Canada Extends Validity of Super Visa From July 4

The Govt of Canada is planning to extend the validity of its renowned ‘Super Visa’, which permits existing permanent residents and citizens’ parents and grandparents to visit them.

According to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Starting July 4, Super Visa holders will be able to stay in Canada for up to five years per entry.

Furthermore, existing Super Visa holders will also be able to request an extension of their stay in Canada for up to two years. This implies that existing Super Visa holders can now stay in Canada for up to seven years in a row.

These proposed changes would make it simpler for Canadians to reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada, as well as enable super visa holders to stay for extended periods of time.

Enhancements to the Canada Super Visa Program

• Increase the length of stay for super visa holders to 5 years per entry into Canada
  • People who have a super visa also have the option to request to extend their stay by up to 2 years at a time while in Canada.
• allow the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to designate international medical insurance companies to provide coverage to super visa applicants in the future
  • Currently, only Canadian insurance providers can provide the necessary medical coverage that super visa applicants are required to have. Information about any designated medical insurance companies located outside of Canada will be communicated on IRCC’s website at a later date.

Canada Super Visa

Since 2011, Canadian citizens and permanent residents have been permitted to spend extended periods of time in Canada with their parents and grandparents because of the country’s super visa programme.

This multiple-entry visa, valid for up to ten years, has permitted parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for up to two years at a time. This makes the super visa more advantageous than a conventional multiple-entry tourist visa, where the length of stay is generally limited to 6 months or fewer.

The IRCC on its website said that we will continue to honour our commitment to keeping families together by making the super visa more accessible.

Quick facts

• For over a decade, the super visa has remained a popular and accessible option for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada. Each year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issue approximately 17,000 super visas.

• To adequately support super visa holders while in Canada, their host child or grandchild must meet minimum income requirements.

• In addition, parents and grandparents applying for a super visa must have a medical examination and provide proof of private health insurance from an approved insurance provider. This is so super visa holders can receive emergency health care while they are in Canada, while ensuring that the cost of those services does not fall upon Canadian taxpayers.