Parent and Grandparent Super Visa

Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents have a new option for visiting Canada. As of December 1, 2011, you may be eligible to apply for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa and enjoy visiting your family in Canada for up to two years without the need to renew your status.

To apply for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, you must:

• be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada;
• be found admissible to Canada; and 
• meet certain other conditions.

Note: You cannot include dependants in this application. Only your spouse or common law partner is eligible to accompany you under this provision.

Visa officers consider several factors before deciding if a person is eligible. The person must be a genuine visitor to Canada who will leave by choice at the end of the visit. Among the things that could be considered are: 

• the person’s ties to the home country; 
• the purpose of the visit; 
• the person’s family and financial situation; 
• the overall economic and political stability of the home country; and 
• an invitation from a Canadian host.

In addition to being found admissible to Canada, the parent or grandparent must also:

• provide a written commitment of financial support from their child or grandchild in Canada who meets a minimum income threshold;
• prove that they have bought Canadian medical insurance coverage for at least one year; and
• complete an Immigration Medical Examination.

In case you do not want to apply for a Super Visa, you can submit your application for an ordinary temporary resident visa