Super Visa

In lieu of the parental sponsorship applications, citizenship and immigration, Canada has released the ability for Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada to obtain their grandparents and parents to visit Canada with this new visa. At the discretion of an immigration officer reviewing the application, they may allow the Super Visa to be valid for up to 10 years at a time. Note that’s the goal of the super visa.  The duration of a Super Visa is completely discretionary and is determined by an immigration officer reviewing the application. Ten years is not guaranteed per super visa, and it is often a reflection of the documentation provided as well as the purpose of visits.

The person applying for the Super Visa is considered the applicant; their child or grandchild in Canada is considered the person inviting. To apply for the parent and grandparent super visa, you (as the applicant) must:

Be the parent and grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada

Be considered admissible to Canada

Meet other basic criteria and conditions

Note you cannot include dependents on this application. Only a spouse or common-law partner is eligible to accompany you for this application.

When reviewing this application, immigration officers assessed a number of different factors: the person’s ties to their home country, the purpose of the visit, the person’s family and financial situation, the overall economic and political stability of the home country, and an invitation from a Canadian host.

As an immigration officer assessed to a variety of different criteria, providing proper documentation that satisfies each aspect of all these criteria will help you in producing the strongest possible case. You will need to provide documentation that demonstrates your ability to invite your parents or grandparents, that you have sufficient financial means to take care of them while they are in Canada as well as the intended purpose of their stay in Canada.

What is the Processing Time for a Super Visa?

But processing times for a Super Visa are unique to the home country in which the application is submitted. Each visa office abroad offers its own processing times depending on the application type. Further, you will need to review the criteria of the visa office abroad, as oftentimes, these offices may have their own criteria when submitting specific applications.

Your parents or grandparents will certainly be required to undergo a medical exam. This medical exam will need to be conducted by a designated Physician by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. These doctors are otherwise known as panel Physicians. Unfortunately, not any doctor will do. You will need to locate the closes panel Physician in your area and set up an appointment for an exam. The results of this medical exam will be sent to Citizenship and Immigration Canada directly and will not be available for your or your parent/grandparents’ review. Only the panel Physician and Citizenship and Immigration Canada will ever see the results.

If I Come From a Visa Exempt Country, Will My Parents Require a Super Visa?

If you come from a country that is not required to first obtain the documentation, depending on how long you like your parents and grandparents to remain in Canada, a Super Visa may not be required. However, if your intent is for your parents or grandparents to be able to remain in Canada for an extended period of time, typically longer than six months, a Super Visa might be required.

What happens after I apply for my super visa?

After you submit your application, you will be reviewed by a visa office abroad to make sure you have completed everything correctly and that it contains all the required documents. The officer will decide if an interview is necessary; if an interview is required, you will be notified of the time and place.

If your application is approved, your passport documents will be returned to you with your visa. If the application has been refused, you will receive an explanation of why it was refused. If an application has been refused, this is not the end. You can take into consideration the notes from the officer who has reviewed your application, use this information to strengthen your application and resubmit.