Health Insurance for International Students

Temporary medical insurance for international students is delivered by guard.me, which provides emergency medical insurance coverage and covers the required medical services to address new and unexpected illnesses or injuries.

Students will also be enrolled with the Extended Health and Dental plan through JIBC’s Student Union. The plan provides access to thousands of dollars in coverage for less than $22 per month, making it among the least expensive extended medical coverage in the country. Go to Health & Dental Plan for more information.

The Health Insurance for International Students booklet will help you understand the three different medical insurance students will have access to.

Coverage
Full details on benefits, exclusions, and limitations are found in your guard.me policy. A policy summary is also available.

Enrolment
All full-time international students are automatically enrolled in the temporary medical insurance plan upon registration at JIBC. Once enrolled, you will receive an ID Card and policy information by email from the Office of International Affairs Program Administrator. Coverage begins on the first day of the month before the start date of a semester. 

We strongly recommend that family members residing with you in Canada also have comprehensive temporary medical insurance coverage that can be purchased at an additional cost through guard.me.

Please note that international students enrolled in part-time, online, or continuous intakes are not automatically enrolled in JIBC's temporary medical insurance plan.

Payment
Students will be charged a fee based on which semester they start, as noted in the OPT-OUT section below.  This fee will be added to your JIBC student account upon registration.

Instructions for how to pay tuition and student fees are available on the Registration page. You can make a payment in person or through wire transfer through the Registration Office.

Add A Dependent
Additional coverage for dependents is available to international students after they have been enrolled in the JIBC plan and have received their ID Card and policy information from guard.me.

Visit the guard.me Add a Dependent page, and follow the instructions to purchase emergency medical insurance coverage for family members who will accompany you to Canada.

Arriving Early
Students arriving in Canada before the start date of their program are required to contact guard.me to have their insurance extended. Failure to do so will result in any expenses incurred in the event of a medical emergency to be the sole responsibility of the student.  

To extend the policy, the certificate or policy number and date of birth are required.  If this information hasn’t been provided or there are further questions, please contact the Office of International Affairs for assistance.

Due to federal and provincial COVID-19 international travel advisories and restrictions, and the requirement to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival to Canada, an extra two weeks of insurance at $1.65/day will automatically be added to the regular semester rate.

If arriving earlier than the 15th day of the previous month, prior to the course start date, it is mandatory that the student contact guard.me to have their insurance extended further. 

If you already have valid BC MSP coverage, you may opt out of the guard.me health insurance plan.

You will be asked to declare that you are enrolled with BC MSP and to identify the start date and end date of your coverage. The deadline to demonstrate valid BC MSP coverage and complete this opt-out process is listed below. No opt-out requests will be processed beyond this date.

Your application to opt-out will be declined if the period of coverage of your BC MSP ends before the end of your first semester at JIBC.

If payment has been made and your application to opt-out is received before the deadline and is submitted successfully, you will receive a credit to your JIBC student account.
 

Opt-Out Deadlines/Fees
 

It is important that you pay ALL your JIBC fees, even if you want to opt-out, before the fee payment deadline to avoid being charged late fees. You will be charged late penalty fees, if you do not pay on time. Please visit the fee payment deadline page for more information about late penalty fees.

The waiting period to receive BC MSP coverage is up to three months. 

British Columbia Medical Services Plan (BC MSP) Coverage
For international students who are planning to stay in the province of British Columbia for more than six months, it is mandatory that you enroll in the BC MSP. You must apply within the first ten days of your arrival in BC. The waiting period to receive this coverage is up to three months. As soon as you receive proof of your coverage under BC MSP, please opt-out of the JIBC temporary medical insurance plan. For more information on how to apply online, please visit the BC MSP website. You will receive your BC Service Card and a confirmation of coverage letter in the mail with a bill for payment of the BC MSP monthly fees.

Important: Your BC MSP coverage expires the same day your Study Permit expires. So, it is extremely important that you update your status in Canada with BC MSP after you renew your Study Permit. You can update your status with BC MSP online.  The British Columbia Services Plan (BC MSP) is a provincial government program.  Application and payment of monthly fees are separate from any JIBC fees.

All incoming exchange students will be required to enroll with guard.me.

Students staying for more than six months
For visiting and exchange students who are planning to stay in the Province of British Columbia for more than six months, it is mandatory that you enroll in the British Columbia Medical Services Plan (BC MSP). You must apply within the first ten days of your arrival in BC. For more information on how to apply online, please visit the BC MSP website.

Students staying for one semester
Students staying for one semester will be enrolled in the temporary medical insurance plan and will receive all the benefits listed.  They do not need to apply for or show proof of coverage through BC MSP as the duration of stay is not long enough to be eligible for BC MSP. Students should simply review their coverage under the JIBC temporary medical insurance plan.

Outgoing Students (Exchange/Field Schools/Other)
All outgoing students are required to have insurance coverage for the duration of their time abroad. If you do not have international travel insurance coverage, you can purchase insurance through the JIBC Insurance Plan through guard.me or other insurance providers.