Supervisa or Visitor Visa?

[MonChoon]

I am a Canadian citizen living in Canada with my wife, who is Ukrainian. We have sent her documents for spousal PR sponsorship and for the moment she is living in Canada with a work permit. She is pregnant now and we are expecting our first child in the spring. Her parents and grandmother would like to come visit and possibly help and stay for an extended period. Her parents might come when the baby is first born, and then after 6 or 8 months when she is planning to return to work we were thinking her grandma might be able to come and stay for a while and watch the baby while shes visiting us as well.

What are our options. I have read about the supervisa but as it is my wife's parents and she is not a PR yet, I don't know if the eligibility extends to in-laws or just direct relatives. If we applied for a visitor visa for 6 months and her grandmother wanted to stay up to a year or so, is it difficult to get a visa extension and is there a precedent for this? I assume the most difficult part is proving to CIC that they will be returning to their home country after the visit and family ties, etc.

Do you guys have any suggestions or recommendations for what we could do?

 

[Bryanna]

and then after 6 or 8 months when she is planning to return to work we were thinking her grandma might be able to come and stay for a while and watch the baby while shes visiting us as well.

Regardless of the visa she applies for, you would not want to state this as the purpose of her visit as it is viewed as working illegally.

What are our options. I have read about the supervisa but as it is my wife's parents and she is not a PR yet, I don't know if the eligibility extends to in-laws or just direct relatives.

Your wife cannot host her parents or her grandmom on super visas until she lands as a PR.

If we applied for a visitor visa for 6 months and her grandmother wanted to stay up to a year or so, is it difficult to get a visa extension and is there a precedent for this? I assume the most difficult part is proving to CIC that they will be returning to their home country after the visit and family ties, etc.

Again, stating a visit of 6 months is a big no. She would need to prove she has strong ties to Ukraine. You would also want to purchase travel medical insurance for the duration of her stay even if she applies for a TRV.

She might easily get a visa extension the first time she applies. Any further extensions could be limited or even refused if it seems like she is violating her visitor visa privileges

 

[MonChoon]

Okay. So we are ineligible for super visas. Our only option now would be to apply for a TRV, as I understand it. I understand the implications of saying on the application that she would be working as a nanny, I realize that is a bad idea. It would be more us saying that my wife is pregnant and her parents wanted to come visit to see the baby. For something like this would you say initially they are coming for 1 month or so, book flights, etc. and then they would just stay in the country for 6 months? I dont know all of the ins and outs of this and how it would work.

Also, I have heard of people getting 10 year multi-entry visas. I don't know how to go about this exactly also. It would be nice if they qualified for something like this. Her grandmother has 2 other kids and also other grandchildren in Ukraine so it's not a permanent thing just as I mentioned maybe 6 months or so and she would have to go back to Ukraine. She isn't planning to move here. Her parents are thinking about it, we have told them to try to apply for one of the immigration streams although im not sure that they would qualify. In a few years we may be able to sponsor them for immigration but thats for the future.

 

[Bryanna]

It would be more us saying that my wife is pregnant and her parents wanted to come visit to see the baby.

Any mention of the pregnancy, newborn, wanting to visit for moral support, including a note from the doctor and the like is not advisable.

For something like this would you say initially they are coming for 1 month or so, book flights, etc. and then they would just stay in the country for 6 months? I dont know all of the ins and outs of this and how it would work.

It's also not recommended to book tickets before visas are granted.

Yes, their stated visit can be for max. 3-4 weeks. If they would like to stay for longer then you can re-book their flights when they visit.

Also, I have heard of people getting 10 year multi-entry visas. I don't know how to go about this exactly also. It would be nice if they qualified for something like this.

It's a mistaken belief that TRVs can be granted for 10 years. TRVs can be granted for maximum up to the expiry of the passport. In some cases, the passport expiry could be 10 years later and it would incorrectly seem like a 10-year validity TRV.

The validity of the TRV depends on the assessment made by the visa officer based on the application. It's not advisable to request for a long validity TRV nor for multiple entry (the latter is considered by default).

Her grandmother has 2 other kids and also other grandchildren in Ukraine so it's not a permanent thing just as I mentioned maybe 6 months or so and she would have to go back to Ukraine.

Her grandmom's ties to Ukraine would be important: Does she work/manage a business? Does she own property/land or have a lease in her name? Good financial resources (or she could include evidence of financial support from your wife's parents)? Has she traveled to other visa-required countries? Can she prove she has personal commitments to return to at the end of her visit?

 

[MonChoon]

Okay, dont mention the pregnancy at all, just say that they are coming to visit as they haven't seen her since she moved to Canada.

I thought for some reason you had to provide your travel plans including airline tickets when you applied for the visa, thats why I mentioned that. So do you just apply for the visa normally and they might give you the TRV for the entire duration of your passport and also have it be multi-entry or they might just give you a one-time visa? It's sort of just a lottery?

Her parents have jobs and could only come for a short time for some vacation. They also own an apartment and they have travelled a little bit. Her grandmother hasn't traveled very much although she also owns a large condo with 3 bedrooms, has her own children and grandchildren as I mentioned and she works a bit now too although she is 64. She now just works as a nanny for a family. She has been doing that for a while now and worked for 2 or 3 different families as the kids got older.

