Canadian Immigration News

Canadian Super Visa for Parent and Grandparent Launched

First applications for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa to be accepted from December 1, 2011, announced Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

The new Canadian 10-year visa, so-called Super Visa, allows parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without having to renew their status. The super visa is one element of Phase I of the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification announced in November's Canadian News. It is aimed to battle an enormous backlog of about 165,000 parents and grandparents who are trying to join family in Canada.

In order to apply for this kind of Super Visa, applicants must meet these following requirements:

• Be a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
• Provide a written commitment of financial support from their child or grandchild living 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;
• Satisfy the visa officer that they meet all other standard admissibility criteria.

Eight weeks is the time period needed to process the Super Visa and after that many parents and grandparents can enjoy the company of family in Canada instead of having to wait eight years or more through the current Family Class.

If you are interested in Immigration to Canada, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try our visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Canada.