The importance of family has never been clearer than during the pandemic. For over a decade, the super visa has remained a popular and accessible option for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada.
As we work to recover from the pandemic, Brampton South MP Sonia Sidhu has been advocating to prioritize family reunification, which is also a priority for the Government of Canada. This is intended to attract, retain and integrate immigrants who contribute to the success of our country.
That is why today, the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced enhancements to Canada’s super visa program to make it easier for Canadians to reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada. It will also allow super visa holders to stay for a longer period of time.
These changes, which come into force on July 4, 2022, will:
- Increase the length of stay for super visa holders to 5 years per entry into Canada
- People who have a super visa also have the option to request to extend their stay by up to 2 years while in Canada. This means super visa holders will now be able to stay in Canada for up to 7 consecutive years.
- Allow the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to designate international medical insurance companies to provide coverage to super visa applicants in the future
- Currently, only Canadian insurance providers can provide the necessary medical coverage that super visa applicants are required to have. Information about any designated medical insurance companies located outside of Canada will be communicated on IRCC’s website at a later date.
Since 2011, Canadian citizens and permanent residents have been able to reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada for extended periods of time through Canada’s super visa program. This multiple-entry visa, which is valid for up to 10 years, has allowed parents and grandparents to remain in Canada for 2 years at a time. This makes the super visa more beneficial than a regular multiple-entry visitor visa, under which the length of stay is usually 6 months or less.
By making the super visa more accessible, we continue to uphold our commitment so that parents and grandparents have the opportunity to spend extended periods of time with their families in Canada.
