News Release – Up, up and away: Parent and Grandparent Super Visa takes flight today

Ottawa, December 1, 2011 — The first applications for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will be accepted today, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced.

The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa is one element of Phase I of the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification, announced in November. The Super Visa will allow applicants to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without having to renew their status.

To be eligible, the applicant must:

• Be a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
• Provide a written commitment of financial support from their child or grandchild in Canada, including proof that the child or grandchild meets the minimum necessary income (Low Income Cut-Off);
• Undergo the Immigration Medical Examination;
• Submit proof that they have purchased comprehensive Canadian medical insurance, valid for at least one year; and
• Satisfy the visa officer that they meet all other standard admissibility criteria.

Current processing times through the Family Class indicate that many parents and grandparents could wait for eight years or more to be accepted to Canada. With the Super Visa, they could be enjoying the company of their family in about eight weeks.

Applying for a Parent and Grandparent Super Visa

Requirements

• An application for a Parent and Grandparent Super Visa is made using the Application for a Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form.
• In addition to the information required for completing the IMM 5257, the applicant must also provide proof of the parent or grandparent relationship to the Canadian citizen or permanent resident and a signed letter from their child or grandchild pledging financial support to the parent or grandparent for the duration of their visit to Canada.
• Evidence of the family’s ability to provide that financial support must be submitted with the application. The ability to support visiting parents or grandparents is based on a minimum necessary income (known as the low income cut-off, or LICO). The chart below is also used to determine an individual’s ability to sponsor family members through the Family Class. The minimum necessary income is updated each year on January 1.

• Applicants must also submit proof that they have purchased Canadian medical insurance that:
  • is valid for a minimum period of one year from the date of entry to Canada;
  • provides a minimum of $100,000 in coverage; and
  • covers the applicant for health care, hospitalization and repatriation.
• Applicants must also meet all standard admissibility criteria. There are a number of reasons why you can be found inadmissible, denied a visa and refused entry to Canada.
• For the visa officer to determine whether the applicant is medically admissible to Canada, the applicant will also be required to undergo an Immigration Medical Examination (IME) prior to being issued a Super Visa.

For parents and grandparents already visiting Canada

• Parents and grandparents who are currently in Canada may apply for an extension of their status for up to two years by submitting an Application to Change Conditions, Extend Stay or Remain in Canada (IMM 1249) to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta, as long as they meet all the criteria. These applications will be examined on a case-by-case basis.

For parents and grandparents from visa-exempt countries

• Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents from a country whose citizens are not required to have a visa to enter Canada are also eligible to enjoy the Super Visa’s authorized stay of two years. They may apply at a Canadian visa office (no fee required) and demonstrate that they meet all the requirements for the Super Visa.
• Applicants who meet all the criteria will be issued a letter by the visa office which they will present to a Canada Border Services Agency officer at the port of entry upon their arrival in Canada. The officer may authorize a visit to Canada for up to two years.

Frequently Asked Questions: Parent and Grandparent Super Visa

What makes the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa different from what is available now as a visitor visa? 

Currently, visitors to Canada usually may only visit for six months at a time. Most visitors who wish to stay longer must apply for an extension, and pay a new fee, every six months. With the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, eligible parents and grandparents will pay fewer fees and have some certainty that they will be able to enjoy the company of their families in Canada for a longer period of time.

CIC will be able to issue the visas, on average, within eight weeks of the application. This means that instead of waiting for eight years, a parent or a grandparent can come to Canada within eight weeks.

Is the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa a multi-entry visa? What's the difference between the Super Visa and the 10-year multiple entry visa? 

Yes, the Super Visa is a multi-entry visa that will provide multiple entries for a period up to ten years. The key difference is that the Super Visa will have status periods for each entry that last up to two years, while the 10-year multiple entry visa status period for each entry is six months.

The Super Visa is also available as a single-entry visa, if that is the applicant’s preference.

If parents and grandparents are already in Canada and their visa will be expiring soon, what should they do? Will they be eligible to renew their status from in Canada? 

The visa itself is valid for up to 10 years and allows holders to remain in Canada for up to two years at a time. Renewals must be done from outside Canada at a visa office. However, parents and grandparents who hold a valid visa can apply for an extension of their status for up to two years by submitting an application to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta, as long as they meet all the criteria. These applications will be examined on a case by case basis.

Who is eligible for a Parent and Grandparent Super Visa? What do they need to do to qualify for it? 

Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have been found admissible to Canada and meet some other conditions are eligible for the Super Visa.

Visa officers consider several factors before deciding if the person is admissible.  This means they are a genuine visitor to Canada who will leave by choice at the end of their visit. Among the things that could be considered are:

• the person’s ties to the home country,
• the purpose of the visit,
• the person’s family and financial situation,
• the overall economic and political stability of the home country, and
• invitations from Canadian hosts.

In addition to being found admissible to Canada, the parent/grandparent must also:

• provide a written commitment of financial support from their child or grandchild in Canada who meets a minimum income threshold,
• prove that they have bought Canadian medical insurance for at least one year to cover the period of time that they will be in Canada, and
• complete an Immigration Medical Examination (IME).

I am eligible, as a parent of a Canadian citizen, for the Super Visa, but I also have a dependant living with me in my home country. Is my dependant also eligible for the Super Visa? 

No. Dependants of parents and grandparents are not eligible for the Super Visa. They remain eligible to apply for regular visitor visas, though.

What happens if I am from the United States, France, the United Kingdom or another country whose citizens are not required to have a visa to enter Canada? Am I still eligible for a Parent and Grandparent Super Visa? What do I need to do to enjoy the Super Visa’s two-year authorized stay in Canada? 

Yes, if you are from a country whose citizens are not required to have a visa to enter Canada, you are eligible for a Parent and Grandparent Super Visa. Simply:

• Apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (no fee required) at a Canadian visa office;
• Undergo a medical examination; and
• Provide the supporting documents required, including proof of your relationship to a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident and proof of their financial support during your stay in Canada.

You will also need proof that you have purchased Canadian medical insurance.

If you have met all the criteria, you will be issued a letter which you will present to a Canada Border Services Agency officer at the port of entry when you arrive in Canada. The officer may authorize your visit to Canada for up to two years.

What happens if a parent or grandparent (PGP) with a sponsorship application already submitted decides that they would prefer to visit Canada for up to 2 years instead of immigrating? Can they cancel their FC4 application and apply for a Super Visa instead? Will they be refunded the fees paid? 

PGP sponsorship applications can be withdrawn at any time. Whether a full or partial refund will be given is determined by the stage at which the application is at in the queue. If processing has started, only a portion of your payment may be refunded. If, however, processing has not started on your application, a full refund will be given. Please allow up to 16 weeks for the delivery of your refund.

Source: www.cic.gc.ca