Parent and Grandparent Super Visa

[Londonqtr]

News Release – Government of Canada to cut backlog and wait times for family reunification – Phase I of Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification​

Ottawa, November 4, 2011 — The Government of Canada is taking immediate action to cut the backlog and wait times for sponsored parents and grandparents, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

Currently, more than 165,000 parents and grandparents who have applied to become permanent residents of Canada are still waiting for a final decision. Each year, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) receives applications for sponsorship of nearly 38,000 parents and grandparents, a number that will only continue to expand if no action is taken.

“Wait times for Family Class sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents now exceed seven years, and without taking action, those times will continue to grow, and that is unacceptable,” said Minister Kenney. “Action must be taken to cut the backlog, reduce the wait times, and ensure that the parents and grandparents program is sustainable over the long run.”

To deal with the large backlog and lengthy wait times, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is announcing Phase I of the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification.

First – The Government of Canada will increase by over 60 percent the number of sponsored parents and grandparents Canada will admit next year, from nearly 15,500 in 2010 to 25,000 in 2012 – the highest level in nearly two decades.

Second – The government is introducing the new “Parent and Grandparent Super Visa,” which will be valid for up to 10 years. The multiple-entry visa will allow an applicant to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without the need for renewal of their status. The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will come into effect on December 1, 2011, and CIC will be able to issue the visas, on average, within eight weeks of the application. This means that instead of waiting for eight years, a parent or a grandparent can come to Canada within eight weeks. Parent and Grandparent Super Visa applicants will be required to obtain private Canadian health-care insurance for their stay in Canada.

Third – The government will consult Canadians on how to redesign the parents and grandparents program to ensure that it is sustainable in the future. The redesigned program must avoid future large backlogs and be sensitive to fiscal constraints.

Fourth – To prevent the build-up of an unmanageable number of new applications during these consultations and to further reduce the 165,000-strong backlog of parent and grandparent applicants, CIC is putting in place a temporary pause of up to 24 months on the acceptance of new sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents. The pause comes into effect on November 5, 2011.

“The Government of Canada is fully committed to helping families reunite,” said Minister Kenney. “We recognize that what parents and grandparents want most is to be able to spend time with their families.”

“If we do not take real action now, the large and growing backlog in the parents and grandparents program will lead to completely unmanageable wait times. Through this balanced series of measures, we will be able to dramatically reduce the backlog and wait times, while the new Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will allow more family members to pay extended visits to their loved ones,” added the Minister. “We anticipate that in about two years, following our consultations, Phase II of our Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification will come into effect, ensuring that future applicants are processed quickly and that the program can operate on an efficient and sustainable basis.”

For additional information on Phase I of CIC’s Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification, see the attached backgrounder.

 

[wilson]

Good info. Such decision is a good relief to those parents eagerly waiting for Canadian visa.

 

[Om_sai01]

Dear Freind,

That's really a good news.

Thanks to SAI

OM SAI RAM

 

[aamirwarsi]

heay all
can any one tell me,
can i apply for my parents visa, as i just got my passport after the imm visa and planning to land on march 2012
aamir

 

[ambi1775]

VERY GOOD INFO

 

[hussam723]

hi,
its great news, but you should be canadian to apply for super visa for PGP.
this is what i read in FAQ.

hussam

 

[ambi1775]

Hello hussan,

Could u please tell us Canadian citizen ( Canadian passport holder ) or Canadian PR CARD HOLDER'S

THANKS

hi,
its great news, but you should be canadian to apply for super visa for PGP.
this is what i read in FAQ.

hussam

 

[caribgrl55]

I read the additional information, and they are saying that there will be a temporary pause of up to 24 months in accepting new applications as of November 5. So any applications received after the 5th will be returned in it's entirety. This is to ensure the backlog is reduced without adding new applications.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/backgrounders/2011/2011-11-04.asp

A question I had was for people who are from visa exempt countries, would they automatically be allowed to stay up to 24 months?

 

[hussam723]

Hello hussan,

Could u please tell us Canadian citizen ( Canadian passport holder ) or Canadian PR CARD HOLDER'S

THANKS

hello ambi,
as i read in the FAQ at the bottom of the same article of the super visa, its for canadian citizen not PR holders.
unless CIC will change this part we will have to wait a long time.

Hussam

 

[ambi1775]

THANK-YOU

 

[Haitokin]

Well this is certainly good news for the thousands of soon-to-be Super Visa applicants and their families.

Regarding the requirement that "Parent and Grandparent Super Visa applicants will be required to obtain private Canadian health-care insurance for their stay in Canada", I was recently speaking with an immigration consultant about what what type of health insurance will satisfy that requirement, and whether or not Super Visa holders will be eligible to apply for provincial health care.

