Important update: Starting in 2022, the GSS is moving to fixed opt-in/out deadlines.
The deadline for Health and Dental Opt-ins/Outs will be:
September start students: September 22.
January start students: January 22.
You are automatically assessed as a member of the GSS Extended Health and Dental Insurance Plan if you register in:
- 3.0 or more units in September or January (including thesis or dissertation)
- a graduate co-op program
As a member of the GSS Extended Health and Dental Insurance plan fees will automatically be added to your tuition account.
If you are residing outside of Canada, you are eligible to opt out of the GSS Health and Dental plan. This includes students who will not be able to establish Canadian residency, return to Canada, or will not arrive in Canada for their graduate studies for 2023/2024 academic year.
Download the GSS Health and Dental Opt-out form. On the Opt-out form include the following:
A statement under Notes that you do not have an active BC MSP or other Canadian provincial/territory basic medical services plan. Example: “I confirm that I am not eligible for BC MSP and will not be residing in Canada for my UVic graduate studies.”
2. Attached digital document that has your name AND non-Canadian mailing address, and recent date. Examples: Registered mail, rental agreement, utility bill etc
(Note: A driver’s license cannot be used as documentation as residency outside of Canada)
For students that were assessed with the Mandatory Temporary Medical Insurance (MTMI) on their Tuition Account, please contact the International Centre for Students (ICS) for more information about how to opt-out due to non-resident situation at icsinfo@uvic.ca.
All opt-outs can take 7-10 business days to be processed and be reflected on your Tuition Account. All graduate students are responsible for continually monitoring and maintaining their own registration, tuition account, and financial records.
If you arrive in Canada mid-way through the academic year (after September) you will be eligible to opt back into the GSS extended Health and Dental Plan.
For students that arrive after September, you must contact the Health & Dental Coordinator’s office (gsoc@uvic.ca) within 30 days of arriving in Canada to be eligible to opt in. The cost of your extended health and dental insurance will be prorated according to the month you arrived. For example if you arrived in February, you would have to pay the GSS directly for February – August). To add your family onto the insurance plans, it would be an additional cost as they are not graduate students at the University Of Victoria. Please note that opt-ins cannot be processed until you have arrived in Canada.
Graduate students can also submit a completed family opt-in form if they have an eligible change of life situation. Families must be opted in within 30 days of the change. Dated documentation is required. Eligible change of life situations are:
- Marriage or recently reached one (1) year of co-habitation with another person in a common-law partnership
- New birth, adoption, or granted legal guardianship of a child* (but is not a foster child)
- Arrival of dependent(s) in Canada joining the graduate student
- Recently arrived in Canada and obtained primary insurance coverage through Mandatory Medical Insurance (also known as Guard.me) or BC MSP (or equivalent Canadian provincial/territorial coverage). Note: switching from Mandatory Medical Insurance to BC MSP is not considered a change in insurance situation.
- Loss of previous employment extended health and/or dental insurance coverage