IRCC Improves Super Visa Programs 2022

What this means for parents and grandparents

Effective July 4, 2022, parents and grandparents need to apply less to stay more in Canada! On July 7, 2022, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada announced that they would be increasing the duration for each entry on a Super Visa beginning the first week of July. Here, we will discuss what a Super Visa is and how it has changed.

How does a Super Visa work?

Like a regular visitor visa, a Super Visa allows multiple entries to Canada within a certain time period. This means that once your application has been approved, you may come to Canada several times for a prescribed duration within a larger time frame. There are three key differences between the standard visitor visa and Canada’s Super Visa:

1. Who can apply;
2. The validity period (i.e. when you can enter);
3. Duration of each visit (i.e. when you must leave) – this is what has changed

The supervisa eligibility criteria have not changed. In order to apply, the applicant must be the mother, father, or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. There are also requirements for financial support and medical insurance. In contrast, the standard visitor visa is not limited to parents and grandparents.

After your application is approved, you will be provided the validity period for visiting Canada. This time frame is about when you can enter Canada, it does not tell you when you must leave, unless you reach the end of the validity. The typical visitor visa is valid for 5 years and this time frame will be mentioned on the visa. In contrast, a Super Visa is valid for 10 years. This has not changed. For example, if you are approved on July 3, 2022, you can enter between July 3, 2022, and July 2, 2032.

However, as mentioned, you must still determine when you must leave. The typical visitor visa allows for six-month stays. Until July 4, 2022, the Super Visa allows for two-year stays. For example, if you enter Canada on a Super Visa on July 3, 2022, you must leave on or before July 2, 2024. Once you leave, you can come again for another two-year period, as long as you can still enter. However, this will change on July 4, 2022.

What has changed?

Recall that we have discussed eligibility for the Super Visa (i.e. the period that you can enter), and the duration of each stay (i.e. when you must leave). The current changes affect the time until you must leave. The eligibility criteria are still the same, although some changes may also be made to medical insurance requirements. The validity period that you can enter is also the same, i.e. 10 years.

Once you are in Canada, the amount of time that you can stay (i.e. when you must leave) has changed. As mentioned, before July 4, 2022, you can stay for two (2) years. After two years, you must leave Canada, although you are able to return during a separate trip. On and after July 4, 2022, you must leave Canada five (5) years after you arrive. However, you may be eligible for an extension.

You must then leave Canada, but you can still apply to come back, as long as you are still permitted to enter. However, it is important to note that you would not be permitted to enter for a second five year period. You will be required to leave Canada by the time your visa expires (i.e. by the end of the validity period). So, if you are approved on July 5, 2022, you must leave Canada, regardless of when you arrived, by July 4, 2032, unless you maintain your status through another means.

What if I already have a Super Visa?

If you already have a Super Visa, there is good news, these changes apply to you! For example, if your Super Visa was approved on February 14, 2022, and you enter Canada on July 5, 2022, you can stay for five years. But it doesn’t end here. Current Super Visa holders may also be eligible for a two-year extension. This makes a total of a seven year stay without being required to leave Canada!

Let’s Discuss Super Visa

In addition to the period that parents and grandparents are authorized to remain in Canada, several other changes are currently being worked out. These include changes to the requirement to purchase health insurance and the minimum amount of financial support needed to enter. However, these changes have yet to be finalized.

Please do not hesitate to contact us through the phone, at (416) 477-2545, or by email, at info@thevisa.ca. Our team of Immigration Consultant and Immigration Lawyers can help with the application process and ensure that you have updated information that applies to your situation.

Remember, with Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!