Eligibility for Provincial health care varies from province to province. In BC for example, the MSP eligibility requirements clearly state that an individual must be a resident of B.C. in order to qualify for medical coverage under MSP, and: A resident is a person who meets all of the following conditions: they must be a Citizen of Canada or a permanent resident, must make home in BC and be physically presnet for 6 months each year, and 'dependents of MSP beneficiaries are eligible for coverage if they are residents of BC'.

The link above goes on to state that under certain circumstance such as being a resident of BC on a working holiday visa, you will also be deemed eligible for coverage. Now, working holiday visa holders are allowed to use Visitors to Canada insurance (available at bestquotetravelinsurance.ca) for their visa requirements, and it will be the same with Super Visa holders (but whether or not the insurance requirements are the same determines whether provincial health coverage can meet the requirements (see next post)


So

 

[Haitokin]

I really don't know why some people can post links on this site, and others (me) can't!

Like, do I really type in all this info without showing sources to go get more info? Does this board want to attract people willing to share info and valuable links, or just allow a certain few people to post their 'startegic' links? :-*

This idea about health insurance requirements is an important topic to gather some information about, so you'd think think that there would be the ability to post links here to info? Nope-er-roony.

Going on.... If we look at the insurance requirements for the working holiday visa holder:

You must have and maintain comprehensive travel medical insurance for the entire duration of your stay in Canada. Neither the Government of Canada nor the provincial or territorial government in the Canadian province or territory in which you will be staying can be held liable for your medical fees and expenses. Please purchase this insurance only after you have received your Letter of Introduction informing that you are successful in your WHP application. You must be able to provide proof of this insurance to the Port of Entry Officer upon your entry to Canada. Your insurance policy must cover you for health care, hospitalization and repatriation; specify Canada as the country in your coverage or include Canada as one of the countries in your coverage if you are traveling to other countries; and cover you for the entire duration of your intended stay in Canada. Insurance companies catering to expats can cover for more than a year. Note that the Port of Entry Officer has the disretion to grant a shorter work permit validity which coincides with the insurance coverage. If you receive a shorter work permit validity because your insurance coverage is less than 24 months, but you decide later on that you wish to stay in Canada longer, the work permit cannot be extended even if you obtain an insurance coverage extension. Instead, you will need to re-apply through the Consulate General of Canada in Sydney Australia, meet the criteria at the time of the new application, submit the required documentation and pay another fee.

 

[Pk09]

bad news. bcoz this super visa thingy is just avisitor visa with no pr status. which means no health care and immigrants can ardly re unite with thier families due to roaring high prices of health care. i just hope that this pr status for parents should be resumed.

 

[Haitokin]

Wow. What a boondoggle. I just spent a half hour trying to eloquently explore the issue of health insurance requirements for the new Super Visa holders, I went to post the message and this board explained that I timed out, and the message was sent to an invisible garbage bin.

Now, where was I?

So, if the same insurance requirement of 'repatriation' benefits is required of Super Visa holders as it is with the working holiday visa holders, provincial health insurance won't meet that requirement (repatriation usually refers to return of remains after someone has passed away). So, even if a Super Visa holder would be able to be eligible for provincial coverage, they will find it necessary to have at least a small visitors to Canada (VTC) insurance policy or expatriate poliey.

Some working holiday visa holders are known to buy the coverage they need for their visa requirements, but then once they get on provincial health care, they cancel the (usually) more expensive VTC or expat policy - ending their repatriation benefits (as well as the other non medical benefits like ambulance, out-of pocket expenses, family to bedside, etc. But that's when they don't think they'll be re-applying for another visa (extension). Super Visa holders - your parents and grandparents may very well want to stay for longer...

 

[Haitokin]

>>>bad news. bcoz this super visa thingy is just avisitor visa with no pr status. which means no health care and immigrants can ardly re unite with thier families due to roaring high prices of health care. i just hope that this pr status for parents should be resumed.

Of course it doesn't have PR status. But that doesn't mean no health care. Not necessarily. That's what I'm trying to discuss (I wish this board gave me the time I need to put it in one post, and let me provide links too).

Each province has different eligibility for health care. In some, the eligibility requires PR status unless they grant an exception (like for a working holiday visa holder). Those provinces could (doubtful) allow Super Visa holders to be eligible as well. In Ontario for instance, to be eligible, nonPR status applicants must have a 'temporary resident visa' (TRV). Now, the question remains. Will the Super Visa be deemed to be a TRV? Or, can a Super Visa holder apply for a TRV with the 'Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside Canada' form? If so, then they can go on Ontarions provincial health care.

That doesn't avoid the issue of perhaps needing to have a VTC policy that provides 'repatriation' benefits. If that ends up being one of the requirements of health insurance needed to obtain (and renew) the Super Visa, then the parents and grandparents will need to have a small VTC policy to cover that (google bestquotetravelinsurance.ca to look through which companies cover that -not all do).