Are internationally adopted children exempt from the 3-month waiting period?
Effective April 1, 2009, changes to Regulation 552 of the Health Insurance Act became effective and these apply to internationally adopted children and impact both their eligibility for OHIP coverage and their eligibility for an exemption to the 3-month waiting period. To be exempt from the 3-month waiting period, children who have been adopted outside Canada by a Canadian citizen must have received confirmation from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that the child meets the eligibility requirements to apply for citizenship. Provided this confirmation is received from CIC prior to the date the adoption is finalized, the child will be eligible for an exemption to the 3-month waiting period as of the date of the adoption. If the confirmation from CIC is received after the date of adoption, the child will be eligible for OHIP coverage as of the date CIC confirms that the child meets the eligibility requirements to apply for citizenship but will be subject to a 3-month waiting perio
