The Super Visa May Get Your Parents’ and Grandparents into Canada
How The Super Visa Can Help Bring Your Parents and Grandparents To Canada
Like many foreign-born Canadians or Permanent Residents, you may have parents or grandparents still living in your home country. You want them to meet their grandkids or your spouse. Or you may want to share your new home or proudly introduce them to your adopted country.
Perhaps you want to sponsor them to become Permanent Residents, but year after year you learn the Parent and Grandparents Program (PGP) remains closed.
It is 2023, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have not announced the process for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).
Since 2020 IRCC has been sending Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to applicants who originally expressed interest to sponsor their parents or grandparents through this program between October and November of 2020. IRCC has indicated that more than 150,000 interested PGP sponsors remain from the group that submitted an expression of interest. It seems IRCC may continue to draw from this candidate pool in 2023.
So, what are the available options for you as Canadian and Permanent Residents to bring your parent and grandparents? They have one option. The SUPER VISA.
What Is A Super Visa?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) allows Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents with qualifying parents and grandparents to sponsor them or visit for an extended period of up to 5 years. This is a special application process.
Super Visa provides Canadians and Permanent Residents with an alternative to the PGP and Regular Visa. It includes the following benefits:
1) Unlike the regular visa which allows the foreign national to be in Canada for up to six months, the Super Visa Program allows your parents and grandparents to secure a visa to visit you for up to five years.
2) Unlike the PGP, which is open for roughly two weeks per year, the Super Visa program is available year-round.
3) The Super Visa Program allows for different Visa extension opportunities that may enable parents and grandparents to remain in Canada for up to seven years and grants multi-entry to Canada for up to 10 years.
4) The Super Visa program enables parents and grandparents to travel freely between Canada and their home country of residence. This means if the individual’s home country requires a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) for entry to Canada, they would not need to worry about re-applying for a TRV in this case.
How Can Your Parents And Grandparents Secure A Super Visa?
To secure a Super Visa, your parents or grandparents must:
- Have a signed letter from you inviting them to Canada. This letter should include:
- A promise of financial support for the length of their visit
- The list and number of people in your household
- A copy of your Canadian citizenship or permanent resident document
- Your parents or grandparent must provide proof of private medical insurance from a Canadian insurance company.
- This medical insurance needs to
- Be paid in full, or in installments with a deposit (quotes aren’t accepted)
- Be valid for at least 1 year from the date they enter Canada
- Cover health care, hospitalization, and repatriation
- Provide at least $100,000 in emergency coverage
- This medical insurance needs to
- Prove you have the financial capacity to support your parents and grandparents. This means you must document your household meets the Minimum Necessary Income
What Is The “Minimum Necessary Income?”
The “Minimum Necessary Income” varies depending on the size of the family unit. It is important to note that you must meet the “Minimum Necessary Income.”
The “Minimum Necessary Income” is based on the Low-Income Cut-offs (LICO). In other words, to determine if you meet the “Minimum Necessary Income,” you must calculate the minimum LICO income corresponding to the size of your family unit.
You can also have your spouse or common-law partner as a co-signer to help meet the income requirement.
Kahane Law Offices Can Make A Difference.
If you want to help your parents or grandparents secure a Super Visa, make sure they are eligible and you meet the Minimum Necessary Income, please call 403-225-8810 or 1-877-225-8817. You can also email us here! Kahane Law Offices has the experience to give you the advice needed to successfully bring your parents and grandparents to Canada.
The content of this article is for general purposes. It does not constitute specific legal or professional advice of any kind.