Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship 2023

[exquisite]

I could but I'm worried because I know they won't have access to healthcare for free or be able to buy a home etc.. If they want to move here permanently with their age I think it would be important to have access to the healthcare piece.. Does anyone know if Super Visa will give them the option to use the OHIP?

It won't. They would need to buy health insurance

 

[shuggzz]

It won't. They would need to buy health insurance

And to confirm, With a Super Visa there is no potential to apply for a PR/Work Permit once here correct? Can someone confirm, if you have to have proof of Income or you have to provide proof of savings if you are going the Super visa route?

 

[Aspiring Canadian]

Does anyone know when the 2023 program will open?

 

[scylla]

I could but I'm worried because I know they won't have access to healthcare for free or be able to buy a home etc.. If they want to move here permanently with their age I think it would be important to have access to the healthcare piece.. Does anyone know if Super Visa will give them the option to use the OHIP?

No OHIP under a super visa. This is why you are required to buy private health insurance for them. Anything the private health insurance doesn't cover you have to pay for out of pocket.

 

[scylla]

And to confirm, With a Super Visa there is no potential to apply for a PR/Work Permit once here correct? Can someone confirm, if you have to have proof of Income or you have to provide proof of savings if you are going the Super visa route?

- Yes, you must meet income requirements to bring your parents to Canada on a super visa.
- To qualify for a work permit, your parent needs to secure a job offer from an employer in Canada and that employer needs to obtain an approved LMIA. Your parent can then apply for a closed work permit tied to that specific employer.
- To apply for PR, either you need to be selected as a sponsor through the PGP lottery or your parent needs to qualify for PR independently through an economic immigration stream like Express Entry or PNP.

 

[scylla]

Does anyone know when the 2023 program will open?

No announcements yet to the best of my knowledge.

 

[Naturgrl]

And to confirm, With a Super Visa there is no potential to apply for a PR/Work Permit once here correct? Can someone confirm, if you have to have proof of Income or you have to provide proof of savings if you are going the Super visa route?

You need proof of income (meet LICO based on NOA) for the number of people in your family for a super visa (just like PGP). A super visa is a visitor visa so parents still need to show travel history and ties to home country. They have to buy their own health insurance and are not eligible for OHIP on a supervisa. If want to work they need a LMIA with job offer to apply for a closed work permit. Depending on the NOC may need ECA and IELTS.

 

[shuggzz]

- Yes, you must meet income requirements to bring your parents to Canada on a super visa.
- To qualify for a work permit, your parent needs to secure a job offer from an employer in Canada and that employer needs to obtain an approved LMIA. Your parent can then apply for a closed work permit tied to that specific employer.
- To apply for PR, either you need to be selected as a sponsor through the PGP lottery or your parent needs to qualify for PR independently through an economic immigration stream like Express Entry or PNP.

Thanks Scylla! Ok I have one more clarification.. If they wanted to apply for a work permit (1 parent) -If they could get an offer from a Canadian Employer - what does the process for LMIA look like? What does a typical Canadian Employer need to do? And once they get an LMIA and job offer- if 1 parent applies for the work permit, can the other parent join them in Canada on a work permit or some type of resident permit as well?

 

[Naturgrl]

Thanks Scylla! Ok I have one more clarification.. If they wanted to apply for a work permit (1 parent) -If they could get an offer from a Canadian Employer - what does the process for LMIA look like? What does a typical Canadian Employer need to do? And once they get an LMIA and job offer- if 1 parent applies for the work permit, can the other parent join them in Canada on a work permit or some type of resident permit as well?

Your parent cannot apply for a closed work permit without a LMIA. The LMIA is from the Canadian employer after paying $1k and filing out all the paperwork. The LMIA is to prove that the employer could not hire a Canadian or PR, only your parent. The job must be full-time. So your parent may need to complete ECA and IELTS and have employment letters proving he/she can do the job. The other parent may be eligible if the work is skilled (TEER 1, 2 or 3) not unskilled. Note - this doesn’t give them PR but a work permit.

Your father is 65 (at retirement) so not sure how successful he would be in getting an approved work permit with LMIA for a full-time job.

 

[canuck78]

Thanks Scylla! Ok I have one more clarification.. If they wanted to apply for a work permit (1 parent) -If they could get an offer from a Canadian Employer - what does the process for LMIA look like? What does a typical Canadian Employer need to do? And once they get an LMIA and job offer- if 1 parent applies for the work permit, can the other parent join them in Canada on a work permit or some type of resident permit as well?

Realistically if a parent is above retirement age it will be clear that they are not moving temporarily to work in Canada and still have strong ties to show they will return home after their WP is over. Chances of success are pretty low.

 

[canuck78]

Thanks for your reply!

Wow, that's ridiculous. I've heard that many have complained about the PGP Sponsorship system and that it's flawed. But boy oh boy, 2019 was next level ridiculous.

