The new Super Visa for parents and grandparents is valid for up to 10 years and allows holders to remain in Canada for up to two years at a time. Currently, visitors to Canada usually may only visit Canada 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.

This program took effect on December 1, 2011. Immigration Canada is aiming to issue the Super 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. Normally the application is made in the parents and grand­parents home country. 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 current 10-year multiple entry visa status period for each entry is six months.

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. Normally renew­als must be done from outside Canada at a visa office. However, parents and grandparents who currently hold a valid visa and are in Canada, can apply for an extension of their status for up to two years as long as they meet all the criteria by submitting an ap­plication to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta.

Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents must have been found admissible to Canada and must meet some other conditions to be 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. Normally the main things that are considered are the person’s ties to their home country, the purpose of the visit, the person’s family and financial situation and an invitation letter from their Canadian children or grandchildren

In addition to the above crite­ria for being found admissible to Canada, the parent/grandparent must also 1) provide a written commitment of financial support from their child or grandchild in Canada who meets a minimum income threshold, 2) 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 3) complete an Immigration Medi­cal

Examination.
Renewals must be done from outside Canada at a visa office. However, parents and grandpar­ents who hold a valid visa and are currently in Canada 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.

Written and Provided by: Chuck Wilmot RCIC
Source: Citizenship and Immi­gration Canada’s Website
Information provided in the above article is to provide general knowledge and may not apply to individual circumstances without further advice. The above article should not be understood to be providing legal advice. Chuck Wilmot is an Immigration Consul­tant and can be reached at 604- 939-7211.

A Canadian Immigration Rep­resentative and Notary Public in the City of Burnaby, Editha Cor­rales Nelson’s preferred areas of practice are Immigration inqui­ries, Wills Preparation, Interna­tional Legal Documents, Affida­vits, Letters of Invitation, Powers of Attorney, Statutory Declara­tions, Drafting of Business Con­tracts and other notarial services. For an appointment, please call: 604-777-2757.

The following should not be construed as providing legal ad­vice and information in this col­umn is intended only as a general guide and should not be applied to specific circumstances without further consultation. For more information on the subject, con­tact Editha Corrales Nelson at 604-777-2757.