Canada to Extend Stay Times for Parents, Grandparents Holding Super Visas

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 12, 2022. The Canadian Press/ Patrick Doyle

Canada is extending the length of time parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents can stay in the country under its super visa program.

In a statement released on June 7, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said a series of changes to its super visa program will come into force on July 4, including extending the length of stay for super visa holders to 5 years per entry into Canada.

Super visa holders will also be able to request an extension of their stay by up to 2 years at a time while in Canada.

“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,” Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said in the release.

Previously, the super visa program allowed parents and grandparents with a super visa to remain in Canada for 2 years at a time.

Another change will give the minister of IRCC the power to designate the international medical insurance companies that provide coverage to super visa applicants in the future. Currently, Canadian insurance providers are the only ones that can provide medical coverage for super visa applicants.

The super visa program was launched in 2011. Roughly 17,000 super visas are issued each year, according to the IRCC.

The June 7 update comes as the agency continues to struggle with a massive backlog of immigration applications. As of May 2022, the IRCC had more than 2 million applications for citizenship, permanent residence, and temporary residence in its inventory, according to CIC News.

IRCC has been struggling to manage its inventory since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past two years, applications for permanent residence have grown from 410,000 in April 2020 to 530,000 cases in April 2022, while citizenship inventory has grown from 240,000 to 400,000 people.

The temporary residence inventory nearly doubled since April 2021, jumping from 590,000 people to 1.2 million people, according to data from the IRCC.