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IP status for 2 Alberta Universities


The Magic

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Hello there,

Just would like to confirm if someone be considered as IP candidate for UofA and UofC Med schools if complete 4 years B.Sc. undergrad in UofA?

I am currently a Can citizen and BC resident - grade 12 student. Just confirmed my admission to UofA and planning to move and leave in UofA residence. Parents stay in BC.

Thanks!

 

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Hello, 

If you go to the UofC applicant manual on page 9 it highlights exactly what they consider to be in province students. You are only considered in province for UofC if you stayed in Alberta for study or employment during the summer months between winter and fall semesters. I am not sure about UofA's qualifications though. 

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56 minutes ago, kwrgvnq said:

Hello, 

If you go to the UofC applicant manual on page 9 it highlights exactly what they consider to be in province students. You are only considered in province for UofC if you stayed in Alberta for study or employment during the summer months between winter and fall semesters. I am not sure about UofA's qualifications though. 

Thanks for your answer. Here is what I was able to find :

UofA Residency Status webpage:

The MD Program uses residency to determine which pool an applicant is ranked within. As the admissions process is quite competitive and we reserve 85% of our positions for residents of Alberta, applicants may be required to present proof of residency.

A resident of Alberta is defined as a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident (Landed Immigrant) who has been continuously resident in the Province of Alberta, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut for at least one year immediately before the first day of classes of the term for which admission is sought. The one-year residence period shall not be considered broken where the admission committee is satisfied that the applicant was temporarily out of the province on vacation, in short-term employment, or as a full-time student. Applicants on study permit cannot establish residence during a period as a full-time student in an Alberta secondary or postsecondary institution because a stay under study permit is considered to be a visiting period.

So the goal is to stay 12 consecutive months in AB prior to the first day of MS classes. I will more likely loose my BC residency status then while staying and studying in Alberta for 4 or more years ... ? 

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5 hours ago, The Magic said:

Thanks for your answer. Here is what I was able to find :

UofA Residency Status webpage:

The MD Program uses residency to determine which pool an applicant is ranked within. As the admissions process is quite competitive and we reserve 85% of our positions for residents of Alberta, applicants may be required to present proof of residency.

A resident of Alberta is defined as a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident (Landed Immigrant) who has been continuously resident in the Province of Alberta, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut for at least one year immediately before the first day of classes of the term for which admission is sought. The one-year residence period shall not be considered broken where the admission committee is satisfied that the applicant was temporarily out of the province on vacation, in short-term employment, or as a full-time student. Applicants on study permit cannot establish residence during a period as a full-time student in an Alberta secondary or postsecondary institution because a stay under study permit is considered to be a visiting period.

So the goal is to stay 12 consecutive months in AB prior to the first day of MS classes. I will more likely loose my BC residency status then while staying and studying in Alberta for 4 or more years ... ? 

You can technically only be a resident of one province at a time in the eyes of the government. There is some flexibility for attending school though. So if you want to maintain your BC residence while going to school in Alberta, you can do that, and BC will consider you “temporarily” out of the province while you’re attending school full-time I.e. you can keep your BC health care (which is what UBC uses to determine residency status) the entire time you’re gone.

But then it sounds like you won’t meet meet the UofA requirements. I suspect that if you want to be considered an Alberta resident for the UofA you’ll need to actually change your legal address to Alberta for that year, in which case you’d automatically lose your BC residency. But I am not sure what the UofA requires to ‘prove’ residency, and if they’re more lenient than UBC. Someone in the UofA forum may be able to tell you that. 

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2 hours ago, frenchpress said:

You can technically only be a resident of one province at a time in the eyes of the government. There is some flexibility for attending school though. So if you want to maintain your BC residence while going to school in Alberta, you can do that, and BC will consider you “temporarily” out of the province while you’re attending school full-time I.e. you can keep your BC health care (which is what UBC uses to determine residency status) the entire time you’re gone.

But then it sounds like you won’t meet meet the UofA requirements. I suspect that if you want to be considered an Alberta resident for the UofA you’ll need to actually change your legal address to Alberta for that year, in which case you’d automatically lose your BC residency. But I am not sure what the UofA requires to ‘prove’ residency, and if they’re more lenient than UBC. Someone in the UofA forum may be able to tell you that. 

