa information ready

• How to Apply for a Canada Birth Visa?
• North America Visas
• Canada Visa

Did you know that if your child is born in Canada, he/she will become a Canadian citizen? Pregnant women can enter Canada to give birth. The born child in Canada can get Canadian citizenship. Also, the quality of Canadian hospitals and health services is high.  There is a particular visa for this purpose that is called Canada give Birth Visa.

In this blog, we will cover the eligibility for Canada to give Birth Visa, requirements, application process, fees, FAQs, and more.

Table of Contents

What is Canada Birth Visa

This visa comes under the Temporary Resident Visa group. International pregnant women can enter Canada to give birth. The born child can apply for Canadian citizenship. There are countless benefits to the future of the child.

Canada Birth visa is a temporary visa and valid for less than six months. With this visa, women can travel, visit friends, and also give birth. But, they can not:

• Claim social and medical benefits.
• Apply for Canadian issued documents.
• May not get a permanent stay in Canada.
• Apply for citizenship

Women may only go to the hospital and pay to give birth . When the woman gives birth, the child becomes a Canadian citizen. He/she can claim for a Canadian passport. This is so even if the parents are not Canadian residents or citizens.

Eligibility for Canada Birth Visa

To be eligible for a Canada Birth visa, a pregnant woman must fulfill a few requirements. They are the same as Canada tourist visa requirements.

The Canadian Consulate makes no difference for pregnant women as special cases. If the woman’s pregnancy is not dangerous, she won’t become ineligible for a Canadian Visa.

So the requirements for this visa are as follows:

• The common standard requirements visa for all Temporary Resident Visas.
• Having enough money to pay for your giving birth costs.
• You must be ready to take a medical exam if the Consulate asks you. They don’t often ask for this unless your pregnancy is a high-risk one.

If you don’t meet these requirements, the Canadian Consulate asks for more proof. They give you a chance to deliver more documents. You must convince them to give you a visa.

What Are the Required Documents for Canada Birth Visa?

The requirements for a Canada visa are as follows:

It must be valid for at least six months over the date you will leave Canada. It must also have been issued in the past ten years.

You should provide two passport size photos. It must have been taken in the past three months, not older.

Application form

You can download the form from the Canadian government immigration website service of the Canadian embassy website in your home country.

The applicant must be at least 18 years old.

Proof to have enough funds

You must state that you have enough money to cover your expenses in Canada.

The financial statements to prove you have enough money to pay for:

• staying in Canada
• giving birth costs in hospitals.

Civil status proof

It includes:

• Birth certificates.
• National identity cards.
• Marriage certificates.
• Divorce/annulment certificates.

Previous passport

If you have had another passport, you should provide them as well. It could improve your chance of getting a visa.

Travel itinerary

You should provide the complete plan for your trip, places you will visit, people you will meet.

Police record

You must provide a clean record certificate from the Police station in your home country.

Invitation letter

If you are visiting friends, family, or business people, you should provide an invitation letter from them.

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Medical certificate

You should prove through a medical exam that you are in good health conditions.

Proof of accommodation

You must provide evidence of the place you will stay in Canada. It could be a hotel reservation or rental agreement. If you are staying with a host, you should provide his/her name, address, and contact details.

Requirements Based on Your Job Status

If you are self-employed.

• Registration certificate of your company
• Income Tax Return
• Bank statements for the past six months

If you are retired

• Retirement order
• Payment receipt

If you are s student

• Permission leave from your school/university.
• If under 18, consent letter from parents

Please note that you should have the original documents translated into English/French.

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How to apply for Canada Birth Visa

1. figure out if you are eligible.

The initial step to apply for a Canada Birth visa is eligibility. You should find out whether you are eligible for it or not. You can read the section above to know this.

Requirements

Once you know you are eligible for a Canada Birth visa, you should gather requirements. You would better know that Canadian authorities are strict with their visa laws. If one piece of your documents is missing or faulty, your application will take longer. In this stage, pay attention to even small details.

Visa appointment

Applicants have to schedule an appointment with the Canadian embassy or consulate. You could get one by phone or through their website. When the date comes, attend the embassy in person and bring all the requirements.

During your appointment, you must pay the fees for application processing. If you don’t pay, your application won’t get processed.

Depending on your case, you might need to go through an interview. The visa officer will ask you some questions about your background and the purpose of your visit to Canada. Please be honest and give true answers.

Experts recommend saying your pregnancy somewhere in your application. Some women hide their pregnancy because they are not sure to get a visa. The Canadian Consulate may deny your visa if you hide your pregnancy. They call this a misrepresenting of yourself.

