The Canadian government is rolling out changes to the super visa program to allow parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to stay in Canada for five years with the option to request two-year extensions.

“Families are at the heart of Canadian society. The enhancements to the super visa program allow family members to reunite for longer in Canada, which helps everyday Canadian citizens and permanent residents succeed and contribute to society, while affording their parents and grandparents invaluable opportunities to spend time with their family in Canada,” said Canada’s Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.  

The changes, which will come into effect July 4, 2022, will make it easier for families to reunite and allow international medical insurance companies to provide coverage to super visa applicants in the future (only Canadian companies can currently provide medical coverage super visa holders are required to have).

Who can apply for the super visa program

In addition to being the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, super visa program requirements include:

• A signed letter from your child or grandchild inviting you to Canada, confirming financial support during the stay, listing those in the household and a copy of the sponsor’s Canadian citizenship or permanent resident document
  
• Proof of payment for medical insurance from a Canadian insurance company valid for at least one year from the entry date and at least $100,000 in coverage (information about any designated medical insurance companies located outside of Canada will be communicated on IRCC’s website at a later date)

A complete list of super visa program requirements and documentation needed are available on the Government of Canada super visa website.

If you or a family member is applying for a super visa, MKS Immigration Lawyers can help you with every step of the process. To learn more and get started on your super visa program application, book a consultation with us today.

MKS Immigration Lawyers is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and works with clients from all over the world. In 2022, Canadian Lawyer Magazine named MKS Immigration Lawyers one of the top immigration law firms in Canada.

The MKS team has a combined fluency in ten different languages, including Mandarin, Hindi, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Punjabi, German, and Portuguese and are experts in providing strategic legal advice to individuals, public and private companies, universities and not-for-profit organizations or immigration matters.

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