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A Super Visa allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to visit Canada for extended periods.
Updated on September 25, 2024
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The Super Visa is for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who want to visit Canada for lengthy periods.
Yes, all Super Visa applicants are required to purchase private medical insurance before landing in Canada. Prior to 2022, insurance providers had to be Canadian in order to be offer eligible coverage for super visa holders.
We recommend working with for your super visa insurance. Not only are they a skilled insurance agency, but they allow you to compare many different insurance providers so you can ensure you’re getting the best policy available! Get started with BestQuote .
Since first being introduced in 2011, the Super Visa has allowed many thousands of international parents and grandparents to come to Canada for extended periods, benefiting families and communities across the country, not just socially, but economically too. For example, by their presence in Canada parents and grandparents of adult children can help with taking care of infants, allowing working-age immigrants and naturalised citizens to take a full part in the Canadian labour force.
The spouse or common-law partner of a Super Visa applicant may also come to Canada on the same status, but other dependants may not.
It should be noted that Super Visa holders are not allowed to work in Canada. There is a permanent residence program for parents and grandparents; however, there is a limited supply of visas under this program, and applications can take a long time to be processed.
With the limitation of permanent residence options available for parents and grandparents, the Super Visa is a great option for Canadian citizens and permanent residence to bring their loved ones to Canada.
There are a couple of conditions that must be met in order to apply for the Super Visa:
1. You must have an invitation from a host in Canada (i.e. your child or grandchild). The host must meet a minimum income threshold, as they are responsible for your financial support while in Canada.
2. You must pass a medical examination.
3. You must have valid medical insurance coverage for at least one year. Super Visa applicants must show proof that they have purchased private medical insurance coverage from an authorized insurance provider, such as .
The insurance policy must:
A successful Super Visa application must include a letter of invitation written by the host (child or grandchild) in Canada. This letter must include the following information about the invitee (parent or grandparent):
In addition, the following information about the host must be included:
The following must also be included in the Super Visa letter of invitation:
The child or grandchild of the applicant must meet a minimum income threshold under the Super Visa eligibility criteria. These thresholds are known as the low-income cut-off (LICO) and are updated annually by Statistics Canada.
The size of the family unit includes the parent(s) or grandparent(s) being sponsored.
The host may prove his or her income through any of the following means:
Since 2022, super visa holders to stay in Canada for up to five years at a time with the option to extend their stay by an additional two years at a time.
The processing times for a Super Visa depend on the location of the applicant, that is the parent or grandparent. For instance, Those from India can expect to wait 51 days for processing whereas those from the Philippines can expect a processing delay of 146 days.
It costs $100 per person to apply for a Super Visa. Applicants will also need to pay a biometrics fee of $85.
The process of applying for and obtaining the Super Visa can be done directly between the applicant and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Many people, however, prefer the peace of mind that comes with having a qualified and experienced immigration consultant to guide them through the process.
View our for a list of recommended experts who can help with your Super Visa application. For a video overview of the Super Visa, check out this video from one of our recommended Canadian immigration consultants, Deanne Acres-Lans from Canada Abroad:
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