When you completed all procedures at the embassy, you have to wait. You must wait until your application gets processed. The processing time for Canada Birth visa depends on different factors.

If Canada Birth visa gets approved, the authorities will send it to your address. In some cases, you have to pick it up from the embassy yourself. If it gets denied, they will send you a letter explaining the reason.

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What are the fees for Canada Birth Visa?

The Canada Birth visa costs the same as the Temporary Resident Visas. You should pay C$100 for the application. If the embassy asks for your Biometrics, you must pay C$85 for it. When your visa got approved, you should pay about CAD$45 for passport processing.

The Processing Time for Canada Birth Visa

The processing time for a Canada Birth visa depends on how much workload the Consulate has. You should wait from one week to around 5 or 6 weeks for the visa to get processed. As you plan to give birth, apply earlier. You shouldn’t be close to your due date if the application process takes longer.

How long is Canada Birth Visa Valid for?

Like all the Temporary Canada Visas, you may only stay for up to six months. The Consulate could give you a visa for a longer time. In some rare cases until your passport expires. But in any case, you may not stay in Canada for more than 6 months at a time.

Read our article and learn about immigration ways to Canada as a professor and lecturer.

Can You Bring Your Dependents by Canada Birth Visa?

The Canada birth visa is a temporary one. So you can not bring your spouse or children to Canada. They should apply for the Tourist Visa. You could submit all the applications together. The Consulate will process you as a family.

Let’s sum up…

In this blog, we explained all about Canada Birth visa.

We covered the people who can apply for it, the eligibility criteria, requirements, application process, fees, validity, FAQs, etc.

You can find all the Canada visa information in the world here.

To find out more about the visa that suits you, go through the menu of the site. You can find all types of Canada visas at the left sidebar.

You can check the Visa Library to find more information about other countries’ visas.

In case you have some experience, please write it down in the comment section. Your comments let the readers choose better and avoid mistakes. Conveying your experiences as comments is a great help for applicants.

• Published by
• August 24, 2020

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• Global Affairs
• Immigration
• Social Policy

Birth tourism in Canada dropped sharply once the pandemic began

The COVID-19 pandemic provides a perfect natural experiment to assess the extent of birth tourism in Canada now that we have 2020-21 hospital delivery data from the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI).

The latest data respond to questions regarding the accuracy of CIHI data in assessing the extent of birth tourism following my initial analysis in 2018 in Policy Options , given the correlation between visitor visa data and the sharp drop in birth tourism. Moreover, given the cost of coming to Canada for the purpose of giving birth, they also demonstrate that the nonresident women who give birth are largely the economically privileged rather than the more economically vulnerable.

The 2020-21 data show that “nonresident self-pay” births declined by 57 per cent compared with the previous year, from 5,698 to 2,433 for all provinces, including Quebec. While this category is broader than that of women who arrive on visitor visas, visitor visas issued declined by 95 per cent, compared with the proportion of international students, which declined by only 25 per cent (most provincial health plans cover international students), or temporary workers, which actually increased by 5.5 per cent. As Canadian citizens and permanent residents were largely exempt from COVID travel restrictions, the number who chose to return to Canada to give birth is likely unchanged.

Figure 1 contrasts the steady rise in nonresident self-pay births over the past 10 years and the sharp drop in 2020-21 back to 2010-11 levels. The percentage of nonresident births fell from 1.6 per cent of total births in 2019 to 0.7 per cent in 2020.

Table 1 compares nonresident births in 2011-15 and 2016-20 with those in 2020-21 and the change that occurred. The steep increase over these five-year periods contrasts with the sharp decline in 2020-21, which was particularly notable in British Columbia and Alberta.

Table 2 provides a hospital-level view of the impact of COVID, contrasting pre- and post-pandemic years in terms of nonresident and total births for the 10 hospitals with the largest percentage of nonresident births. Nonresident births declined dramatically in all hospitals; British Columbia’s Richmond Hospital, the epicentre of birth tourism with its supportive “cottage industry” of “birth hotels,” was one of the strongest hit.

This suggests that my initial estimate that about 50 per cent of nonresident births were due to birth tourism was conservative, and that the percentage of “tourism births” is about 1 per cent of all births (or about 0.4 per cent of current immigration levels).

Unfortunately, the government appears to have dropped its 2018 commitment to “ better understand the extent of this practice as well as its impacts ” following the release of the CIHI numbers and related media attention. Given the expected reversion to growth in birth tourism, the government needs to resume work in this area, particularly with respect to linking immigration and health data, in order to improve understanding of immigration and health issues, including birth tourism.

