Reasons You Should Apply for Parents and Grandparent Super Visa

Super Visa is a temporary visa and an attractive option for Canadians who wish to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada. On the contrary, PGP (Parents and Grandparents Program), is a permanent residency pathway and Super Visa is a multi-entry visitor visa that is valid for up to 10 years. Visa holders can enter Canada for up to two years without renewing their visas.

The huge number of people goes for PGP certainly reflects that there is a large chunk who wish to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada. In 2020-21, IRCC received a whopping 20,000 interest to sponsor forms for the PGP. These are not the applications, instead, they just represent the opportunity to apply for PGP. Right now, IRCC has over 35,000 applications for PGP in the inventory.

Recently, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada held a draw to decide who gets to apply for the PGP. Many say that the lottery system is unfair, as newcomers in the pool are picked over the people who have been waiting for years. However, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser clears the air by clarifying that everyone is treated equally in the pool even if it does not benefit everyone.

Other methods are first come-first served, favoured PGP applicants with faster internet connections or who live closer to processing centers. In 2019, the available spots filled up in less than 11 minutes.

For Super Visa, there is no lottery system. The Super Visa permits parents and grandparents can stay more time in Canada as compared to the other visa options. Visitor visas offer a single entry with a stay of up to 6-months. In case, if you wish to stay longer, one is required to re-apply.

The multiple entry visa like Super Visa allows multiple entries for up to 10 years and permits you to stay in Canada for up to two years at a time without renewal.

Comparatively, it takes less time to get a Super Visa than a PGP. The Super Visa takes months to process whereas PGP can take up to years. Currently, IRCC is facing a backlog in the inventory, and PGP applications can take 32 months to process. On the other hand, Super Visa applications are being processed at different rates as it depends upon the applicant where they’re applying from. On average it takes 100 days to process.