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Super Visa Extends Length of Stay and Adds Insurance Companies

Posted on 08/06/2022

Are you a permanent resident or citizen of Canada who has grandparents or parents living abroad? You’ve probably heard of the Super Visa. Perhaps your parents/grandparents have used it, since it was introduced in 2011, allowing them to stay for up to 2 years per visit (instead of the standard 6 months or less for a visitor visa).

There are now 2 important changes that have been announced by IRCC:

  • A super visa holder will now be able to stay for up to 5 years per visit instead of 2. As well, they will be able to apply for 2 year extensions. That means potentially staying up to 7 years on one visit to Canada.
  • International medical insurance providers will be added to the list of Canadian medical insurance providers that super visa holders have had to take out insurance with. This is because a super visa holder is still a visitor and is not eligible to participate in provincial/territorial healthcare programs. The international insurance companies will be announced in the near future at IRCC’s website.

Remember these important points about super visas:

  • The host (the child or grandchild) has to meet income requirements in order to apply to host their parents or grandparents for a multi-year visit using a super visa.
  • The parents or grandparents must take out private insurance to cover all medical expenses while in Canada. However, they now will soon have international providers to choose from as well as the Canadian insurance providers. This should make the process easier for many parents and grandparents.
  • There are around 17,000 super visas issued annually in Canada, so they have become an important tool for helping family reunification without having to apply for permanent residence. However, please remember that a super visa is still a visitor visa and does not provide permanent residence.

Posted in News Tips and tagged Super visa, Visitor Visa

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