The Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association has asked IRCC to create an in-Canada renewal pathway for the Parents and Grandparents Super Visa. Right now, holders must travel abroad to renew, which creates real hardship for elderly or medically vulnerable applicants. No change has been made yet, and current renewal rules still require international travel.
What Is CILA Asking IRCC to Change?
The Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association has formally written to IRCC, requesting a pathway that would let Parents and Grandparents Super Visa holders renew or extend their status without leaving Canada.
Currently, holders of this temporary visa must travel internationally to complete a renewal application. CILA argues that requirement creates unnecessary hardship for elderly applicants, people with mobility limitations, and those with medical conditions that make travel unsafe.
Why Does Traveling Abroad to Renew Cause So Much Hardship?
Picture a grandmother in her seventies, already settled into daily life with her grandchildren in Brampton, suddenly needing a long international flight just to keep her legal status current. For applicants managing chronic illness, mobility issues, or simple age-related frailty, that trip is not a minor inconvenience. It can be genuinely risky.
CILA points out that this requirement adds little value from a program integrity standpoint. Super Visa holders have already passed initial screening, and they are required to maintain private health insurance the entire time they are in Canada.
What Is the Parents and Grandparents Super Visa, Exactly?
The Super Visa is a temporary resident visa built specifically for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. It allows multiple entries, can remain valid for up to 10 years, and lets holders stay in Canada for extended periods, up to five years at a time, during each visit.
To qualify, applicants generally need a letter of invitation from their Canadian child or grandchild, proof of financial support, and mandatory private medical insurance for the duration of their stay.
Who Would Benefit Most From an In-Canada Renewal Option?
Families with aging parents already living with them in Canada stand to gain the most. An in-Canada pathway would let a grandparent extend their stay without interrupting the very family time the Super Visa exists to support.
It would be especially meaningful for applicants managing health conditions that make air travel genuinely risky, and for families who simply cannot afford the cost of a return international trip solely for paperwork.
Source: Parents and Grandparents Renew Super Visas
Has IRCC Responded, and What Should Families Do Now?
As of now, CILA’s request has not changed any existing Super Visa regulations. Any future in-Canada renewal pathway would need to be developed and approved by IRCC and the federal government.
In the meantime, current holders should plan renewals under the existing rules, which still require travel outside Canada. Waiting until the very last months of a Super Visa’s validity is risky, especially with travel logistics to arrange for an elderly family member.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Under the current rules, holders must travel internationally to complete a renewal or extension application.
CILA has requested that IRCC create a pathway allowing eligible Parents and Grandparents Super Visa holders to renew their status from within Canada.
Not yet. The request does not change any existing regulations, and any future pathway would need federal government approval.
It can remain valid for up to 10 years with multiple entries, and allows stays of up to five years at a time.
Applicants generally need a letter of invitation from their Canadian child or grandchild, proof of financial support, and mandatory private medical insurance.
Because applicants have already passed initial screening and are required to maintain private health insurance for the full duration of their stay in Canada.
Start planning early under the current rules, since travel abroad is still required. A consultation can help you build a realistic timeline that accounts for health and travel needs.
If a parent or grandparent’s Super Visa is approaching renewal, do not wait for the rules to change. Book a consultation with ImmigCanada’s Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants, and we will build a safe, realistic renewal plan under the current requirements while keeping you updated on any policy changes.