The Parents and Grandparents Program resumed on May 21st, giving qualified sponsors the chance to submit an application for their loved ones to be granted permanent residency in Canada. But this year also signifies the fourth year in a row that IRCC will choose candidates from the 2020 pool, depriving sponsors that come after of the opportunity to apply for the PGP. Many sponsors have looked into other options, such as the Super Visa program, in order to reconnect with their parents and grandparents in Canada as a result of the processing delay. The Super Visa program offers a temporary residency option for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, allowing them to stay in Canada for up to two years per visit, making it a viable alternative for those seeking to bring their family members to Canada while awaiting their turn in the PGP queue.

In light of this, people who were unable to sponsor their parents or grandparents can still bring them to Canada by using the Super Visa as a substitute. While different from the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), the Super Visa accomplishes the same goal by allowing Canadians to visit their relatives.

Contrasting Availability 

There are major differences between the Super Visa and the Parents and Grandparents Program in terms of availability.

The PGP runs annually and provides a limited window of time for sponsorship. IRCC has further limited availability by solely taking sponsors from the 2020 intake, which exacerbates this constraint. During the two-week application period under the PGP’s lottery method, qualified individuals are randomly selected to receive ITAs for permanent residence.

Conversely, for qualified sponsors, the Super Visa program remains open all year round. The Super Visa program accepts applications all year round, in contrast to the PGP lottery system. In addition, all qualified sponsors receive equal consideration, which makes the average application success rate significantly greater than with the PGP.

Eligibility and Sponsorship Requirements for PGP 

The parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents are the only ones eligible for the Super Visa program and the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP). Candidates do not need to have maintained this status for a set amount of time, but sponsors must apply as either permanent residents or citizens of Canada.

It is noteworthy that in order to participate in the PGP, qualified sponsors must start the application and candidate profile submission process. In contrast, the sponsored individuals themselves—that is, the parents or grandparents of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident—must apply directly for the Super Visa program.

For candidates to be eligible for the PGP, they need to be able to:

  • Complete and submit the Interest to Sponsor form through IRCC’s website.
  • Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian according to the Canadian Indian Act.
  • Must be 18 years old or older.
  • Reside in Canada during the Interest to Sponsor phase, providing proof of status.
  • Meet or exceed the minimum necessary income (MNI) level, which may include spousal income if applicable, and provide income documentation to IRCC.
  • Commit to financially supporting the sponsored individual for 20 years (or 10 years for Quebec applicants) from their permanent residency status. Also, undertake to reimburse any social assistance benefits received by the sponsored family members for a period of 20 years.

In order to be eligible for a Super Visa, candidates must:

  • Applicants must apply for the Super Visa from outside Canada.
  • Provide evidence of an eligible host, who must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act, including:
  • Documentation proving the relationship between the applicant and the host.
  • Proof of the host’s status in Canada.
  • Confirmation that the host is 18 years old or older and currently resides in Canada.
  • Verification that the host meets Canada’s low-income cut-offs (LICO) criteria.
  • Both the sponsor and the sponsored individual must not be medically or criminally inadmissible for travel to Canada under either program.

Results of immigration 

For those who are accepted, the PGP and Super Visa programs have distinct immigration outcomes.

Successful PGP applicants are granted permanent residence (PR) status, which enables them to remain in Canada for the duration of their life and to settle down. They have entitlement to the majority of the privileges that Canadian citizens have.

Alternatively, successful applicants in the Super Visa program receive temporary resident status, comparable to that of work or study permit holders in Canada. This status restricts their stay in the nation. Super Visa holders can stay in Canada for a maximum of five years at a time, with the option to extend their stay for an additional two years.

Consequently, these temporary residents can stay in Canada for a maximum of seven consecutive years before they must depart.

Comparative Costs and Financial Requirements 

There are differences in cost between the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) and the Super Visa program due to their different immigration outcomes.

Sponsors under the PGP are required to achieve or surpass the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) requirements in addition to application fees; sponsors under the Super Visa program are required to satisfy the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) barrier.

Successful applicants must pay $1,205 CAD in total for a principal applicant in order to participate in the PGP. This cost consists of:

  • A sponsorship fee of $85 CAD.
  • A principal applicant processing fee of $545 CAD.
  • A right of permanent residence fee of $575 CAD.

An additional $1,210 CAD is needed if the applicant wants to include their parent’s or grandparent’s spouse or partner. This extra charge includes:

  • A processing fee of $635 CAD.
  • A right of permanent residence fee of $575 CAD.

In certain cases, applicants may additionally ask to have the permanent residence charge waived for both themselves and their spouses or partners.

On the other hand, applicants to the Super Visa program must pay $100 CAD for a single-entry or multiple-entry Super Visa. Alternatively, if sponsoring five families simultaneously, the cost is $500 CAD per family.

Furthermore, candidates might experience:

  • A $100 CAD fee to extend their stay as a visitor.
  • A $229 CAD fee to restore their status in Canada, if necessary.

All family members must apply at the same time and location in order to be eligible for a Super Visa, and each child in the family must fulfill the dependence requirements.