Question 2 and the Approved Line
What a provincial immigration status test for public services could mean for health care, schools and the families settlement counsellors serve
At a Glance
- Question 2 asks whether provincially funded programs, including health care and education, should be limited to citizens, permanent residents, and people with an “Alberta-approved immigration status.”
- It is the most far reaching of the three service questions. Question 3 proposes a wait and Question 4 proposes a fee. Question 2 proposes removing eligibility for anyone the province does not approve.
- The province has not defined who would be approved. It has linked the term to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program and said it will decide which students and workers qualify after the vote.
- Temporary residents today can access provincial health care, K to 12 schooling and some family benefits. They are already excluded from AISH and income support.
- The result is advisory. No one loses coverage or school access on October 20.
Why Question 2 Matters
Question 1 sets a direction for immigration in Alberta, while Question 2 proposes a new eligibility test for core public programs, including a family doctor, classroom, childcare subsidies.
For settlement counsellors and other front-line staff, this is likely to be the question that raises the most client concern.
What Question 2 Says
The official wording (Government of Alberta, 2026; Elections Alberta, 2026) is:
“Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially-funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?”
Three features of the question describe its potential impact. First, it proposes a law, which means any change would require legislation after the vote. Second, it creates three eligible groups, two defined by federal law and one defined by the province. Third, the phrase “such as” alludes to a greater scope of affected programs. Health care, education, and social services are named, but the question does not limit the rule to them.
The province describes the question as asking whether Alberta “should distinguish between the temporary residents it has approved and those it has not,” with those not approved losing eligibility for certain provincial benefits (Government of Alberta, 2026). CBC News characterizes the effect as a tiered system dividing approved and non-approved temporary residents (Ali, 2026). Both descriptions point to the same outcome: the eligibility line would no longer follow federal immigration status alone.
The Case the Province Makes
The province argues that Alberta should be able to distinguish between the temporary residents it has approved and those it has not, and that those it has not approved would no longer be eligible for certain provincial benefits (Government of Alberta, 2026).
It argues the change is affordable in human terms because the Canada Health Act does not require provinces to insure temporary residents, and because people arriving at an emergency department would still receive care. The province has indicated that emergency treatment would not be refused on eligibility grounds, with billing addressed after the visit (Government of Alberta, 2026).
It notes that people without approved status could purchase private health insurance or pay directly, that this is already the case for visitors and for the families of temporary foreign workers in Ontario, and that employers often pay for such coverage (Lakeland Today, 2026).
It estimates the cost of services for temporary residents at more than $1 billion a year (Ali, 2026).
How Question 2 Differs from Questions 3 And 4
The province presents Questions 2 to 4 as alternative ways to limit access to services for temporary residents and notes that voters may vote yes to any of them (Government of Alberta, 2026). The three questions use different tools and reach different services.
| Question | Tool | Services reached | Effect on a temporary resident without approved Alberta status |
| Q2 | Eligibility test | Provincially funded programs, such as health care, education, and other social services. | Not eligible. Would need private insurance or pay directly for health care (Ali, 2026). |
| Q3 | Waiting period | Provincially funded social support programs, such as childcare subsidies and student aid. Not standard health care and education (Government of Alberta, 2026). | A 12-month residency wait before qualifying for social supports. |
| Q4 | Fee or premium | Health care and education, for the individual and their family. | Would pay a “reasonable fee or premium” to use the systems. |
Question 2 is the only one of the three that would remove health care and education eligibility outright. It also connects directly to Question 1. If the province is to prioritize certain immigration pathways, it would need a mechanism to distinguish between categories of temporary residents. The proposed ‘Alberta-approved immigration status’ appears intended to serve that function.
What Temporary Residents Can Access Today
According to the province, temporary residents are currently eligible for health care, K to 12 education, the Alberta Child and Family Benefit and the Alberta Child Care Subsidy, among other smaller programs. They are not eligible for Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) or income support (Ali, 2026).
