Immigration okayed if gay couple can pay their own drug bills.

An American couple has won a federal court case that could change the way Canada treats would-be immigrants who are HIV-positive.

Justice Sean Harrington’s December 31 decision could be appealed before the end of January, but if it stands, it will make it easier for applicants who can afford to cover their own prescription costs to immigrate.

Canada does not have a blanket ban on HIV-positive immigrants, but most applicants are rejected by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) on the grounds that they would impose “excessive demand” on health or social services. This is an issue for people with any number of health conditions, but it is a major concern for applicants with HIV.

The case in question concerns Ricardo Companioni, an American programmer who was initially approved to immigrate as a skilled worker. He and his partner are both HIV-positive, and while they are expected to remain healthy for at least the next 10 years, the period that CIC considers, their drugs cost a combined $33,500 every year.

Read more at www.xtra.ca