The policy and operational questions remain as to whether the extent of birth tourism warrants an amendment to the Citizenship Act , visa restrictions on women intending to give birth in Canada, or other administrative and regulatory measures to curtail the practice. As visa restrictions would be difficult to administer, and regional administrative and regulatory measures may well encourage hospital and jurisdiction “shopping,” the “cleanest” approach would be an amendment to the Citizenship Act that would require one parent to be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, comparable to the situation in Australia.

Hospital stats show birth tourism rising in major cities Birth tourism and the demonizing of pregnant migrant women The risk of oversimplifying the birth tourism debate

Although the previous Conservative government explored a legislative change in 2012, this was abandoned given provincial opposition and the costs involved. However, at the time, the number of birth tourists was estimated at 500, much lower than what is shown in the more accurate data we have now.

As travel restrictions continue to ease, we can expect the number of nonresident births and birth tourists to revert to their previous growth. Should this happen, it will prompt further calls to restrict birth tourism. The 2019 Angus Reid survey indicated that the vast majority would support such a change for women on visitor visas.

This COVID-19 pandemic “natural experiment” demonstrates that birth tourists form more than the majority of nonresident births and is trending upward. Further discussions and debates should recognize this reality.

A note on methodology

The data is from the CIHI’s Discharge Abstract Database, more specifically the Responsible for Funding Program (RRFP) “non-resident self-pay” category, as well as totals for hospital deliveries. The RRFP data include temporary residents on visitor visas, international students, foreign workers and visiting Canadian citizens, and permanent residents. While Quebec has a slightly different coding system, CIHI ensures its data is comparable.

Health coverage for international students varies by provinces, but most are covered by provincial health plans. This is not the case in Manitoba and Ontario .

You are welcome to republish this Policy Options article online or in print periodicals, under a Creative Commons/No Derivatives licence.

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by Andrew Griffith. Originally published on Policy Options December 16, 2021

This <a target="_blank" href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/december-2021/birth-tourism-in-canada-dropped-sharply-once-the-pandemic-began/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org">Policy Options</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=101249&amp;ga4=G-GR919H3LRJ" style="width:1px;height:1px;">

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

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Birth Tourism in Canada on the Rise since 2022

Exploring the complexities of immigration companies offering birth tourism services in canada.

In recent years, the phenomenon of “birth tourism” has captured significant attention as individuals and families seek Canadian citizenship for their children by giving birth within the country’s borders. This practice has given rise to the emergence of some exploitative immigration companies that offer tailored service packages to facilitate this process.

While the appeal of these services may initially be enticing for prospective parents, it is crucial to delve into the legal, social and ethical concerns that surround birth tourism. This article aims to explore the multifaceted issues associated with birth tourism and shed light on the potential implications for those who opt for these services.

Birth Tourism key points

• Growing Birth Tourism in Canada : Birth tourism is on the rise in Canada, where individuals travel to give birth and secure citizenship for their child.
• Immigration Firms Facilitating Birth Tourism : Immigration firms offer packages to streamline the process, providing assistance with travel, accommodation, and legal paperwork.
• Legal and Social Concerns : Birth tourism raises legal, social, and ethical questions, including potential violations of immigration laws and negative societal perceptions.
• Risks Involved : Prospective parents face risks such as overstaying visas and misrepresentation, which can lead to deportation and bans from re-entry.
• Importance of Legitimate Immigration Pathways : It’s crucial to understand and consider established immigration pathways in Canada, offering stability and security for families seeking residency.

Understanding Birth Tourism

Birth tourism involves individuals traveling to a foreign country for the primary purpose of giving birth there, thereby securing citizenship for their child. In Canada, birthright citizenship is granted to those born on Canadian soil. Certain immigration Consultants have capitalized on this opportunity by providing comprehensive service packages designed to streamline the entire process for prospective parents. These packages often include assistance with travel arrangements, accommodation at “birth hotels”, and legal paperwork.

As an example, we recently came across an advertisement in Cambodia promoting such “services” (see the translation of the ad below). The consultancy firm openly markets their services by highlighting the benefits of Canadian citizenship by birth for children born in Canada. They emphasize that Canadian citizenship provides various privileges, such as access to education, healthcare, social benefits, and the potential for family reunification in the future. They go so far as to claim that having a Canadian citizen child can pave the way for family members to immigrate to Canada when the child reaches adulthood. Such a claim, to put it mildly, is nothing short of outrageous.