Health coverage under the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) is limited to people legally entitled to be in Canada who make their permanent home in Alberta and are present at least 183 days in a 12-month period. Refugee claimants are excluded from AHCIP (Lakeland Today, 2026) and receive limited health coverage through the federal Interim Federal Health Program instead (Ali, 2026). Provincial education funding currently extends to children whose parents are citizens, permanent residents, or temporary residents (Lakeland Today, 2026).
This baseline matters for clients because some of what they fear losing is not theirs today, and some of what is theirs today is not at risk under every question. A refugee claimant’s health coverage, for example, is federal and outside the reach of a provincial eligibility law.
Terms Are Undefined and Unclear
In its referendum materials, the province relates “Alberta-approved immigration status” to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), which allows around 6,600 nominations for permanent residence in 2026. The government has said it will define which classes of international students and work permit holders qualify only after the referendum (Ali, 2026).
This sequence means voters are being asked to consider an eligibility framework before the specific eligible categories have been defined. Ethel Tungohan, associate professor of politics at York University and Canada Research Chair in Canadian migration policy, impacts and activism, points to groups the categories do not clearly address, including Ukrainian temporary residents who arrived through federal programs and temporary foreign workers with implied status who are waiting on provincial nominee decisions (Ali, 2026).
Potential Impact by Service Area
The table below summarizes what could change if Question 2 were legislated as described. It is a description of the proposal, not a prediction of the law that would follow.
| Service area | Today | If Question 2 were legislated as described | Open questions |
| Health care | AHCIP coverage for eligible temporary residents after meeting residency requirements. | People without approved status would need private insurance or would pay out of pocket. Emergency care would still be provided (Government of Alberta, 2026). | How billing after emergency care would work; whether the Canada Health Act permits the change. |
| K to 12 education | Provincial funding covers children of temporary residents. | Children without approved family status could lose funded access. The Education Minister’s press secretary said children would not be removed but families may have to pay a fee or the full cost (Lakeland Today, 2026). | Whether federal authorization for minors to attend school limits the change (Canadian Bar Association Alberta, n.d.). |
| Family supports | Alberta Child and Family Benefit and Child Care Subsidy. | Eligibility could end for families without approved status. | Whether current recipients would be transitioned or cut off. |
| Other provincially funded programs | Varies by program. | The words “such as” leave the scope open. | Whether provincially funded settlement, language or community programs would be included. |
Health care
The province states that people without approved status would have to buy private health insurance or pay out of pocket and describes this as already the case for visitors and for the families of temporary foreign workers in Ontario, noting that employers often pay for such coverage (Lakeland Today, 2026). People arriving at emergency departments with urgent needs are not denied care based on eligibility, with any billing addressed after care is provided. Lakeland Today (2026) also obtained Blue Cross quotes for a healthy 31-year-old of $273 to $422 for three months of emergency medical insurance and $1,044 to $1,628 for a year, depending on the level of coverage.
The Ontario comparison is somewhat accurate. Ontario does not insure international students (Ontario Colleges, n.d.). Ontario does, however, extend OHIP eligibility to people on a valid work permit working full time for an Ontario employer for at least six months, and their spouses and dependants may also qualify (Government of Ontario, n.d.).
K to 12 education
Education is where the numbers are most noteworthy. 46,000 students in Alberta schools are temporarily in Canada, up from 12,943 in 2021 to 2022 (CBC News, 2026). Alberta Education estimates spending $600 million on temporary resident students this year (Ali, 2026), and provincial data reported by CBC News showed nearly $545 million spent on K to 12 education for temporary resident children in the school year that had just ended (CBC News, 2026).
Garrett Koehler, senior press secretary to the Minister of Education and Childcare, said that if Question 2 is approved, families with approved status would keep subsidized education, and that children of temporary foreign workers would not be removed from school but their families may have to pay a fee or the full cost in future years. The province’s FAQ states that any amount would be set by the Legislature after the referendum (Lakeland Today, 2026).
