In light of the closure of the (grand)parental sponsorship, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has come up with a viable alternative to the Super Visa. Now, parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents may be eligible to apply for this visa to facilitate long-term entry abilities in Canada. Though this visa does not result in permanent resident status, it is valid for up to 10 years and will let you visit your family in Canada for up to two years without renewing your status.

An applicant is eligible for a Super Visa if the applicant has the following:

• provided proof of the parent or grandparent relationship to the Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• undergone a medical examination and is admissible on health grounds
• Provided evidence of private medical insurance from a Canadian insurance company, valid for a minimum period of one year from the date of entry, which:
  • covers the applicant for health care, hospitalization and repatriation;
  • provides a minimum of $100,000 coverage; and
  • is valid for each entry to Canada and available for review by the examining officer upon request
• Provided a written and signed promise of financial support, e.g. a letter of invitation from the host child or grandchild for the entire duration the applicant intends to stay in Canada. The letter must be accompanied by evidence of their means of providing such support.

These means of support must also match the low-income cut-off. The low-income cut-off is basically the minimum amount of money that an applicant must have readily available in order to support not only the size of his current family but the applicant(s) as well.

Visa offices abroad have received instruction on how to process these applications and will:

• Issue multiple-entry Temporary Resident Visa for the duration of the validity period of the applicant’s passport less one month, up to a maximum duration of 10 years; or
• issue a single-entry Temporary Resident Visa for six months where a single-entry Temporary Resident Visa fee has been paid; or
• issue a letter of introduction for visa-exempt nationals who have submitted an application with no fees for the requested extended stay of up to two years or to the expiry of the applicant’s passport, whichever is less.

Not all visitors require a Temporary Resident Visa in order to enter Canada. Those that do not require a visa come from “visa-exempt countries.” Make sure that the country you are applying from requires you first to obtain a visa to enter Canada.

However, even if you are travelling from a visa-exempt country, you can only remain in Canada for up to 6 months at a time. For those who wish to stay longer, you will still need to file for a Super Visa and will be issued a letter of introduction, as mentioned above.

Akrami & Associates has successfully reunited many families through this program and would be happy to do the same for you. Contact us so that we may discuss further.