It was announced by the  Honourable Sean Fraser, minister of Immigration and Citizenship, that there will be some changes, effective on July 4th, 2022, to the super visa immigration program.

The Honourable mentioned that “families are at the heart of Canadian society. The enhancements to the super visa program allow family members to reunite for longer in Canada, which helps everyday Canadian citizens and permanent residents succeed and contribute to society while affording their parents and grandparents invaluable opportunities to spend time with their family in Canada.” The Honorable Marco E.L, Minister of Public Safety also stated that “Reuniting families is a priority for our Government and contributes to our success and strength as a country—particularly, as we work to recover from the pandemic and reconnect with our loved ones. I want to thank the Canada Border Services Agency employees who are working with partners to help unite Canadian citizens and permanent residents with their families while keeping our borders safe and secure.”

Effective July 4th, 2022,

1. The length of stay for each super visa holder will now be 5 years per entry, with the option  to extend their stay for additional two years
2. International medical insurance companies will now be allowed to provide coverage for super visa applicants in the future.

The super visa program was introduced, in 2011, as an alternative to the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program. Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issue at least 17,000 super visas every year. Currently, super visas can only be applied for outside of Canada and are valid for up to 10 years and holders can only stay up to 2 years at a time and only Canadian medical insurance companies are allowed to provide medical insurance for applicants.

Super visa eligibility requirements include

1. Proof that the applicant’s family member is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
2. Letter of invitation from the applicant’s family member that includes
   1. A financial support promise throughout the stay of the parent/grandparent
   2. The list and number of the people living in the household
   3. A copy of the Canadian citizenship or permanent resident document of the applicant’s family member
3. Private health insurance from a Canadian insurance company valid for at least one year
   1. Has $100,000 medical coverage
4. Financial proof that meets the minimum income cut off for the family size.
5. A document confirming that the applicant has taken the immigration medical exam

Super visas are different from visiting visas because most visitors are only allowed to stay for six months when they enter Canada while with the super visas, parents and grandparents will now be allowed to stay up to 5 years without needing to renew their status.

These new changes to the program will help more with family reunification, since the pandemic.