Parent and Grandparent Super Visa Documents

What is the Super Visa?

The Super Visa program was introduced in November, 2011 in order to deal with the backlog on parent / grandparent sponsorship applications. A Super Visa will allow your parents / grandparents to visit you in Canada on a single or multiple-entry visa that is valid for a period of up to 2 years. Furthermore, the Super Visa can be renewed multiple times within 10 year period by exiting and re-entering Canada.

The documentation necessary to submit a complete Super Visa application will be outlined below:

What forms must I complete for the Super Visa?

Citizenship and Immigration Canada provides forms that must be fully completed in order to apply for a Super Visa.

• IMM 5257 – Application for Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa)This form requests information related to Personal Details, Language, Contact Information, Details of Visit to Canada, Education, Employment, and Background Information
• IMM 5257 – Schedule 1This is an additional form requesting details for Previous Travel, Membership in Organizations, etc.
• IMM 5707 or IMM 5645 – Family InformationA form requesting details of your immediate family (relationship, address, marital status, etc.)
• IMM 5409 – Common – Law, IMM 5476 – Use of Representative, IMM 5476 – Designated IndividualThese 3 forms are optional but may be required to submit depending on the circumstances.

What Documents do I need include with my Super Visa Application?

There is quite a bit of documentation that needs to be submitted with a proper Super Visa application. The list provided below should give you a good idea of what to submit with the application.

2 Passport style photos

These should ideally be taken at a photo studio that is aware of the specifications required by immigration. The specifications for these photos can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/photospecs-e.pdf

Keep in mind that depending on the country applied from, it may be necessary to submit more than 2 photos. Also, if the country applied from requires biometrics, you will not need to submit photos as they will be taken later when you go to process fingerprints.

Passport Data Page

Provide a copy of the passport data page for each person applying. The passport data page is the page with the picture, birth date, expiry dates, passport number, etc.

Proof of Financial Support or Proof of Financial Supporter

This documentation is very important as it shows immigration that you or your parents / grandparents have the financial means necessary to visit and live in Canada. If your parents / grandparents have financial assets, they need to provide proof. This could be in the form of:

• Bank account balances and statements
• Pay stubs
• Records of retirement or investment funds
• Records that detail property ownership

If your parents / grandparents have these resources, they can provide them with their application. However, quite often parents and especially grandparents are retired and may not have significant sources of income. That is why a Super Visa also includes documents showing the financial means of the supporter.

To qualify for a Super Visa, a child or grandchild must qualify for the Low Income Cut Off (LICO). The LICO shows the minimum necessary income required for a child or grandchild to support parents/ grandparents under a Super Visa application. The current LICO chart for 2016 looks like this:

Retrieved from: www.cic.gc.ca

If you are the child or grandchild, you must provide documentation to prove that you meet this low income cut off and that you have met it for year preceding the application. To determine the size of your family unit, you should include: yourself, your spouse, any dependents, and your parents / grandparents.

Documents that can be submitted that show you meet the Low Income Cut Off include:

• Your most recent copy of your T4 or T1.
• If you are self-employed, provide a letter from an accountant that confirms your annual income.
• Employment insurance pay stubs
• Your most recent Notice of Assessment from Revenue Canada (this can be a copy). This can be obtained by registering an account at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/myaccount/. Once you have signed up for an account you will be able to view and print this document.
• An employment letter from a current employer stating information such as annual or monthly salary, benefits, and duration of employment.
• Documents that show other sources of income (investments, property ownership, pension, disability benefits, etc.)
• Meeting the LICO is mandatory for a child or grandchild who wishes to invite parents /grandparents for a Super Visa. Remember, if it helps, you can also include your spouse of common-law partner as a co-sponsor. In this case, documentation for the spouse’s financial means will also need to be provided.

Marriage License or Certificate

A copy of this document should be provided to prove that your parents’ / grandparents’ relationship is genuine. The requirements for this document will vary from country to country.

Purpose of Travel Letter

This should be a letter written by your parents / grandparents stating why they wish to visit Canada. The letter can mention proposed travel dates, itinerary, accommodations, and most importantly some of the key reasons that they wish to visit.

Letter of Invitation

This document is important in that it summarizes why you wish your parents / grandparents to visit and how you will be supporting their stay in Canada. The supporting child or grandchild must indicate their family composition (spouse, children, and other dependents) in order to verify the family size used to calculate the Low Income Cut Off.

Proof of Relationship

Documentation must be provided to prove the relationship between child / grandchild and parents / grandparents. In most cases this can be verified by providing copies of birth certificates that show the family relationship. However, depending on the country applied from, other documents can be used such as baptismal certificates, school documents, or notarized statements from officials confirming the family’s composition.

Medical Insurance Coverage

One concern that immigration officials have when examining Super Visa applications is the health of the parents / grandparents applying and whether he or she will be a burden on Canada’s medical system. That is why a requirement for any Super Visa application is that you provide a copy of an insurance certificate or policy from a Canadian insurance company. The insurance policy must be valid for at least one year and provide minimum coverage of $100 000.

In addition to the medical insurance coverage, parents / grandparents will also be required to submit results of a medical examination from a Panel Physician designated by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. A list of Panel Physicians can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/pp-md/pp-list.aspx. If you do not submit this documentation with your initial application, immigration will eventually request it.

Don’t Forget: Super Visa Tips

When gathering the above documents for a Super Visa application, there are a couple of important things to keep in mind.

First of all, the country that parents / grandparents are applying from can have a big effect on the document checklist. Every visa office has their own specific instructions for visa applications to Canada. For example, some countries eventually require their applicants to get biometrics done at a local Visa Application Centre. Some countries require more specific documentation for some of the categories listed above. It is common for the document checklist to differ in a couple of ways from one country to the next. Document checklists for specific countries can be found on www.cic.gc.ca.

Another common mistake made by Super Visa applicants is submitting documents that are not in English or French without a translation. Birth certificates, marriage licenses, and bank records are quite often in another language. For immigration to accept them, they must be accompanied by an official translation. If not, the documents will not be examined and could result in an application being sent back or rejected.

Finally, when submitting a completed Super Visa application, the applicable government fees need to be paid. If submitting online, applicants will be taken to a secure portal to complete payment. However, if submitting a mail application, receipts for fees paid will need to be printed out and included with the application package.

Contact Akrami & Associates

Hopefully this document outline will help you in putting together a successful Super Visa application. If you would like some help, consider contacting our team of Canadian immigration lawyers and Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants to guide you through the process in more detail and make sure that you submit an excellent application package.

If you are look forward to file the application for renewal on your own, we can still help you with our Do It Yourself Immigration Kit which you can purchase from us. The kit details the process for you. We do not leave you at that. If you buy the Do It Yourself Kit bundle, you get consultation and final review of your application by one of our representatives. We are there to help you throughout.

With Akrami & Associates there is always a way!!