International youth workers may lose Alberta health care coverage
By Lizette Tanner, March 3 2026—
As of Jan 7, Alberta Health coverage was not available for young international workers on International Experience Canada (IEC) Type 58 work permits. The IEC is a youth mobility program through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). It allows people aged 18 to 35 from countries with an IEC agreement to work in Canada for up to two years.
The government of Alberta did not formally announce this change and according to some workers under the IEC, this change came as a surprise. Eligibility criteria to obtain Alberta Health coverage includes establishing residency in Alberta and having an acceptable Canada entry document issued by IRCC. The Alberta Health website states that IRCC permits do not automatically qualify the person for health care coverage in Alberta.
On Feb. 9, the Alberta Health Care Insurance Program (AHCIP) confirmed that people under the IEC type 58 work permit were no longer eligible for health insurance as of Jan. 7 because under the IEC program, people are expected to have health insurance. AHCIP stated that those who already have an Alberta health care number will continue to be covered but any new or renewal applications for Alberta health care will be denied for IEC participants. In contrast, IEC workers in British Columbia are eligible for BC health care coverage.
The private health insurance that is purchased by IEC participants is typically travel health insurance, which covers only medical emergencies. If these youth workers intend to stay in Alberta for up to two years, they will also have primary health care needs such as preventative care, screening and renewal of prescriptions. Moreover, if they have chronic diseases, ongoing care of their chronic conditions may not be covered through private health insurance.
Dr. Fiona Clement, a professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary, provided insights into this policy change in an interview with the Gauntlet.
“It’s also putting an additional cost back on the foreign workers, so another hurdle to them coming to Canada and fulfilling these really important roles in our industry,” Clement stated.
Before this policy change, Clement noted that there was comfort for both the worker and the employer that there was coverage for emergencies and for management of chronic diseases.
“Canada is not the only place that has a foreign worker program…if you want to use the language of competing globally for these young people to come…health insurance is something you can add into the mix,” she said.
Businesses and organizations like the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership (BVIP) raised concerns about this change, particularly in tourist areas where IEC workers are essential for maintaining adequate staffing numbers during peak seasons. Given these ongoing business concerns, Alberta’s Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services reported to CBC that this policy change was a “premature decision” and paused the change.
On Feb. 11, BVIP confirmed with AHCIP that the government of Alberta reversed their decision and now, IEC workers are eligible for Alberta health care coverage again. This issue may continue to evolve.