Canada Immigration has frozen parent and grandparent sponsorships at least until January 2014 when the program will reopen with a number of significant changes. In the interim, Immigration has introduced a new category of temporary resident visa called the Super Visa which allows parents and grandparents to obtain a 10 year multiple entry visa. Though, a single visit may not exceed two years, this is still far beyond the 6 month visits most other visas permit.
There are numerous substantive consequences related to the Super Visa system. One of the effects is that the visa shifts the costs of health care of parents or grandparents to sponsors or invitees rather than the Health system which such parents and grandparents would have been entitled to if they had been granted Permanent Resident status. Another significant consequence is that some parents and grandparents may find themselves inadmissible for health reasons, by the time the Permanent Resident sponsorships are brought back on line.
In any event, at the present time the “Super Visa” is the only option to bring parents and grandparents to Canada. There are several requirements that invitees must satisfy in order for a super visa to succeed.
1) Invitees must meet the Low Income Cut Off (“LICO”). Note any ongoing sponsorship obligations will be counted as a family members for the purposes of the LICO requirements.
2) An invitee must provide a written statement of financial support for the applicant and demonstrate sufficient funds to take care of the applicant while the visitor is in Canada. The specific requirement will depend on the length and nature of the proposed visit.
3) The invitee must provide proof of obtaining comprehensive Canadian medical insurance for at least one year. This can be done by contacting insurance companies that offer “visitors medical insurance”. Levine Associates works with a number of reliable insurance companies. The cost and availability of health insurance will depend on the applicant’s health and age. If the Super Visa is refused the money paid for the insurance is returned in full.
4) Parents and Grandparents must undergo a medical examination.
5) Additional factors that determine the success of a Super Vise application are:
a. the applicant’s ties to the home country;
b. the purpose of the visit;
c. the applicant’s family and financial situation; and
d. the overall economic and political stability of the home country;
Just like with any other visa, the Immigration Officer must be satisfied that the parent or grandparent is coming to Canada for a temporary purpose and will leave Canada before the expiration of their visa.
Levine Associates will carefully scrutinize and collate every piece of available evidence to support the invitee ensuring the applicant meets the statutory requirements. Levine Associates will also render preliminary opinions to ensure clients who are ineligible or highly unlikely to succeed are made aware of their chances of success before investing time, energy and money in the process.
Levine Associates expertise enables our firm to properly and fully prepare applications with all the documentation we know officers reviewing the applications are looking for, thereby increasing your chances of success.
Please contact Levine Associates to make an appointment and discuss how we can help bring your family together.