Thanks for your response... I am pretty sure 4 years full time undergrad in UofA with on campus leaving is a guaranteed IP status for AB.

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7 hours ago, The Magic said:

Thanks for your response... I am pretty sure 4 years full time undergrad in UofA with on campus leaving is a guaranteed IP status for AB.

Oh, it definitely is. But your question seemed to be whether you could also keep your BC residency at the same time. 

I was just suggesting that if you decide to keep your BC health care and residency, etc, while attending school in Alberta, that you may want to double check with UofA and UofC that they’d still be willing to consider you a resident. 

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No, I'll loose it.

UBC Med webpage:

B.C. Residency Definitions

Preference is given to residents of British Columbia; however, a small number of out-of-province applicants are accepted each year.

For MD Undergraduate Admissions purposes, applicants are considered BC residents if they hold a currently valid BC Services Card by the application deadline.*

By the application deadline, applicants must submit a scanned copy or photocopy of their BC Services Card.  This card must be valid throughout the entire application cycle and will be checked at the time of interview and when offers are made.  The Admissions Office reserves the right to contact applicants for further information or documentation, if required, to clarify BC residency status.

BC Gov Web Site:

A person must be a B.C. resident to qualify for medical coverage under MSP. A resident is a person who meets all of the following conditions:

  • must be a citizen of Canada or be lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence;
  • must make his or her home in B.C.; and
  • must be physically present in B.C. at least six months in a calendar year, or a shorter prescribed period.*

* Eligible B.C. residents (citizens of Canada or persons who are lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence) who are outside B.C. for vacation purposes only, are allowed a total absence of up to seven months in a calendar year.

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32 minutes ago, The Magic said:

No, I'll loose it.

UBC Med webpage:

B.C. Residency Definitions

Preference is given to residents of British Columbia; however, a small number of out-of-province applicants are accepted each year.

For MD Undergraduate Admissions purposes, applicants are considered BC residents if they hold a currently valid BC Services Card by the application deadline.*

By the application deadline, applicants must submit a scanned copy or photocopy of their BC Services Card.  This card must be valid throughout the entire application cycle and will be checked at the time of interview and when offers are made.  The Admissions Office reserves the right to contact applicants for further information or documentation, if required, to clarify BC residency status.

BC Gov Web Site:

A person must be a B.C. resident to qualify for medical coverage under MSP. A resident is a person who meets all of the following conditions:

  • must be a citizen of Canada or be lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence;
  • must make his or her home in B.C.; and
  • must be physically present in B.C. at least six months in a calendar year, or a shorter prescribed period.*

* Eligible B.C. residents (citizens of Canada or persons who are lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence) who are outside B.C. for vacation purposes only, are allowed a total absence of up to seven months in a calendar year.

That is what it says, but would you actually lose it? I'm not from either province but i didn't lose my health card just because I studied out of province.. My point I guess is, do you lose your card the second you leave BC for more than 6 months or do they only care about these things when you renew your card? I can't imagine if someone was a BC resident all their life, they go to schools in the states, come back to spend time with family over the summer, get ill and find themselves without medical coverage? If that truly was the case that story would probably go straight to the CBC. 

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2 hours ago, Edict said:

That is what it says, but would you actually lose it? I'm not from either province but i didn't lose my health card just because I studied out of province.. My point I guess is, do you lose your card the second you leave BC for more than 6 months or do they only care about these things when you renew your card? I can't imagine if someone was a BC resident all their life, they go to schools in the states, come back to spend time with family over the summer, get ill and find themselves without medical coverage? If that truly was the case that story would probably go straight to the CBC. 

Agree. Here it is. So does it mean if I leave BC to go AB and study there for B.Sc for 4 years I will be considered as IP candidate for both provinces when applying to UBC, UofA and UofC med schools?

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/managing-your-msp-account/leaving-bc-temporarily

Studying Outside British Columbia

Residents of B.C. who leave the province temporarily to attend a recognized educational facility may retain eligibility for coverage for the period of their studies. To qualify the individual must:

  • be a Canadian citizen or a person lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence,
  • make his or her home in British Columbia,
  • be physically present in Canada for six of the 12 months immediately preceding departure, and
  • be in full-time attendance at an educational facility recognized by the Medical Services Commission.