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Challenges of engaging in birth tourism.

While birth tourism services may initially appear attractive, it is essential to consider the significant consequences and risks involved:

Risks of Overstaying

Engaging in birth tourism in Canada can potentially lead to violations of immigration laws, particularly if individuals exceed their authorized period of stay in Canada. Although birth tourists usually enter Canada with valid visitor visas, unforeseen pregnancy complications may arise during their stay, necessitating medical treatment or an extended period in the country. In such cases, birth tourists may find themselves in a situation where their initial visa period is not sufficient to cover the required medical care and recovery time. This can result in unintentional overstaying as they prioritize their health and the well-being of their child. 

Overstaying visas in Canada can lead to severe legal repercussions, including the risk of deportation and future bans on re-entry. Such ramifications can have wide-ranging and enduring effects on individuals, potentially hindering their ability to visit or reside in Canada in the future. This underscores the crucial importance of prospective parents thoroughly evaluating the potential risks and consequences before venturing down the birth tourism path. Taking these considerations seriously is paramount to making informed decisions and safeguarding one’s future immigration prospects.

Risks of Misrepresentation

Birth tourists may misrepresent their reasons for entering Canada when applying for visitor visas or at the border. Instead of disclosing their intent to give birth in the country, they may falsely claim to be visiting for tourism or to visit friends and relatives. Misrepresentation of entry reasons carries severe consequences, potentially resulting in a five-year ban from Canada. Moreover, engaging in misrepresentation may complicate future visa or permit applications in other countries, as immigration authorities may view the previous misrepresentation in Canada as a sign of potential non-compliance with immigration regulations.

A notable case that highlights the importance of adhering to immigration regulations and maintaining transparency is Patel v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) , 2013 FC 1224. In this case, the Federal Court deemed it reasonable for immigration authorities to consider a permanent resident inadmissible to Canada due to the individual’s failure to disclose her pregnancy when she was granted permanent resident status. This case serves as a compelling reminder of the significance of honesty regarding one’s circumstances and intentions throughout the entire immigration process.

Negative Social Perceptions

Birth tourists and their children may face stigmatization and negative perceptions from local communities and fellow Canadians. They may be perceived as individuals who exploit the system or take advantage of Canadian resources without contributing to society. Some may also see birth tourists as individuals who are “gaming” the immigration system by exploiting loopholes and bending the rules to gain citizenship for their children. This perception can generate resentment among those who have followed the established immigration pathways and processes to gain immigration status.

Limited access to prenatal care: 

Birth tourists may encounter difficulties in obtaining timely and adequate prenatal care. This becomes especially relevant if they are unfamiliar with the Canadian healthcare system or face language barriers that hinder effective communication with medical professionals.

As birth tourism has become more prevalent in recent years, certain hospitals, like Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, have implemented measures to control the number of non-resident births and prioritize service provision to residents of their own communities. For example, the hospital has announced that non-resident patients without Ontario Health Insurance Plan coverage will not receive treatment. These circumstances can present significant challenges for birth tourists, leading to potential delays in receiving essential prenatal care and increasing the risk of pregnancy complications going unnoticed or untreated.

Choosing Birth Tourism vs. Established Immigration Pathways

Birth tourism in Canada is not considered the proper way to secure immigration status in Canada. While it may offer a shortcut to obtaining Canadian citizenship by birth for the child, it bypasses the established immigration processes and can have significant legal implications.

By choosing birth tourism, individuals are essentially prioritizing the acquisition of citizenship for their child over the legitimate immigration pathways that are available to qualified candidates. Canada offers numerous immigration options for individuals who meet specific criteria, such as entrepreneurs, investors, skilled workers, and family sponsorship programs. Obtaining immigration status through established programs provides families with stability and security. It offers a clear pathway for individuals and their families to establish themselves in Canada, knowing that they have the legal right to live, work, and study in the country. This stability allows families to plan for the future, pursue education, build careers, and enjoy the benefits of Canadian society.

Considering the above, it is highly recommended that prospective parents seek the expert guidance and assistance of qualified immigration lawyers when securing Canadian immigration status for their children and themselves. At Harvey Law Group , we boast more than three decades of experience in Canadian immigration matters, enabling us to offer precise and current information on immigration regulations, expertly navigate the legal process, and ensure strict compliance with the law throughout the immigration journey. By seeking consultation from our seasoned professionals, prospective parents can make well-informed decisions and pursue their immigration goals with confidence and peace of mind.

