On June 7, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced enhancements to the Super Visa program for parents and grandparents to make it easier for families to reunite for longer periods. 

The new Super Visa changes will take effect on July 4, 2022. The major changes include:

• Increase the length of stay for super visa holders to 5 years per entry into Canada
  • People who have a super visa also have the option to request to extend their stay by up to 2 years at a time while in Canada. 
• Allow the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to designate international medical insurance companies to provide coverage to super visa applicants in the future
  • Currently, only Canadian insurance providers can provide the necessary medical coverage that super visa applicants are required to have. Information about any designated medical insurance companies located outside of Canada will be communicated on IRCC’s website at a later date. 

Since 2011, the Super Visa program in Canada has enabled citizens and permanent residents to reunite with their parents and grandparents for longer durations. The Super Visa is valid for up to 10 years and allows multiple entries. The Super Visa is more beneficial than a regular multiple-entry visitor visa, which usually has a shorter permitted duration of stay, that is about 6 months or less. 

The Super Visa is a popular and convenient choice for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada. Every year, about 17,000 super visas are issued by the IRCC.