IMPORTANT *** Super visa and pause in immigration for parents and grandparents

[Baloo]

Ottawa is set to introduce a “super visa” allowing parents and grandparents of immigrants to visit Canada in lieu of granting them permanent status as part of a plan to address a backlog in immigration sponsorships of the elderly. The parents will need mandatory medical insurance.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1081314--ottawa-to-introduce-super-visa-for-parents-grandparents-of-immigrants

CBC just announced there will be a pause in immigration starting today - more details as I find them.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/government-of-canada-to-cut-backlog-and-wait-times-for-family-reunification-phase-i-of-action-plan-for-faster-family-reunification-2011-11-04

To deal with the large backlog and lengthy wait times, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is announcing Phase I of the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification.

First - The Government of Canada will increase by over 60 percent the number of sponsored parents and grandparents Canada will admit next year, from nearly 15,500 in 2010 to 25,000 in 2012 - the highest level in nearly two decades.

Second - The government is introducing the new "Parent and Grandparent Super Visa," which will be valid for up to 10 years. The multiple-entry visa will allow an applicant to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without the need for renewal of their status. The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will come into effect on December 1, 2011, and CIC will be able to issue the visas, on average, within eight weeks of the application. This means that instead of waiting for eight years, a parent or a grandparent can come to Canada within eight weeks. Parent and Grandparent Super Visa applicants will be required to obtain private Canadian health-care insurance for their stay in Canada.

Third - The government will consult Canadians on how to redesign the parents and grandparents program to ensure that it is sustainable in the future. The redesigned program must avoid future large backlogs and be sensitive to fiscal constraints.

Fourth - To prevent the build-up of an unmanageable number of new applications during these consultations and to further reduce the 165,000-strong backlog of parent and grandparent applicants, CIC is putting in place a temporary pause of up to 24 months on the acceptance of new sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents. The pause comes into effect on November 5, 2011.

Government media release.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2011/2011-11-04.asp

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/backgrounders/2011/2011-11-04.asp

To qualify, parents and grandparents must:

undergo the Immigration Medical Examination (unless exempted);
demonstrate that they have purchased private Canadian medical insurance; and
provide a written commitment of financial support from a child or grandchild in Canada who meets a minimum income threshold.


http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/faq/immigrate/sponsor/index.asp#parent

[saka101]

Do parents and grandparents of landed immigrants qualify? or is it only those of citizens?

[pinklady]

So is this just a visit visa for 2 years and is valid multiple times over 10 years?
What if parents are visa exempt? Does it offer anything else? I can see no healthcare would be available but what about working? Would parents be allowed to work? Or is it just a visit visa?

[Baloo]

So is this just a visit visa for 2 years and is valid multiple times over 10 years?
What if parents are visa exempt? Does it offer anything else? I can see no healthcare would be available but what about working? Would parents be allowed to work? Or is it just a visit visa?

As far as I read it, a visit visa.

"Currently, visitors to Canada usually may only visit for six months at a time. Most visitors who wish to stay longer must apply for an extension, and pay a new fee, every six months. With the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, eligible parents and grandparents will pay fewer fees and have some certainty that they will be able to enjoy the company of their families in Canada for a longer period of time."

But the government will consult Canadians on how to redesign the parents and grandparents program to ensure that it is sustainable in the future, so things may change.

[Baloo]

CBC
The citizenship and immigration minister also announced a new super visa for people who want to visit their family members.
The 10-year visa would allow them to stay for up to two years at a time.
People will have to have private medical insurance and meet a minimum income level to have their parents or grandparents accepted.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/11/04/pol-immigration-kenney-parents-grandparents.html

[parentvn]

Does this affect applications in step 1?

My parents application is current in step 1: Assessment of Sponsor

Would they pause the application when my parents send the application to the Consulate General - step 2: Assessment of Person Being Sponsored (applicant)?

Thanks!

[steaky]

Bad news for new applications: CIC is putting in place a temporary pause of up to 24 months on the acceptance of new sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents. The pause comes into effect on November 5, 2011 

[danhass]

Thanks  @ Baloo ... this is an excellent news of today!

Bad news for new applications: CIC is putting in place a temporary pause of up to 24 months on the acceptance of new sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents. The pause comes into effect on November 5, 2011  

 @ steaky ... i think it is not too bad ... in fact overall effect is good for people who want to bring their parents and/or grandparents ... lemme explain:

- according to the old system, the average wait time is 8 to 10 years, and meanwhile parents can only visit canada 6 months at a time w/o extension

- now if there's a moratorium on parent sponsorship for 24 months, you can have your parents in canada as a visitor for the full 24 months w/o extension (plus the super visa is for 10 years) ... after 24 months, i hope the backlog would be drastically reduced and new applications would be processed in much much less than 8 or 10 years (say 1 or 2 years) ... so total wait time 3 to 5 years (but with parents' long stay in canada)

now you tell me what is better?
- 8-10 years wait w 5 year multiple-visit-visa and 6 month-per-visit
- 3-5 years wait w 10 year multiple-visit-visa and 24 month-per-visit

now there is still assumption that processing time would drastically reduce ... it's not a weak assumption because we have seen this in FSW cases too (if you look at pre-Feb-2008 and post-Feb-2008 processing times) ... i think this govt is taking serious steps to fix the immigration system

[humpakwatankaylog]

Does anyone know what time they will be accepting applications today? Before 12? Or Before 6pm?

[g-man]

Interesting, I like the idea of the super visa. I wonder if it will apply to spouses too -- not that it would help me though now that I've sent off my PR app.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/11/04/pol-immigration-kenney-parents-grandparents.html?cmp=rss

[TRUONGAN]

Mr. Kenney

I would suggest you to eliminate some barriers in assessing parents' eligibilities for a Super Visa. According to FAQs section on CIC website, CIC is still asking parents to prove :
•   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
•   invitations from Canadian hosts.
You should take into account cases where the parents have the only child living in Canada, they do not have a strong tie in the home country. This factor will be utilized by Visa Officers to refuse the visa. Furthermore, some parents are not financially stabled in their home country; but that doesn't mean they will violate Canadian immigration rules.
Because you are going to pause parental sponsorship for a good 2 years, I suggest you to make Super Visa easily available for all qualified parents, as long as they can satisfy 3 conditions: parenthood relationship, sponsor minimum income and insurance coverage . If 3 conditions are met, Super Visa should be guaranteed.

Please sign here for your support
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/supervisa/
That would help bring our parents to Canada quicker and easier!

[PMM]

Hi

Thanks   @  Baloo ... this is an excellent news of today!

  @  steaky ... i think it is not too bad ... in fact overall effect is good for people who want to bring their parents and/or grandparents ... lemme explain:

- according to the old system, the average wait time is 8 to 10 years, and meanwhile parents can only visit canada 6 months at a time w/o extension

- now if there's a moratorium on parent sponsorship for 24 months, you can have your parents in canada as a visitor for the full 24 months w/o extension (plus the super visa is for 10 years) ... after 24 months, i hope the backlog would be drastically reduced and new applications would be processed in much much less than 8 or 10 years (say 1 or 2 years) ... so total wait time 3 to 5 years (but with parents' long stay in canada)

now you tell me what is better?
- 8-10 years wait w 5 year multiple-visit-visa and 6 month-per-visit
- 3-5 years wait w 10 year multiple-visit-visa and 24 month-per-visit

now there is still assumption that processing time would drastically reduce ... it's not a weak assumption because we have seen this in FSW cases too (if you look at pre-Feb-2008 and post-Feb-2008 processing times) ... i think this govt is taking serious steps to fix the immigration system

I think that you may find after the backlog is cleared up and at the end of the 2 year moratorium that there will be a very low quota (if any) for parents and grandparents.  Probably like Australia. 

[minsky]

will this take effect also for newly landed immigrants?

[zstudent]

I have applied sponcership for my parents and 20 year old sister in 2009. I was about to apply for multiple entry visit visa. Should I wait for the new SuperVisa until the application forms become available?
Not sure if the SuperVisa is for new applicants or does it also apply to aplicants who's sponcership is already in progress?

[Baloo]

Hi

I think that you may find after the backlog is cleared up and at the end of the 2 year moratorium that there will be a very low quota (if any) for parents and grandparents.  Probably like Australia. 

That is also my view, after two years of no admissions, any amount of parental immigration will seem better.
To simply state a two year moratorium would have drawn a lot of fire, the way it has been done is politically astute (please note that I did not say correct).

I would also expect that things like mandatory medical insurance may start turning up in other immigration streams.