Most countries don’t allow any parent sponsorship with access to public healthcare. Given the current state of healthcare *wait lists, 2+ million without GPs, etc.) and our ageing population having any form of parent sponsorship is still pretty amazing. The reality is only a fraction Of those who want to sponsor their parents will get the chance to do so. Parent sponsorship is not guaranteed and I wish Canada was a bit more upfront about this issue since many are under the false impression that after 3 years of making a certain income they will easily be able to sponsor a parent.

 

[scylla]

Thanks Scylla! Ok I have one more clarification.. If they wanted to apply for a work permit (1 parent) -If they could get an offer from a Canadian Employer - what does the process for LMIA look like? What does a typical Canadian Employer need to do? And once they get an LMIA and job offer- if 1 parent applies for the work permit, can the other parent join them in Canada on a work permit or some type of resident permit as well?

You can read detailed information about the LMIA process in the following link. This is what the employer needs to do: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/median-wage/high/requirements.html

If one parent is able to secure a closed work permit for a skilled job, then the other parent can apply for an open work permit. Approval of that open work permit is not guaranteed.

 

[Usagisan]

I'm in the same boat - my parents are still waiting for their luck for the next round of PGP sponsorship program. I thought about super visa too, but it seems like the insurance is only for EMERGENCY medical insurance only, that means their normal medications will not be covered. The emergency insurance costs like $4K - 5K for my parents and they're in their 60s. It'll be even more expensive for parents who're older... Anyways I wish there's an easier way for family reunions.

 

[canuck78]

I'm in the same boat - my parents are still waiting for their luck for the next round of PGP sponsorship program. I thought about super visa too, but it seems like the insurance is only for EMERGENCY medical insurance only, that means their normal medications will not be covered. The emergency insurance costs like $4K - 5K for my parents and they're in their 60s. It'll be even more expensive for parents who're older... Anyways I wish there's an easier way for family reunions.

That quote for supervisa insurance is quite high for parents in their 60s unless they have health issues. I would shop around. Like other travel medical insurance plans, yes it is only emergency medical coverage. If supervisa insurance covered routine care then it would be extremely expensive. You are able to mail a 3 month supply of medication for temporary permit holders in Canada so that is an option.

One of the reason Canada welcomes such a large number of immigrants and why Canada’s immigration programs favours young people is because we have an ageing population. If Canada allowed everyone to sponsor their parents and grandparents that would add the the ageing population and defeat one of the primary goals of welcoming immigrants. If a couple wants to sponsor both their parents they would at least need to have 2 children for them not to contribute to the ageing population and unless they had more children or didn’t sponsor more than 4 seniors they wouldn’t be helping to address the issue of Canada’s ageing population. It’s unfortunate but there is a reason that many countries do not allow parent or grandparent sponsorship especially with access to public healthcare. The healthcare system is also not able to meet the needs of our current population and especially the senior population and it is only forecasted to get worse. If there was excess capacity it would be a bit different but given that there are long waitlists for all types of care and services, staffing shortfalls, ballooning budgets, etc. meeting the needs of the existing population without adding new seniors will always be the priority. When immigrating to Canada people need to be aware that parent sponsorship is not guaranteed. Canada should clarify this so people make an educated decision to immigrate and have a care plan for their parents if sponsoring them for PR is not an option or if their application is denied.

 

[Usagisan]

That quote for supervisa insurance is quite high for parents in their 60s unless they have health issues. I would shop around. Like other travel medical insurance plans, yes it is only emergency medical coverage. If supervisa insurance covered routine care then it would be extremely expensive. You are able to mail a 3 month supply of medication for temporary permit holders in Canada so that is an option.

One of the reason Canada welcomes such a large number of immigrants and why Canada’s immigration programs favours young people is because we have an ageing population. If Canada allowed everyone to sponsor their parents and grandparents that would add the the ageing population and defeat one of the primary goals of welcoming immigrants. If a couple wants to sponsor both their parents they would at least need to have 2 children for them not to contribute to the ageing population and unless they had more children or didn’t sponsor more than 4 seniors they wouldn’t be helping to address the issue of Canada’s ageing population. It’s unfortunate but there is a reason that many countries do not allow parent or grandparent sponsorship especially with access to public healthcare. The healthcare system is also not able to meet the needs of our current population and especially the senior population and it is only forecasted to get worse. If there was excess capacity it would be a bit different but given that there are long waitlists for all types of care and services, staffing shortfalls, ballooning budgets, etc. meeting the needs of the existing population without adding new seniors will always be the priority. When immigrating to Canada people need to be aware that parent sponsorship is not guaranteed. Canada should clarify this so people make an educated decision to immigrate and have a care plan for their parents if sponsoring them for PR is not an option or if their application is denied.

That makes sense, I did only a few quotes for the insurance and I definitely would shop around for sure. In the UK, if you have HK BNO passport you can apply for a very quick scheme to move there and pay a reasonable amount for the annual health insurance. It covers pretty much everything. Anyways, I'm still grateful to our government for this scheme, at least there's a possibility one day I can reunite with them.