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If you are interested in learning more, please contact your local HLG office  here  for more details. Our team of lawyers would be pleased to offer you a complimentary consultation call to delve deeper into the details of the SUV program . please contact us by email at contact @harveylawcorporation.com or fill up the form in the article for more information .

Founded in 1992,  Harvey Law Group (HLG)  is a leading multinational law firm with offices across Asia, North and South America, Europe, and Africa to cater to your specific needs for immigration and beyond.

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So-called “birth tourism” is when pregnant, non-Canadian women fly into Canada in order to give birth and secure citizenship for their babies.

In addition to receiving benefits, like healthcare and education, when the children become adults, they can also sponsor their parents to immigrate to Canada.

The Canada Border Services Agency has said previously that pregnancy is not a reason in itself to refuse entry to the country to a tourist.

However, if a foreign national is seeking entry to Canada for the purpose of undergoing medical treatment and can’t show he or she has the money to pay for it, then that person could be deemed as a potential excessive demand on health service.

The practice has been a hot topic for many years, especially in Richmond, due to its Chinese population and proximity to Vancouver International Airport.

Between April 2021 and March 2022, B.C. hospitals recorded 110 non-residents of Canada who paid to give birth, based on data obtained from the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI). Last year, 194 such births were recorded.

However, in the year prior to the pandemic, a record 868 self-paying non-residents — the vast majority of whom are understood to be Chinese nationals on tourist visas — garnered automatic citizenship for their newborns.

Richmond Hospital has been, for many years, at the epicentre of the industry, with 502 non-resident births in 2019-2020.

And the so-called “birth hotels” in the city are not breaking any laws.

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Birth tourism

• Thread starter virgilia.s
• Start date Jun 13, 2018

Dear members, I am currently pregnant (13weeks) and residing in Dubai. I plan to visit Calgary, Alberta and deliver the child there. Please provide me your inputs on the same. Is any members who have done this for their child kindly let me of the process and also the legality of the same. TIA, Br, Virgilia  

virgilia.s said: Dear members, I am currently pregnant (13weeks) and residing in Dubai. I plan to visit Calgary, Alberta and deliver the child there. Please provide me your inputs on the same. Is any members who have done this for their child kindly let me of the process and also the legality of the same. TIA, Br, Virgilia Click to expand...

Just to add - you should be aware that having a baby in Canada will give your baby Canadian citizenship. However there will be no benefits for you. You will be required to leave Canada at the end of your allowed stay as a tourist.  

scylla said: Just to add - you should be aware that having a baby in Canada will give your baby Canadian citizenship. However there will be no benefits for you. You will be required to leave Canada at the end of your allowed stay as a tourist. Click to expand...

Plus see this news article how costs can escalate if any problems http://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2150497/canadian-hospital-sues-mother-million-dollar-baby Here is the official policy https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/temporary-residents/visitors/persons-wishing-enter-canada-purpose-giving-birth.html  

virgilia.s said: Hello, Thank you so much for your input. We plan to apply for a PR soon, but since that will take time I thought of delivering the child there first. I happened to come across a write-up wherein it said that birth tourism is allowed, https://www.infoplacecanada.ca/single-post/2017/07/30/Having-a-Baby-in-Canada-as-a-Visitor Please let me know of your inputs and knowledge on the same. Appreciate all your help on this matter. Br, Virgilia Click to expand...

However, pregnancy or the intent to give birth in Canada may be material facts in the assessment of the application which, if we are not advised of the pregnancy, may go unexamined; such facts may be material to the assessment of arrangements for treatment, of the financial ability to cover the costs of treatment, or of the intent to depart from Canada, for example. Therefore, in some cases the intentional concealment of intent to give birth in Canada may lead to an examination of admissibility under A40. Click to expand...

Expensive!! https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/canada/vancouver-health-authority-suing-mother-for-more-than-300k-in-unpaid-fees-1.3973661  

foodie69 said: Expensive!! https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/canada/vancouver-health-authority-suing-mother-for-more-than-300k-in-unpaid-fees-1.3973661 Click to expand...

Yep..  

What is with birth tourism especially for countries like Canada and USA. Australia and other countries are quite strict about babies who are born who do not have a parent whose a citizen or pr I wish Canada and USA have same policy as Australia,Japan and other counteries  

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You also have the option to save your form and fill it out later.

Note: Filling out the form on a computer is easier and reduces mistakes that can slow down the application process.

Read and follow the questions below to help you fill out the form.