Upon completion of studies, students are required to return to B.C. by the last day of the month following the month in which their studies are completed. Students who do not return within this timeframe are required to fulfill a wait period upon their return.

Students need to ensure that they contact Health Insurance BC prior to their departure and upon their return to B.C. to confirm eligibility. Students who do not plan to return to B.C. within the required timeframe, or who decide to establish residence outside of B.C. need to contact Health Insurance BC.

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52 minutes ago, The Magic said:

Agree. Here it is. So does it mean if I leave BC to go AB and study there for B.Sc for 4 years I will be considered as IP candidate for both provinces when applying to UBC, UofA and UofC med schools?

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/managing-your-msp-account/leaving-bc-temporarily

Studying Outside British Columbia

Residents of B.C. who leave the province temporarily to attend a recognized educational facility may retain eligibility for coverage for the period of their studies. To qualify the individual must:

  • be a Canadian citizen or a person lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence,
  • make his or her home in British Columbia,
  • be physically present in Canada for six of the 12 months immediately preceding departure, and
  • be in full-time attendance at an educational facility recognized by the Medical Services Commission.

Upon completion of studies, students are required to return to B.C. by the last day of the month following the month in which their studies are completed. Students who do not return within this timeframe are required to fulfill a wait period upon their return.

Students need to ensure that they contact Health Insurance BC prior to their departure and upon their return to B.C. to confirm eligibility. Students who do not plan to return to B.C. within the required timeframe, or who decide to establish residence outside of B.C. need to contact Health Insurance BC.

It sounds like you will be IP for both. 

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6 hours ago, The Magic said:

Agree. Here it is. So does it mean if I leave BC to go AB and study there for B.Sc for 4 years I will be considered as IP candidate for both provinces when applying to UBC, UofA and UofC med schools?

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/managing-your-msp-account/leaving-bc-temporarily

Studying Outside British Columbia

Residents of B.C. who leave the province temporarily to attend a recognized educational facility may retain eligibility for coverage for the period of their studies. To qualify the individual must:

  • be a Canadian citizen or a person lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence,
  • make his or her home in British Columbia,
  • be physically present in Canada for six of the 12 months immediately preceding departure, and
  • be in full-time attendance at an educational facility recognized by the Medical Services Commission.

Upon completion of studies, students are required to return to B.C. by the last day of the month following the month in which their studies are completed. Students who do not return within this timeframe are required to fulfill a wait period upon their return.

Students need to ensure that they contact Health Insurance BC prior to their departure and upon their return to B.C. to confirm eligibility. Students who do not plan to return to B.C. within the required timeframe, or who decide to establish residence outside of B.C. need to contact Health Insurance BC.

This is the distinction that I was trying to explain earlier.

If you want to remain a BC resident while studying in another province full-time, you can do that (although you don’t have to, and you can just change your official address and health care and become Albertan basically anytime you want while in school.) The caveat about returning to BC within a month in order to maintain your health care coverage is important. To be elligible for IP at UBC you must have a valid BC services card (I.e. have bc healthcare) — that’s the only thing they’ll use to determine residency, and they’re super strict about it.

Just based on the written description for the UofA it certainly sounds like as long as you were in Alberta for the year prior you would also meet the UofA residency requirements. BUT this really depends on what the UofA means when they say you must “reside” in the province. Note the part in their description about “visitors” on study permits not being able to establish residency. Similarly, its possible that the UofA may not actually consider you as residing in Alberta if you decide to keep your status as a BC resident — it’s possible that they might actually consider you a visiting student from another province.

So while it sort of sounds like you could be IP for both, I am not totally sure it would work out that way. I caution this just because I have been screwed by provincial residency rules for other things in the past!

Because for basically anything governmental (taxes, health care, etc) you can only be a resident of one province at a time. And I would be sort of surprised if it wasn’t the same for medical school applications.   That’s why I suggest you actually check with the UofA admissions directly to find out how they’d interpret it and what documentation you’d need to prove to them that you’re an Alberta resident. Or ask in the UofA forum if anyone has pulled off something similar. 

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