Canada increases length of stay for Parents and Grandparents Super Visa to 5 years.


The Super Visa is a temporary visa that is an attractive option for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who wish to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada. A super visa is a multiple-entry visit visa valid for up to 10 years.

Today, July 4, important reforms to Super visa come into effect. These changes include the following:

·        Super visa holders can extend their stay to five years per entry to Canada.

·        Those with a current supervisor also have the option to extend their stay in Canada for two years. This means current super visa holders can now stay in Canada for up to seven consecutive years.

·        The Minister of Immigration of Canada will have the power to designate international health insurance companies to insure Super visa applicants in the future.

The old Super visa only allowed its holder to stay in Canada for up to two years per entry. Additionally, only Canadian insurance providers can provide the medical coverage required for super visa applications.

The current reforms allow parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for five years at a time without having to renew their visas. It also allows applicants to obtain health insurance in countries other than Canada.

The Super Visa is an alternative to the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP), which allows its applicants to reside permanently. The PGP is very popular, but the demand for sponsors exceeds the number of places available. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) receive approximately 200,000 potential sponsor forms each year, although only 35,000 applications are available. In addition, IRCC held a lottery to decide who could apply for the PGP, which critics say is unfair because applicants who are new to the pool may get priority over those who wait longer.

The super visa does not require a lottery, providing more protection for families. Also, it takes less time to gain supervision compared to PGP. Super visa processing can take months, while PGP processing can take years. Finally, the super visa provides parents and grandparents with more time in Canada and does not require an extension when re-entering Canada until the validity period expires.

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