Super Visa

Super Visa is a special visa for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched a Super Visa, in order to offer the alternative for eligible parents and grandparents to gain entry into Canada on a temporary basis who want to spend some time with their loved ones in Canada or for those who are waiting to apply for permanent residency under the Parents of Grandparents Sponsorship or who have applied for permanent residency but are still waiting on the application to be processed.

The Super Visa is a multiple entry 10-year Temporary Resident Visa authorizing a period of stay in Canada for up to 2 years at a time.

There are the following requirements that a parent/grandparent needs to meet to be eligible for the Super Visa:

• Complete medical examination;
• The host must purchase private medical insurance for their parent/grandparent for 1 year:
• Cover health care, hospitalization and repatriation;
• Min of $100,000 coverage;
• Valid for each entry to Canada;
• Have a letter of invitation (a promise of financial support from the host);
• The host must meet the Low Income Cut Off (LICO) for 1 year prior to the application.

It is important to differentiate the financial obligations of a host under the Super Visa program from those of the sponsor under the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship. Under the Super Visa, the Canadian host has to meet the LICO for 12 months prior to the application depending on the number of family members in the family unit (while under the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship, the financial requirement is higher where the sponsor must meet the increased income level of LICO, plus 30% for 3 years preceding the application).

Contact our office and book a consultation with one of our immigration specialists who could assess your situation and advise on the best route to go regarding bringing your parents/grandparents to Canada, whether it is on a temporary basis under the Super Visa or permanent basis under the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship, or, if warranted by circumstances of the sponsor and the applicant, under the Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) immigration program.