Applying for a visitor visa for parents

[j9lad]

Hi all,

I will be moving to Canada permanently later this year from USA and I wanted to get some guidance on how my mom could apply for a Canadian visitor visa. She has a valid US visitor visa and is currently living in our home country. My move to Canada is still a couple of months away and she does not have any other friends/family in Canada, so wondering how she could apply as a solo applicant. She's currently retired and does not have any family back home, but does have a permanent residence. I'd really appreciate some help in the ideal approach amongst the following:

Approach 1: I could write an invitation letter stating that I will be moving to Canada in a couple of months and she could use that letter to apply for a TRV. From what I understand, though I have a Canadian PR card, this is slightly risky as I myself don't permanently reside in Canada.
Approach 2: Have her apply by herself without an invitation letter as a solo traveler. This may be risky as she's retired and single. I'm thinking if she could state in the letter of explanation that she plans to tour Canada along with me while I temporarily visit from the USA at the same time to go around the country.
Approach 3: Wait for a few months before I permanently relocate. Once I move, send an invitation letter.

She'd be showing documents of residence along with funds and her US visitor's visa as proof. Would really appreciate some advice on which approach to take.

 

[scylla]

Hi all,

I will be moving to Canada permanently later this year from USA and I wanted to get some guidance on how my mom could apply for a Canadian visitor visa. She has a valid US visitor visa and is currently living in our home country. My move to Canada is still a couple of months away and she does not have any other friends/family in Canada, so wondering how she could apply as a solo applicant. She's currently retired and does not have any family back home, but does have a permanent residence. I'd really appreciate some help in the ideal approach amongst the following:

Approach 1: I could write an invitation letter stating that I will be moving to Canada in a couple of months and she could use that letter to apply for a TRV. From what I understand, though I have a Canadian PR card, this is slightly risky as I myself don't permanently reside in Canada.
Approach 2: Have her apply by herself without an invitation letter as a solo traveler. This may be risky as she's retired and single. I'm thinking if she could state in the letter of explanation that she plans to tour Canada along with me while I temporarily visit from the USA at the same time to go around the country.
Approach 3: Wait for a few months before I permanently relocate. Once I move, send an invitation letter.

She'd be showing documents of residence along with funds and her US visitor's visa as proof. Would really appreciate some advice on which approach to take.

Option 3 is best. Wait until you've moved to Canada and have lived in Canada for a few months before she applies.

 

[j9lad]

Hello, @scylla. Thank you so much for the valid suggestion. I apologize for the delayed response.

As you'd mentioned, going with option 3. We relocated to Canada a few weeks ago. Now, wondering as to what would be the suggested approach to have my mom here for the long term:
1) Apply for a visitor visa by having her apply by herself with her funds.
2) Apply for a super visa by providing our household proof of funds in Canada. The concern is we don't have a NOA or tax information as we just moved here a few weeks ago.

Overall, in the long term, would want her to live here with us, so would really appreciate your thoughts.

 

[scylla]

Hello, @scylla. Thank you so much for the valid suggestion. I apologize for the delayed response.

As you'd mentioned, going with option 3. We relocated to Canada a few weeks ago. Now, wondering as to what would be the suggested approach to have my mom here for the long term:
1) Apply for a visitor visa by having her apply by herself with her funds.
2) Apply for a super visa by providing our household proof of funds in Canada. The concern is we don't have a NOA or tax information as we just moved here a few weeks ago.

Overall, in the long term, would want her to live here with us, so would really appreciate your thoughts.

You need an NOA to apply for a super visa. So that won't be an option until sometime next year. The super visa is the option that will allow her to visit Canada longer.

If you have her apply for regular TRV, don't do it as soon as you've moved to Canada. Wait a few months.

 

[j9lad]

You need an NOA to apply for a super visa. So that won't be an option until sometime next year. The super visa is the option that will allow her to visit Canada longer.

If you have her apply for regular TRV, don't do it as soon as you've moved to Canada. Wait a few months.

Thank you so much for the prompt response. Totally makes sense to defer the Super Visa application until I receive an NOA.

However, is there a particular reason why I'd have to be cautious while applying for the TRV? I have a PR (soft-landed last year, but moved recently), so since this is a TRV, she would be applying for the application by herself while providing proof of funds and home ties. From my end, the Letter of Invitation would be the only document I'd be looking to provide.

 

[scylla]

Thank you so much for the prompt response. Totally makes sense to defer the Super Visa application until I receive an NOA.

However, is there a particular reason why I'd have to be cautious while applying for the TRV? I have a PR (soft-landed last year, but moved recently), so since this is a TRV, she would be applying for the application by herself while providing proof of funds and home ties. From my end, the Letter of Invitation would be the only document I'd be looking to provide.

Just to make sure it doesn't look like you're trying to move her to Canada permanently on the TRV (i.e. you're moving, so she's moving). Of course your choice what you do.

 

[canuck78]

Thank you so much for the prompt response. Totally makes sense to defer the Super Visa application until I receive an NOA.

However, is there a particular reason why I'd have to be cautious while applying for the TRV? I have a PR (soft-landed last year, but moved recently), so since this is a TRV, she would be applying for the application by herself while providing proof of funds and home ties. From my end, the Letter of Invitation would be the only document I'd be looking to provide.

Just to clarify. For a supervisa you must prove income earned in Canada not salary to qualify for LICO which is why NOA is the preferred proof. In general that usually means parents do not qualify for a supervisa for at least a year after their children have moved to Canada so that the parents can not try to move with their children to Canada. If you have only recently moved to Canada, your mother is single and she has minimal ties to her home country I would be waiting a few months before she attempts to apply for a TRV. To apply for a supervisa, if she wants to visit for a longer period, she will need to leave Canada to apply.