Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada plan to extend the validity of Super Visa for parents and grandparents. Earlier, Canada had announced that starting July 4, Super Visa holders will be permitted to stay in Canada for up to five years per entry. This visa is a temporary visa, which is an appealing choice for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are looking to bring their parents and grandparents to the country. It is a multi-entry visitor visa that has validity for up to 10 years. On July 4, major reforms came into effect to the Super Visa, the changes are as follows:

• The span of the stay for Super Visa holders will be extended to five years per entry
• While in Canada Super Visa holders will have an option to request an extension of up to two years. This means the current Super Visa holders can now stay for up to seven consecutive years.
• Canada’s Immigration Minister will have the authority to assign foreign medical insurance companies to offer coverage to Super Visa candidates in the future.

The previous Super Visa only permitted the holder to stay in Canada for up to two years per entry. Also, only Canadian insurance companies can offer medical coverage to Super Visa holders. Now, the updated policy permits parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for five years without the hassle of getting the visa renewed. It also allows the applicants to choose foreign medical insurance companies for the medical coverage. According to a Canadian politician, this reform will help families to save a lot of money every year. He also mentioned that the government framework for foreign insurance companies will make sure the medical costs are covered in case of Super Visa holders get sick.

The Super Visa is an alternate to the Parents and Grandparents Program, which offers permanent residence status. It is very popular, however, the demand for sponsors goes beyond the number of spots available. Every year IRCC receives around 200,000 interest to sponsor forms, though only 35,000 applications are available. In addition, Canada had organized lotteries to choose who gets to apply for the PGP, which a lot of people think is unfair as applicants who just entered the pool may get picked over the ones who have been waiting much longer.

There is no lottery to get a Super Visa, promising greater certainty to the families. Also, it takes lesser time to receive a Super Visa than a PGP. PGP processing can take up to years while Super Visa can take months to process. It’s great to know that the reform is in effect and now parents and grandparents with Super Visa can stay up to five years in Canada without the need for renewal upon re-entry into the country.