Canada to send Super Visa invitations to sponsor parents from May 21

Parents and grandparents can visit their children or grandchildren for 5 years at a time with a super visa. (FE Online)

Starting May 21, Canada will invite 35,700 potential sponsors from the pool of remaining interest to sponsor forms submitted in 2020 to sponsor parents and grandparents. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will send out invitations over the course of approximately 2 weeks. If you submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020, it is better to keep checking the email.

If you have not submit an interest to sponsor form in 2020, your parents and grandparents can still come to Canada for an extended visit by applying for a super visa. They will be able to visit for up to 5 years at a time and extend their stay while in Canada.

Parents and grandparents can visit their children or grandchildren for 5 years at a time with a super visa. It provides multiple entries for a period of up to 10 years.

To be eligible for a super visa, parents or grandparents must have a host who:

• is your child or grandchild
• is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or registered Indian who must provide a copy of the Canadian citizenship document of the host (and their spouse or common-law partner, if applicable), or
• the permanent resident document of the host (and their spouse or common-law partner, if applicable) or a Secure Certificate of Indian Status or Certificate of Indian Status (status card)

The Super Visa is a multiple-entry temporary resident visa (TRV) good for up to ten years. Each entrance has a 5-year allowed stay period. A Super Visa is available to applicants who apply from outside of Canada and meet the requirements for temporary residence in Canada as a visitor.

A super visa differs from a visitor visa. A super visa allows qualifying parents and grandparents to visit family in Canada for up to five years at a time. A visiting visa provides for a maximum stay of six months. If you want to stay longer, you must apply for an extension and pay an additional cost.

Only biological or adopted children can invite their parents or grandparents on a super visa. They may also invite their parents’ or grandparents’ spouses or common-law partners.

A Super Visa application may include a registered Indian host kid or grandchild. In such cases, officers should process the Super Visa application as usual and do not require the host to provide additional proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence in Canada; the Certificate of Indian Status is the only proof required to demonstrate that the host is registered under the Indian Act. Once all of the prerequisites for a Super Visa have been completed, officers should issue a Super Visa with a 5-year stay for each allowed entrance.

To evaluate the host’s ability to financially support the applicant for the duration of the approved stays, the host must demonstrate that they meet or surpass the minimum necessary income, which is based on Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-offs.

The parents or grandparents must produce adequate documentation that they have legitimate health insurance from a Canadian or non-Canadian insurance firm certified by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship.