Super Visa Canada

If you want to visit Canada for short periods of time, for example, it’s necessary to obtain a temporary Canada visa. In this article, we will go through the Super Visa, also known as the Parent Visa or Parent and Grandparent Super Visa.

Everything you need to know about the Super Visa

This visa belongs to the Temporary Resident Visas category. It allows close relatives to visit their children and grandchildren living in Canada for a short period. But the children or grandchildren must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

This visa was created with the purpose to let the parents and grandparents visit their relatives and love ones. It is said that this visa is only temporary; the time that the Super Visa allows you to stay in the country is no more than 2 years if you fulfill all the requirements.

Important!

The parents or grandparents are not allowed to work or enroll in any part-time or full-time studies if they are in the country with the Super Visa. Also, they are not allowed to try and get Canadian documents or health care coverage. This visa is only to stay to visit their relatives in the country.

These are the requirements for the Super Visa

Super Visa Canada, like other Canadians visa, involves an extensive list of requirements. Here is the list of all the documents you MUST meet to be considered eligible for this visa:

Have at least 18 years old to apply
Must have a valid passport with one blank page (this page CAN’T BE THE LAST ONE)
You need to translate and certify all the documents in English or French
Also, you need to have a clean criminal history
Pay the application and visa processing fees
All the documents need to be signed and dated
Must fill and sign a Visa Application Center (VAC) Consent Form
Submit copies of your current immigration status in another country or in Canada
Because you are going to stay for a long time without working, you need to prove you have enough funds to cover your stay in the country
Attend to the interview or give biometric information
Have all the documents of your medical examination
Give a prove that you will return home after being in Canada
Also, you will need to provide proof that you are not going to work or study in Canada

After you have completed all your documents, it’s time to complete the Super Visa application. There are some steps you need to complete to submit your documents.

Confirm your eligibility

The first step to applying for the Super Visa is to prove you are eligible to get the Super Visa, and the right way to do that is to visit the Government of Canada Website.

Click on the tab Immigration
Go to Visit and then click on the ‘Visit your children or grandchildren’ link.
Then, you will see the link to determine your eligibility, answer the question and send it.

The site will determinate whether or not you’re eligible. If you are, then you will be able to create an account.

Creating an account

To be able to create an account, you need to have the reference code, and this code is given by the Government of Canada after you succeed in your eligibility test. You can either open the account through your bank account details or use a Government of Canada login (GCKey). Once you log in, you can start your application.

Submitting your application

After you created your account, it’s time to provide all your documents and essential information into your profile.

There are different forms you need to complete:

Form IMM 5257, Application for Temporary Resident or
Form IMM 5707, Family Information Form

Other forms that might have to be filled out, if they are applicable to you:

Form IMM 5409, Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union;
Form IMM 5476, Use of a Representative;
Form IMM 5475, Authority to release personal information to a designated individual;

Within the application page, you will also have to submit the following supporting documents:

You need to scan the passport to prove that it is valid; you must scan the entire passport to show your travel history
Bank or financial statements to prove you have enough money for you to stay in Canada
A travel itinerary if you have already booked your tickets or just a description of what you plan to do once in Canada
Your children or grandchild must write an invitation letter for you
Proof of relationships such as a birth certificate or other documents
The immigration statuses in Canada of your child or grandchild
Also, your children or grandchild must show their bank statements proving that they meet the Low-Income Cut Off minimum, such as:

- The latest copy of their Notice of Assessment
- The most recent copy of their T4 or T1
- An original letter from your child’s or grandchild’s employer with their title, description, and annual salary
- Their employment insurance pay stubs
- If your child is self-employed, an accountant should confirm their yearly income
- Proof of other sources of income such as investments, pensions, etc.
You need to write a Declaration Letter to the Government of Canada where you explain why they should give you a visa
2 photos that meet the requirements
Employment or education status
Letter from your employer stating that you have contractual obligations to fulfill and you must return to your home country
Other documents which prove you will return to your home country
Documents which prove that you have private medical insurance that is valid for a minimum of one year from a Canadian insurance company that covers the following:
- Health care, repatriation, and hospitalization
- Has a minimum coverage of $100,000
- Has a validity for each entry to Canada

Once you submit all the documents, you can then proceed to submit the application. After that, you will have to pay the visa application fee, and your application will be completed. Next, you have to wait for the processing and sometimes the Government will require additional information which the applicants have to provide.

How long it takes to know if your visa is approved?

Once you submitted your application, it will take 5 days to show up on your account. During the next week, the Canadian Consulate will process the application, this will take around 6 months to be approved or not.

If it is necessary, you will need to go for a visa interview and/or give your biometric information. Once your visa is approved, you will have to submit your passport for processing and stamping.

If you are not at the Embassy you will have to mail your passport with the processing fees and also pay for a return envelope; but, if you are at the Embassy, you can just give them your passport and pay the fees there. The Embassy officials will stamp your passport and will return it to you. From that point forward, you can plan your visit to Canada and make travel arrangements.

Your children or grandchildren need to meet the Low Income Cut Off requirement;

What is the Low Income Cut Off?

Also known as LICO, it is a requirement that your family needs to prove that they have enough money to guarantee your stay in the country. In this documentation, they must state:

Number of people in their household
If they have dependents
Also if they have sponsored

This is because they must add you as a dependent when you come to Canada, and they need to have enough funds to do this.

The table below provides an overview of the minimum amount of funds that your child or grandchild must have annually for different numbers of dependents.

Size of the family unit	Minimum income necessary
1 person (your child or grandchild)	$24,949
2 persons	$31,061
3 persons	$38,185
4 persons	$46,362
5 persons	$52,583
6 persons	$59,304
7 persons	$66,027
For more than 7 persons, add an additional for each person	$6,723

If your child or grandchild does not meet these requirements, they can add their spouse or common-law partner and count their income too.

Paying the Super Visa fees

To apply for the Super Visa, there are two types of fees:

The visa application fee of CAD 100
The biometrics processing fee of CAD 85

When you send your passport for processing, you will also have to pay a passport processing fee of around CAD 45.

Processing the Super Visa

The time to process the visa will depend on the country you are from. But, you will need to wait from 8 to 45 or 50 days to get your Super Visa.

How long is the Super Visa valid?

This visa is different from the others, because, the valid time for this visa is of 2 years. When you get to the point of entry, you must check carefully whether or not the Border Patrol Officer has stamped your passport with the statement that it is valid for 2 years. After 2 years, you can apply for an additional Super Visa from within Canada. You must start the application for extension at least 6 months before the first Super Visa expires.

Traveling with my dependents to Canada with a Super Visa

The only person you can travel with when you are visiting your children or grandchild is your spouse or common-law partner. Your other children or grandchildren who want to accompany you must apply for the visitor visa separately.