Canada ranks as the second-best country in the world. This is because of multiple factors that the US News Canada ranking ascertains the same by checking data across multiple factors. But at the end of the day, is the people in Canada that add to this opinion and final verdict.
Often people forget that Canada opened its doors for immigration because of a high gain population. Soon, immigrants settled, and then Canada to ensure they did not miss out on their family, opened pathways to welcome family members of immigrants.
The Maple Leaf Country has been a strong advocate for family reunification programs. The current blog post focuses on two pathways by which you can connect with your parents and grandparents in Canada.
So, to do the same, you must understand the difference between Canada parents and grandparents sponsorship and super visa.
| Feature | Parents & Grandparents Sponsorship Program (PGP) | Super Visa |
| Aim | Permits Canadian citizens and PR holders to sponsor their parents and grandparents for a Canada PR visa. | Permits parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and PR holders, can visit Canada for a longer period of time. |
| Visa Type | Canada PR visa | Temporary Residents Visa (Visitor Visa) |
| Application Processing Time | Currently, 24 months (subject to change as per IRCC). | 2 to 3 months (subject to change as per the country of residence of parents and grandparents). |
| Sponsorship | Apply to become a sponsor first and get an invitation to sponsor parents and grandparents. | No need for sponsorship. |
| Insurance | Not mandatory. | Must have 1 year ($100,000) of private Canadian insurance coverage. |
| Visa Validity | Standard Canada PR visa validity of 5 years or 1095 days. | 10-year multiple entry visa. Super visa holders can stay in Canada for a stretch of 2 years per visit. |
| Application Process |
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| Proof of Funds | Show proof of income as per family size and submit tax reports for the past 3 years. | Show sufficient funds for their stay. Can also show financial support from their child or grandchild in Canada. |
| Dependents | Can sponsor dependent and or spouse/common-law partner for PR visa. | Dependents can not be added to the super visa application. |
So, you wish to get your parents to Canada but are unsure which program is the best. Whether to sponsor under Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship or invite them via Canada super visa?
However, the answer lies in your urgency. Yes, because the PGP program as seen from the table above is a multiple-step process and will take up to 24 months to process sponsorship and PR visa applications.
Besides, to sponsor you must get an invitation in the PGP draw. Also, the recent PGP draws started on May 21, 2024. However, the draws will select 37500 parents’ and grandparents’ applications. However, IRCC is selecting applicants from the PGP 2020 pool.
So, this means if you apply now, there will be unsurity of when you will get an invitation in a PGP draw. Whereas for a Super visa the process is simple, with a processing timeline of 2-3 months.
In short, the decision is all yours to make. Besides, you can always connect with visa experts at GVI for complete guidance.
Mr. Kalyan Paul, President & CEO is the founder of GVI, an MBA in Finance and also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) from Canada. Mr. Paul has more than 18 years of experience in immigration consulting that made him one of the preferred & valued immigration consultants in the immigration industry. He is a licensed member of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) [Previously known as Immigration Consultants Of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC)] (Membership ID: R417119) which is a professional body of licensed immigration consultants recognized by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
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