Type your unique client identifier ( UCI ), if known. Otherwise, leave it blank. If this is your first time dealing with  IRCC  you will not have a  UCI .

Choose your preferred language of service (English or French).

Personal Details

Type your family name (surname) exactly as shown on your passport or travel document (even if the name is misspelled). Do not use initials.

Note: If you do not have a family name on your passport or travel document, enter all your given names here and leave the given name field blank.

Type all of your given names (first, second, or more) exactly as shown on your passport or travel document (even if the name is misspelled). Do not use initials.

Note: If you do not have a given name on your passport or travel document, leave this field blank. Do not enter “*”, “Not applicable” or “NA”.

Nick names or Alias

Check the box to tell us if you have ever used any other name. This could include your birth name, maiden name, married name, nick name, etc.

If you checked “ Yes ”, type any other family name that you have ever used.

If you checked “ Yes ”, type any other given name (first, second, or more) that you have ever used.

Choose your gender ( F -Female, M -Male, U -Unknown or X -Another gender).

Note: If you choose a gender identifier that is different than what you currently have or have had on your Canadian temporary resident document (visa, electronic travel authorization, work permit, study permit or visitor record), you need to complete the Request for a Change of Sex or Gender Identifier (IRM 0002)   (opens in a new tab) form and send it with your application. You also need to complete this form and send it with your application if you’ve never had a Canadian temporary resident document but you intend to apply for one and you identify with a gender that is different than what appears on your foreign travel document or passport. No supporting documents are required.

Enter your date of birth. If your entire date of birth is unknown, please use ‘ * ’ (star sign or asterisk) to fill in the spaces for the year, month or day, where applicable.

Note, if your city, town, country or territory of birth is indicated in your passport or your travel document, please record it as it appears in the document.

Choose your country or territory of citizenship. To be a citizen of a country or territory means that you were either born in that country or territory (in most cases) or have been granted citizenship by that country or territory. If you are a citizen of more than one country or territory, choose the country or territory that issued the passport you will be using for this trip.

Choose the correct information:

• The name of the country or territory you live in, if you have been lawfully admitted to that country or territory.
• Permanent resident
• Protected Person
• Refugee Claimant
• Other: You must fill out this section if you chose “ Other ” as a status.
• The dates (From – To) you have been living in your country or territory of residence.

Check the box to tell us if during the past five years, you have lived in any other country or territory other than your country of citizenship or your current country or territory of residence (indicated above) for more than six months?

If you checked “ Yes ”, choose the correct information:

• The name of the country or territory you lived in;
• Other: You must fill out this section if you chose “ Other ” as a status;
• The dates (From – To) you were living in that country or territory.

Check the box to tell us if you are applying from the country or territory you live in.

If you checked “ No ”, choose the correct information:

• The name of the country or territory where you are applying from;
• The dates (From – To) that you have been living in that country or territory.

If you are not a citizen of the country or territory where you are applying, you must send proof of your legal status in the country or territory you live in when you submit your application.

• Choose your current marital status from the list below: Annulled Marriage This is a marriage that is legally declared invalid. An annulment can also be a declaration by the Catholic Church that the marital union did not have a binding force. Common - Law This means that you have lived continuously with your partner in a marital-type relationship for a minimum of one year. Divorced This means that you are officially separated and have legally ended your marriage. Married This means that you and your spouse have had a ceremony that legally binds you to each other. Your marriage must be legally recognized in the country where it was performed and in Canada. Separated This means that you are married, but are no longer living with your spouse. Single This means that you have never been married and are not in a common-law relationship. Widowed This means that your spouse has died and that you have not re-married or entered into a common-law relationship.
• Enter the date (year, month and day) you were married or you entered into your current common-law relationship.
• Type the family names and given names of your current spouse or common-law partner.

If you are in a common-law union, you must also fill out the Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union [IMM 5409] (PDF, 863 KB) form and include it with your application. If you are married, you must send a photocopy of your marriage licence or certificate with your application.

Check the box to tell us if you have ever been married or in a common-law relationship. If you checked “ Yes ”, enter the following information:

• All family names,
• All given names,
• Date of birth,
• Common-law, or
• Dates (From – To) for which you were in the relationship with your former spouse or common-law partner.
• Choose your native language (mother tongue).
• Check “Yes” or “No” to tell us if you have taken a test from a designated testing agency to test your abilities in English or French.

Type your valid passport or travel document number exactly as shown on the document. Make sure there is no space between each number or letter.

From the list, select the name of the country or territory that issued your passport or travel document.

Enter the date your passport or travel document was issued.