Enrolment pressures are already visible before any vote. CBC News reported that school board data showed potentially thousands of study permits held by children and youth expiring by September 30, 2026, the day after Alberta Education takes its funding headcount. The Alberta Teachers’ Association president said he was hearing anecdotes of families being told students may not be eligible to return without new immigration papers, and that teachers fear becoming de facto immigration officials if the proposals pass. The province and five school divisions contacted by CBC News said rules, policy and practices had not changed (CBC News, 2026). School documentation may remain an important issue for affected families this fall, independent of the referendum result.
Family supports and the scope of “such as”
The province estimates that the Child Care Subsidy and the Alberta Child and Family Benefit cost upwards of $100 million a year for temporary residents (Lakeland Today, 2026). These are the supports most likely to affect household budgets quickly. Beyond them, the open-ended wording of Question 2 leaves unanswered whether provincially funded settlement, language and community programs would fall within the new eligibility rule. The ballot does not say.
Considering Eligibility and Implementation
An eligibility test only works if someone checks eligibility. If Question 2 became law, verification would fall to the institutions where people seek service: clinics, hospitals, school boards, and funded agencies. The Alberta Teachers’ Association has already named this concern for schools (CBC News, 2026). Settlement agencies would face it too, both as verifiers for any provincially funded programs they deliver and as the place clients come when a verification goes wrong. The ballot is silent on who would verify, how often and at what cost.
CBC News reports that none of the proposed policies would affect permanent residents or citizens (Ali, 2026). Question 2, however, applies to individuals, and many households are not uniform. A permanent resident may live with a spouse on a work permit. A child may hold a study permit while a parent holds a work permit. In these households, Question 2 could split eligibility within a single family, with one member covered and another not. Counsellors should identify these households early, because they are where the practical effects of an eligibility rule would concentrate.
Where AAISA Stands
AAISA does not tell Albertans how to vote. Our role is to make sure the people who serve newcomers understand what Question 2 would and would not do. Of the five immigration questions, this is the one that would most directly change who can walk into a clinic or a classroom and be served. We will continue to share verified information as the definition of approved status, and any legislation, takes shape.
Lastly, discussions about immigration, belonging, and future uncertainty can be challenging. If you or someone you know is feeling overwhelmed, 211 Alberta can connect you with local mental health, counselling, crisis, and community supports. Settlement workers, volunteers, community leaders, and newcomers may all experience stress during periods of uncertainty. Reaching out for support is a normal and healthy response.
For any further inquiries, please reach out to research@aaisa.ca.
REFERENCES
Ali, R. (2026, September 16). What you need to know about Alberta referendum questions 2, 3 and 4 on immigration. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-referendum-2026-immigration-questions-9.7149381
Angus Reid Institute. (2026, April 10). The other Alberta referendums: Majority support restricting temporary residents’ access to social services. https://angusreid.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026.04.10_AB_referendum.pdf
Canadian Bar Association Alberta. (n.d.). CBA Alberta referendum analysis. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://www.cbaalberta-referendum-analysis.com/
CBC News. (2026, June 30). Hundreds of undocumented Alberta students at risk of losing free access to school. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-students-immigration-rules-temporary-residence-education-act-policy-9.7253391
Elections Alberta. (2026). Referendum. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://www.elections.ab.ca/elections/referendum/
EY Law LLP. (2026, April 28). Canada: Alberta government provides additional information on referendum scheduled for 19 October 2026. https://globaltaxnews.ey.com/news/2026-0950-canada-alberta-government-provides-additional-information-on-referendum-scheduled-for-19-october-2026
Government of Alberta. (2026). Immigration questions. Alberta Referendum 2026. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://albertareferendum2026.ca/immigration-questions/
Government of Ontario. (n.d.). Apply for OHIP and get a health card. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-ohip-and-get-health-card
Lakeland Today. (2026). ALBERTA DECIDES: Alberta referendum questions on immigration spark concern for migrant advocates. https://www.lakelandtoday.ca/local-news/alberta-decides-alberta-referendum-questions-on-immigration-spark-concern-for-migrant-advocates-12571757
Muttart Foundation. (2026). The Alberta referendum immigration questions. https://www.muttart.org/?p=1886
Ontario Colleges. (n.d.). Moving to Canada. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en/international-applicants/moving-to-canada