Another OHIP question - Will I be able to get it back if I ever move back?

[keysjangle 145]

So I officially POE'd June 2012. This is the date that I basically gave up my OHIP coverage. I have a CR-1 marriage visa. I'll be filing for ROC in a couple of months. I plan on renewing my Canadian passport as needed, as well as after swearing the oath, and then carrying two passports.

I never notified OHIP that I was leaving the province (let alone the country), but it's my understanding that a lot of us don't... and as I understand it, as long as we don't try and use OHIP after we've abandoned residency, it's all good. I am covered by my husband's insurance in Canada, so I'm not concerned about that.

But what if my marriage becomes a train wreck and ends in divorce? I would want to move back to Ontario regardless of whether I was naturalized or still a green card holder/permanent resident as my husband would be the only thing keeping me attached to the U.S.

(I am very happy in my marriage, so I'm not having future premonitions or anything, I just want to know what I would need to expect.)

• Now, I know that Canada wouldn't see me as a non-Canadian citizen once I swear the oath in the U.S., but would I still have to apply for the return of my rights as a provincial resident (or anything like that) first and then OHIP?
  
• Does my status in the U.S. (whether PR or naturalized) determine how I would get OHIP back if I needed to?
  
• I'm looking at the "Registration for Ontario Health Insurance Coverage", and it asks about citizenship in section B: New or returning residents of Ontario. Would I say American or Canadian? (assuming this is after swearing the oath, getting an American passport, etc.) Form with instructions in PDF: http://www.forms.ssb.gov.on.ca/mbs/ssb/forms/ssbforms.nsf/GetFileAttach/014-0265-82~13/$File/0265-82.pdf
  
• In section C: Citizenship or Immigration Status, would I check "Other" and write, say, "Dual: Canadian/American" ?
  
• How do I find out if I am no longer covered by OHIP? If I ended up re-applying and they told me "You are already covered" or, "You're in ###### now because you never told us you left the country in the first place" ... I would be lost. And confused. And worried.

I really never looked into this stuff and the government websites are absolutely horrendous to navigate, and they don't really cater to the questions of ex-pats. If there is any other relevant information or links you can provide, I would be eternally grateful.

Thank you!

Edited February 11, 2014 by Gervl

[NikLR 13,227]

No you are always a Canadian citizen. Your rights to being a Canadian citizen, unless you voluntarily give them up in writing, are never taken away. You would be entiled to any provincial health care after living there for the required time (normally 3 months.)

The minute you gave up Canadian residency is the minute you were no longer covered by any Canadian health care. It doesn't matter if you informed them or not.

[SF2007 48]

You also must have filed your last tax return with the Canadian Revenue Agency in which you should have declared yourself non resident from the moment of your POE. Being naturalized does not affect your Canadian citizenship unless you resigned your Canadian citizenship with the Canadian government. To Canada, you are Canadian; no matter how long you lived abroad, you can always reestablish residency and claim the privileges attached to it. I believe you also keep the benefits accumulated before you moved (ex. Social Security). But you can't maintain a US PR status and establish residency in Canada. Should you move back before obtaining your US citizenship (and while a PR), you would resign your US PR status. If you were to move back to Canada while holding a US citizenship, you would have to keep filing a yearly US tax return as well as with the Canadian government.

Edit: typo

Edited February 12, 2014 by SF2007