 

[Bryanna]

Okay, dont mention the pregnancy at all, just say that they are coming to visit as they haven't seen her since she moved to Canada.

The second suggestion.

I thought for some reason you had to provide your travel plans including airline tickets when you applied for the visa, thats why I mentioned that.

Flight itineraries or tickets not paid for (bookings held for 24 hours) will suffice.

So do you just apply for the visa normally and they might give you the TRV for the entire duration of your passport and also have it be multi-entry or they might just give you a one-time visa? It's sort of just a lottery?

It is entirely at the discretion of the visa officer based on the application + whether or not s/he believes the applicant needs to visit again in the future + the immigration status of the host.

Her parents have jobs and could only come for a short time for some vacation. They also own an apartment and they have travelled a little bit.

These ties would help.

Her grandmother hasn't traveled very much although she also owns a large condo with 3 bedrooms, has her own children and grandchildren as I mentioned and she works a bit now too although she is 64.

Good ties.

She now just works as a nanny for a family. She has been doing that for a while now and worked for 2 or 3 different families as the kids got older.

This is not something she would want to mention in her TRV application. Is she is employed as a nanny and gets paid for it?

 

[MonChoon]

This is not something she would want to mention in her TRV application. Is she is employed as a nanny and gets paid for it?

Yes, that is her full-time job now. Although it is through a sort of agency, they assign the nannie's to different household and if the family doesn't like her or vice versa then can be re-assigned. If they have seniority they will be assigned to the wealthier parents most likely, this sort of a thing, it's through an agency so most likely she has some documentation from them. I assume it all has to be translated anyways as it's all in either Ukrainian or Russian.

So are you saying that we could just book a flight, print off the itinerary and then cancel the flight within 24 hours to receive the full refund and that will suffice? I don't fully understand that bookings not paid for portion. I am sorry for all of the questions and really appreciate all of your help and time. It will be the first time doing this for us. We did all of the paperwork for my wife's PR as well and I know they can refuse application for one small mistake so I just want to be very sure.

 

[Bryanna]

Yes, that is her full-time job now. Although it is through a sort of agency, they assign the nannie's to different household and if the family doesn't like her or vice versa then can be re-assigned. If they have seniority they will be assigned to the wealthier parents most likely, this sort of a thing, it's through an agency so most likely she has some documentation from them. I assume it all has to be translated anyways as it's all in either Ukrainian or Russian.

Probably not a good idea to apply for the grandmom unless she can prove she has exceptional ties to Ukraine + an employment contract to return home to,

So are you saying that we could just book a flight, print off the itinerary and then cancel the flight within 24 hours to receive the full refund and that will suffice? I don't fully understand that bookings not paid for portion.

Some travel agents/websites are able to hold tickets for up to 24 hours without paying anything for these tickets. You can include one such flight itinerary/booking.

Don't actually book/pay for the tickets, not even refundable ones

 

[MonChoon]

Alright. So we are planning to apply for the visa for her parents so that they can come visit in September. Her father will be coming for one month and her mother would like to stay for 6 months of its possible. She we apply for a visa for them and jsut say that it's both of them coming for just one month, and don't mention the baby at all as you said? We have to provide a document proving her daughter is in Canada I guess we could use a birth certificate?

 

[Bryanna]

Alright. So we are planning to apply for the visa for her parents so that they can come visit in September. Her father will be coming for one month and her mother would like to stay for 6 months of its possible. She we apply for a visa for them and jsut say that it's both of them coming for just one month, and don't mention the baby at all as you said?

That's right.

We have to provide a document proving her daughter is in Canada I guess we could use a birth certificate?

Your wife can provide an invitation letter + copies of her passport and immigration status + NOA and bank statements (not mandatory, but could help) + her birth certificate

 

[MonChoon]

And finally, if we say they are both coming for just one month and they grant them a visa for only one month and single entry. Would you recommend her parents come and once they are in the country to apply for a visa extension for her mother so she if she could extend her stay? Will that be more complicated?

In regards to my wife's documents. She has only been in Canada working for 3 months, so we have some bank statements, not four months worth and she doesn't have a NOA as she has never filed Canadian taxes yet, although she is paying them.

Thanks again for all of the help an information.

 

[Bryanna]

And finally, if we say they are both coming for just one month and they grant them a visa for only one month and single entry. Would you recommend her parents come and once they are in the country to apply for a visa extension for her mother so she if she could extend her stay? Will that be more complicated?

I believe it's best to take things as they come. Don't overthink

I would focus on proving that the parents have a short, genuine purpose of visit + exceptional ties to Ukraine + strong personal finances + some travel history. That would help to get a multiple-entry TRV of a longer validity.

In regards to my wife's documents. She has only been in Canada working for 3 months, so we have some bank statements, not four months worth and she doesn't have a NOA as she has never filed Canadian taxes yet, although she is paying them.

You can include an invitation letter signed by both of you + you and your wife must each submit the same documents suggested in the previous post + a copy of your marriage certificate