Enter the date your passport or travel document will expire.

For this trip – Check “Yes” or “No” to tell us if you are using a passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that shows your personal identification number.

For this trip – Check “Yes” or “No” to tell us if you are using a National Israeli passport.

Venezuelan passport holders

You may need to complete extra steps when you fill out your application .

If the printed expiry date on your Venezuelan passport has passed

If the printed expiry date has passed and you’re applying for a visitor visa, study permit, work permit or to extend your stay as a temporary resident in Canada, follow these steps:

• Add 5 years to the printed expiry date shown on your passport and enter it in the expiry date field of the application form.
• Include a letter of explanation with your application stating: “I am a Venezuelan national with a Venezuelan passport, which has been extended for 5 years”.

Warning: If your passport is still expired after adding 5 years to the printed expiry date, your passport is considered expired. You’re not eligible to submit an application with that passport.

National Identity Document

Check “Yes” or “No” to tell us if you have a national identity document.

Enter your national identity document number exactly as shown on the document.

From the list, select the name of the country or territory that issued your national identity document.

Enter the date your national identity document was issued.

Enter the date your national identity document will expire.

Check “Yes” or “No” to tell us if you are a lawful Permanent Resident of the United States with a valid alien registration card (green card).

Enter your valid alien registration card (green card) document number exactly as shown on the document.

Enter when your alien registration card (green card) document will expire.

Contact Information

Type your current mailing address (where information should be mailed). Make sure you include the following information:

• Post Office Box (P.O. Box) number, if you have one. If you do not have a post office box number, you must type the street number,
• Apartment (Apt.) or Unit,
• Street number (No.). If you did not type in a P.O. Box number, you must type the street number,
• Street name. Do not abbreviate words (Street, Avenue, Boulevard, Drive, etc.) except for directions (NW, SE, W, etc.),
• City or Town,
• From the list, choose the country or territory of your current mailing address,
• Province or State,
• Postal code or zip code,
• District, if it applies to you.

All correspondence will go to this address unless you give us your e-mail address.

If you wish to have a representative who can conduct business on your behalf, you must give us their email and mailing addresses in this section and fill out the Use of a Representative [IMM 5476]   (opens in a new tab)   form.

Check the box to tell us if the address you live at is the same as your mailing address. If “ No ”, type the following information:

• Apartment (Apt.) or Unit, if it applies to you,
• Street Number (No.),
• Street Name. Do not abbreviate words (Street, Avenue, Boulevard, Drive etc.) except for directions (NW, SE, W, etc.),
• Country or territory,
• Postal Code or zip code,

Check the correct box to tell us if the telephone number is from Canada, the United States (US) or Other (any other country).

Choose the type of telephone:

• Residence (home)
• Cellular (cell or mobile)
• Business (work)

Type your telephone number including the country code, area or regional codes, etc.

If you have an extension number, write it after your phone number under “Ext.”

Check the correct box to tell us if your other telephone number is from Canada, the United States or Other (any other country).

Check the correct box to tell us if the facsimile (fax) number is from Canada, the United States or Other (any other country).

If you have one, type your facsimile (fax) number, including country code, area or regional codes, etc.

If you have one, type your e-mail address using a format similar to the following: [email protected]

Note: Make sure you check your email regularly. Any emails sent to you by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will end in:

• “@cic.gc.ca”,
• “@canada.ca”, or
• “@international.gc.ca”.

Please add these to your “safe senders” list in your email program and check the junk mail folder in case important emails get filtered. If we find that your email address does not work or no longer exists, we will communicate with you by mail. By giving us your e-mail address, you are hereby authorizing us to send your correspondence, including file and personal information electronically to this address.

Note: If you need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) and your work permit application is approved, you must give us your original passport so we can issue the visa counterfoil.

Details of Intended Work in Canada

Choose the type of work permit you’re applying for:

• Exemption from Labour Market Impact Assessment
• Labour Market Impact Assessment Stream
• Open Work Permit
• Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program
• Start-up Business Class

Ask your employer if you’re not sure of which option you should choose

• Labour Market Impact Assessment Stream; or
• Exemption from Labour Market Impact Assessment.

If you choose “ Open Work Permit ”, leave questions 2 to 6 blank.

If you’re applying for a post-graduation work permit,

• choose “ Open Work Permit ”;
• write “post-graduation work permit” in question 2a;
• leave the following questions blank: 2b, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Do not select “Other” unless your situation appears on the list below.

Who should select “Other”?

