Canada to increase length of stay for Parents and Grandparents’ Super Visa to 5 years per entry.

The Minister of Immigration can designate international health insurers to insure super visa applicants in the future. IRCC just announced major changes to parent and grandparent regulation.

Effective July 4, 2022:

·        Super Visa holders can extend their stay to five years per entry to Canada.

·        Those with a current supervisor also have the option to extend their stay in Canada for two years. This means current super visa holders can now stay in Canada for up to seven consecutive years.

·        The Minister of Immigration of Canada will have the power to designate international health insurance companies to insure Super Visa applicants in the future.

Currently, Super visa holders can stay in Canada for up to two years per entry. Super Visa is a multiple entry visa valid for up to 10 years.

Currently, only Canadian insurance providers can provide the health coverage required by Supervise applicants. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it will provide more details at a later date.

The reforms were introduced by Canadian Conservative Party representative Kyle Seeback via Bill C-242 . Today's IRCC press release indicates that the ruling Liberal Party of Canada supports the reforms and will vote for Bill C-242, which is currently pending in Parliament.

According to IRCC, Canada issues approximately 17,000 Super Visas per year.

For over a decade, Super Visa has served as an alternative to the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP). The PGP offers permanent residency, but because it is so popular, the demand for sponsors far outstrips the number of places available. In a given year, IRCC received interest from about 200,000 sponsors, but offered places to about 20,000 immigrants through the PGP. Therefore, in recent years, IRCC has opened a temporary expression of interest window for PGP and then held a draw to invite applications for permanent residency under the PGP.

Therefore, Super Visa is available to those who pass a medical examination and provide proof of private health insurance from an approved insurance provider. This allows super visa holders to receive emergency medical care in Canada at no cost to Canadian taxpayers. Additionally, any invited children or grandchildren must meet IRCC's minimum income requirements.

“Families are at the heart of Canadian society. Improvements to the Super Visa program allow family members to stay longer in Canada, helping Canadian citizens and permanent residents prosper and contribute to society, while providing their parents and grandparents with the opportunity to spend time with their families in Canada. A great opportunity to spend time together," he told Canada's Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.