Canadian Super Visa Information

Inviting your parents or grandparents to Canada

Are you a grandparent who wants to visit your son/daughter and their family, but are a resident of a different country and are unaware of what permits are required? Well there’s always a way. In this blog we will be discussing what a super visa is, whom it is primarily applicable to, and what requirements and qualifications will be needed in order to obtain this permit. For further inquiry or personal questions related to this topic, feel free to contact our legal team of associates at Akrami and Associates.

What is a Super Visa

A parent and grandparent super visa is a temporary resident visa that is valid for up to 10 years. It allows parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for a maximum time of 2 years per visit. Any extension to the visit can be done within Canada, but does have a fee of $100 CAD.

How Do I apply for a super visa

In the super visa application, you, as an inviter, play a major role. The inviter has to ensure that they write a letter of invitation. The inviter should write the letter in good faith, must tell the truth, and plan to keep the promises made in the letter. After the letter has been written, they must send it to the applicant who they are trying to invite. The applicant must then send the letter received to the Canadian embassy outside of Canada when applying for a temporary resident visa. The complete name of the applicant, date of birth, address, telephone number, relationship to the person, purpose of the trip, length of person’s plans on staying in Canada, the location of where the person will stay, how he/she will afford for things, and when the person plans on leaving Canada are all important details that need to be included by the sponsor on the application about the person they are planning on inviting. They also need to provide certain information about themselves which include their complete name, date of birth, address, telephone number, job title, whether they are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, a photocopy of a document proving your status in Canada like a Canadian birth certificate, Canadian citizenship card, or a copy of your PR card, the number of people living in your household, and details on your family members.

Who are eligible for a super visa

Eligibility pertaining to the super visa includes those who are considered parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Only grandparents and parents are eligible for this visa and do not include any dependents under them.

The applicants for the super visa must meet certain requirements asked for by Canadian officials and have to be seen as admissible to Canada. Similar to a TRV, visa officers need you to prove to them that you are strongly connected to your home country and will return back home once the visa has expired. When applying, applicants must take into consideration the following qualifications that the visa officer will specifically look for in your application. Applicants will need to be ready, with valid evidence, to prove their ties to their home country, purpose of visit, the applicant’s financial circumstances and family, the economic and political stability of one’s home country, and invitations from the person whom you were invited by. On top of that, the parent or grandparent will need to provide the following; first, a letter promising financial support from their child or grandchild in Canada, who earns at least a minimum income, must be provided. Notice of Assessment (NOA) or T4/T1 for the most recent tax year, an employment insurance stub, employment letter including salary and date of hiring, pay stubs, and/or bank statements can all be used as proof of funds. Along with a finance letter, the applicant must prove that they are insured under a Canadian insurance company with at least one year of private medical insurance. You also have to ensure that it covers you for at least $100,000 and is valid with each entry into Canada. Finally, they will also need to take and complete an immigration medical examination, to show that they are not bringing any international viruses into the country that could be a threat to the Canadian population. You must be ready at the border to show the port of entry officer proof of the arranged private medical insurance. If you have planned and completed all of the following, then you can now be eligible for the application of a super visa.

What will happened during the application process

During the application process, you will also need to pay the application fee in Canadian dollars. If you have applied for a super visa on paper at a VAC (visa application center), then an additional fee will pertain for the services provided by VAC. Once this has been completed, your application will be submitted. Depending on the visa office you have applied at, the time for the processing may vary.

The visa officer may request an interview in some cases. If your application has been approved, both your passport and the documents given will be returned to you with your visa. A letter will also be issued to you to give to a border services officer upon arriving in Canada. If your application was refused, your passport and other documents will be returned along with a detailed explanation of why your application has been rejected. Note that any fraudulent documents will not be returned.

Contact Akrami and Associates

Throughout this blog, we have discussed what a super visa is and how one can be eligible for this permit. Requirements and qualifications as well as the roles of the applicant’s sponsor were also reviewed. Hopefully this blog was useful and well informed. If you any questions or personal inquiries that you would like to ask about, please feel free to contact us at 416-477- 2545 for a consultation. With our trusted and experienced team of lawyers at Akrami and Associates, we can help you deal with problems related to such permits. Many of our clients come to us after they have already been refused on their own application. Not to worry, because Akrami & Associates has a wealth of experience in dealing with such matters. Contact us to find out how we can help you! There’s always a way! Do not forget to check out our blogs at thevisa.ca and follow our Facebook page for more information.