Health Care Bond for Sponsoring Parents in Canada

Canada Citizenship and Immigration is mulling over the idea of requiring a health care bond to sponsor parents or grandparents into Canada by making a contribution to the health care costs.

Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jasson Kenney has said, “One idea has been to require families to put down some kind of a health care bond for sponsoring parents or grandparents. They would pay up front for a portion of the health care costs that their parents would use in Canada.”

“Family sponsorship is a privilege, not a right. We are committed to family reunification within our system, but it has to be linked to our scarce public resources. It’s not fair for us to raise taxes on Canadians to pay for future health care costs for folks who’ve never lived in the country or paid taxes in it,” the Minister added.

Currently, the Canadian family sponsorship for parents and grandparents is suspended for two years. The children and grandchildren can, however, invite their parents and grandparents on super visa which requires purchasing of one year heath insurance. Commons committee has asked government to make the super visa permanent option.

The statistical data collected between 1980 and 2010 suggest that 275,000 elderly migrant parents and grandparents over the age of 65 require about $3 billion per year to pay the health care bill.

The data from 2000 to 2010 shows an amount of $7.4 million spent on health care of about 2,712 refugees above the age of 65 years.

The price tag of $160,000 is attached to the health care services to a senior newly admitted to Canada as permanent resident who lives to age of 85.

Recently Canadian government has also announced to reduce some health care services to the refugee claimants in Canada.

Canadian government is apparently moving towards a health care system that will require the sponsoring children to pay a premium to defray costs of the health care services for their sponsored parents or grandparents.

Some wealthy Canadian citizens or permanent residents may be able and willing to pay the premium to offset the costs incurred, however, a good number will be deprived of the opportunity to get reunited with their family members in Canada.

Tags: Canada, Canada Health Care cost, Canada immigration, Canadian Immigration, CIC, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Family reunion, Family Sponsorship, Immigration, Super Visa