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In addition to meeting the requirements for a regular visitor visa application, the parent or grandparent applying for a Super Visa, (a multiple entry Temporary Resident Visa or TRV valid for periods of up to 10 years), must also provide the following:

 

Proof or Your Relationship

You must provide proof of their relation to their child or grandchild who will be hosting them during their visits to Canada. The host child or grandchild must be either a Canadian citizen or a Permanent Resident of Canada. The following documents are accepted as proof of the relationship:

  • a copy of the host child or grandchild’s birth certificate
  • a copy of the host child or grandchild’s baptismal certificate OR
  • some other official document that names the parent or grandparent and the child.

 

Letter of the Invitation

You must provide a written Letter of Invitation from the host child or grandchild which promises financial support for the entire length of the applicant’s stay, and which must include detailed personal information on the visiting parent or grandparent such as:

  • Complete name, date of birth, address and phone number,
  • Relationship to the child or grandchild
  • Purpose of visit
  • Details and dates of the planned visit.

In the Letter of Invitation, the host child or grandchild must provide details about themselves as well, including:

  • Name, date of birth, address and phone number
  • Status in Canada: either Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident
  • Photocopy of a document proving that status (Birth Certificate, Citizenship or PR Card etc.)
  • Detailed information on household and other members of your family
  • It must also include a written and signed commitment to providing financial support for the duration of the parents’ or grandparents’ visit along with proof of income on the part of the child or grandchild as shown next.
  • Please note that some visa offices will require that your letter of invitation be notarized by a public notary.

 

Written Commitment of Financial Support

As noted above, you must provide a written commitment of financial support from their child or grandchild (host) in Canada showing that they meet the LICO (Low Income Cut Off) thresholds which are a minimum income threshold. To calculate how many family members are to be covered under the LICO Income Table, the host child or grandchild must first:

  • Count themselves and their spouse
  • Count any dependent children
  • Count any person they have previously sponsored and for whom the sponsorship agreement is still in effect
  • Count Yourself – the parent or grandparent who is applying for the Super Visa and your spouse or common-law partner, if applicable
  • Add up all the family members listed in the previous steps. This is your family unit size.
  • Given your family unit size, use the following Income Table (valid for 2018) to determine the host child or grandchild’s minimum income requirements:
Size of a Family UnitMinimum Necessary Income (2018)
1 person (child or grandchild)$24,949
2 persons$31,061
3 persons$38,185
4 persons$46,362
5 persons$52,583
6 persons$59,304
7 persons$66,027
More than 7, add this much for each additional person$6,723

To prove that they have the required income level, the host child or grandchild must provide ONE of the following documents:

  • Most recent copy of their Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notice of Assessment. This is an assessment of their income done by Canada’s tax authorities every year when they file their taxes. They can use their Canada Revenue Agency My Account online service to view and print their most recent Notice of Assessment. OR
  • The most recent copy of the host child or grandchild’s T4 or T1 forms. The T4 is a slip that shows the income your child or grandchild earns and the tax that has been deducted by your employer in Canada. The T1 form is your child or grandchild’s General Tax Form that they fill out when they file taxes. OR
  • An original letter, on company letterhead, from your child or grandchild’s employer stating: their job title; their job description; and their salary. OR
  • Your child or grandchild’s employment insurance pay stubs, along with, if they are self-employed, a letter from an accountant confirming their income; or some other proof of income like a pension statement or a statement of their investments and investment income.

 

Canadian Medical Insurance

You prove that you or your host child or grandchild have bought Canadian medical insurance coverage for at least one year. The medical insurance must:

    • Cover health care, hospitalization and repatriation;
    • Provide a minimum coverage of $100,000; and
    • be valid for each entry to Canada and available for review by a port of entry officer.

 

Immigration Medical Examination

You must complete an Immigration Medical Examination.

 

You can tell by the requirements we have listed above, that the super visa is not really that “super”. A lot of money needs to be invested in this type of application. It is recommended to consult with immigration professional to assist you to put a strong application together to increase the chance of success to not only get united with your parent or grandparent, but also to make your investment worthwhile.

 

Visa-Exempt Applicants

If you are from a visa-exempt country, you can still apply for Parent and Grandparent Super Visa. The government processing fee is waived for applicants from visa exempt countries.

 

Get your parents to Canada with help from Regulated Immigration Consultant Mary Zhang at Maxcan Immigration in Markham, Ontario in the Greater Toronto Area.