The Super Visa allows parents/ grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada to visit for a maximum period of two years for a single visit. It is valid for 10 years and the VISA holders are eligible for multiple entries.
The applicants must satisfy the following criteria before applying for the VISA:
- Letter of Invitation from the child/ grandchild which includes a promise of financial support for the length of the visit, details about the family of the child/ grandchild and a proof of citizenship of the person.
- The hosting child/ grandchild must also present a proof of minimum income for his/her household.
Effective from January 1 to December 31, 2020
Your child or grandchild may use the following income scale to assess their ability to meet the income requirements.
Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) |
|
| Size of Family Unit | Minimum necessary gross income |
| 1 person (your child or grandchild) | $25,921 |
| 2 persons | $32,270 |
| 3 persons | $39,672 |
| 4 persons | $48,167 |
| 5 persons | $54,630 |
| 6 persons | $61,613 |
| 7 persons | $68,598 |
| More than 7 persons, for each additional person, add | $6,985 |
Insurance: The visiting family members must have medical insurance from a Canadian insurer which is valid for at-least 1 year from the date of entry, has a minimum of $100,000 coverage and has been paid for (supplemented by suitable proof).
The visitors must comply with and pass the immigration medical exam.
The visitors must be eligible to visit Canada based on other norms which may be specific to the country of origin, depending on the economic and political situation in the country as well as the financial stability of the family.
In addition, the parents and grandparents must be complaint with the security and criminal admissibility criteria.
The applicants must apply for the visa from outside Canada.
Some other aspects such as the nature of family relationships, purpose of visit and relations with the home country may also be looked at during the application process.
The major benefit of a Super Visa is that parents/ grandparents can visit their children/ grandchildren for an extended period without the need for employment guarantees and rights.
Even if the applicants are from countries where citizens do not require a visitor visa to enter Canada, they can still use the Super Visa to extend their stay.
Moreover, the visa is valid across multiple visits, which alleviates the hassle of re-applying for a visa before each visit.
After ensuring the satisfaction of all eligibility criteria, the applicants must have the following documents ready for processing:
- Letter of Invitation from the children/ grandchildren with all supplementary financial documents.
- Insurance-related documents and reports of medical tests depending on the region/ type of application.
- Proof of relationship with the hosts.
- Post the application, further instructions for submitting additional documents, interviews, verification by local authorities etc. will be communicated by the local visa office.
- Processing time is generally around a few weeks, but may vary depending on the applicants’s location.
For more information, please click Super Visa