Choose “ Other ” only if you’re applying to work in Canada for a:

• foreign mission or international organization recognized under the Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act ;
• foreign government; or
• bridge or tunnel authority.

Your employer must give you an employment contract or an employment letter including the following information:

• name of employer;
• address of employer;
• hours of work;
• any other relevant details.

Your employer does not need to submit an offer of employment through the Employer Portal. This means you don’t need to provide a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) number or offer of employment (LMIA-exempt) number.

a) If you need an LMIA to get a work permit, type the name of the employer as shown on the LMIA. Attach  original  employment contract and LMIA.

If you do not need an LMIA to get a work permit, type the name of the employer who gave you the o ffer of employment number .

If you are applying for a post-graduation work permit, write “post-graduation work permit” as the employer name.

b) Enter the complete address of your employer:

• City or Town

Enter the address where you will work in Canada:

Type the following information about the work you plan to do in Canada:

• Brief description of duties

Type the expected start and end dates of your work in Canada ( From–To) . Use format YYYY-MM-DD.

The dates should match the dates in either the:

• labour market impact assessment (LMIA);
• offer of employment; or
• duration allowed in the work permit category, if applying for an open work permit.

For example, the “From” and “To” date for a spousal open work permit must match the validity of the principal applicant's permit.

Note:  A work permit cannot be issued for a duration that is longer than the validity of your passport.

Type the seven-digit number of your valid LMIA or the alpha numeric combination of the offer of employment number (LMIA Exempt). This number begins with the letter “A” and is followed by seven numbers.

Check the box to tell us if you have any post-secondary education (including university, college or apprenticeship training).

Examples of post-secondary education:

Training completed in a specific trade, such as carpentry or auto mechanics.

Training in a profession that requires formal education but not at the university level (for example, dental technician or engineering technician).

Academic degree awarded by a college or university to those who finished an undergraduate curriculum; also called a baccalaureate. Examples include a Bachelor of Arts, Science or Education.

Academic degree awarded by a graduate school of a college or university. You must have completed a Bachelor’s degree before a Master’s degree can be earned.

Highest university degree usually based on at least three years of graduate studies and a thesis. Normally, you must have finished a Master’s degree before a PhD can be earned.

If you checked “ Yes ”, give us full details of your highest level of post-secondary education:

• Enter the dates (year and month) you attended the institution
• Field(s) of study (mechanics, social sciences, medicine, etc. )
• School or Facility name
• Country or territory (choose from the list) and
• Province or State.

Employment (Work or job)

Enter the following information about your employment for the past 10 years. If you are retired, give information about the 10 years before your retirement.

Current activity or job

Give details about your current activity or job :

• dates (year and month) you have been working at your current job,
• activity or job, or a brief description of your position. If you do not work, describe what you are currently doing (retired, not working, going to school, etc. ),
• name of the company, employer or facility where you work,
• Province or State, if it applies to you.

Previous activity or job

Give details of your previous activity or job for the past 10 years. If you are retired, include the details about the 10 years before your retirement.

If you need more space, print out another page of the form, fill in this section and submit it with your application.

Background Information

You must answer all questions in this section, otherwise your application will be considered incomplete and will be sent back to you.

Check the box to tell us if:

• you or any of your family members have ever had tuberculosis of the lungs or have been in close contact with a person with tuberculosis within the past two years.
• you have any physical or mental disorder that would require social or health services other than medication during your stay in Canada.
• If you checked “ Yes ” to any of the above questions, provide details and the name of the family member, if it applies to you.

Note: See the Family Members definition in the guide.

Check the box to tell us if you have ever:

• stayed beyond the validity of your status, attended school without authorization or worked without authorization in Canada.
• been refused any kind of visa, admission or been ordered to leave Canada or any other country or territory.
• applied to enter or stay in Canada.
• If you checked “ Yes ” to one of the above questions, provide details.
• been arrested for, or
• been charged with or convicted of any criminal offence in any country or territory.

If you checked “Yes ”, give details.

• Check the box to tell us if you have ever served in any military, militia, civil defence unit, served in a security organization or police force (including non-obligatory national service, reserve or voluntary units).
• If you checked “ Yes ”, write your dates of service and the countries or territories where you served.

Check “ Yes ” or “ No ” to tell us if you have ever been a member or associated with any political party, or other group or organization which has engaged in or advocated violence as means to achieving a political or religious objective, or which has been associated with criminal activity at any time.

Check “ Yes ” or “ No ” to tell us if you have ever witnessed or taken part in the ill treatment of prisoners or civilians, looting or desecration of religious buildings.

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