Is Super Visa a good alternative to the PGP? Well, May 21st marked the reopening of the parents & grandparents program.
However, this year will also mark the fourth consecutive year of the PGP, and IRCC will select eligible applicants from the 2020 pool. This implies that sponsors in subsequent years have not yet been given the chance to enter the PGP applicant pool to sponsor their loved ones to earn Canadian permanent residence.
In light of this reality, those who have not been able to sponsor their parents/ grandparents do have another route to bring their loved ones to Canada: the Super Visa. While different from the PGP, the Super Visa exists for similar reasons, allowing Canadians to reunite with loved ones.
Availability
The PGP & the Super Visa programs have very different availability.
The PGP is only available once a year, with an even more limited availability because of IRCC’s decision to only consider eligible sponsors from the 2020 intake. The program works on a lottery system, implying applicants from the eligible pool are chosen randomly when distributing ITAs for PR.
In contrast, the Super Visa program is equally available year-round for eligible sponsors, as opposed to the PGPs lottery system, yielding a much higher average success rate for applications.
Eligibility
Is the Super Visa a good alternative to the PGP? Both are only accessible to the parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents. There are no minimum time requirements for applicants to hold this status, but sponsors must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents when applying.
Note: While eligible sponsors must initially submit applicant profiles & applicants for the PGP, the Super Visa requires that sponsored applicants apply themselves.
To be eligible for the PGP, applicants should:
- Have submitted an interest to sponsor form on IRCC’s website in 2020
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Live in Canada
- Meet or exceed the minimum necessary income for this program & provide proof of income to IRCC.
- Sign an undertaking:
- To financially support the sponsored applicant for 20 years. Applicants in Quebec will need to sign an undertaking for ten years.
- To repay social assistance advantages paid to the sponsored family members for 20 years
In order to be eligible for the Super Visa, candidates must:
- Be outside of Canada at the time of their application
- Provide proof of an eligible host, including:
- Proof of the applicant’s relationship to the host
- Proof of the host’s status in Canada
- Proof that the host is 18 years of age or older & lives in Canada
- Proof that the host meets Canada’s low-income cut-off criteria
Under both programs, those being cannot be medically or criminally inadmissible to travel to Canada.
Immigration Outcomes
The PGP & Super Visa program also delivers different immigration outcomes to those who have their applications approved.
Under the PGP, successful applicants obtain PR status, enabling them to live, work, & settle in Canada for as long as they want – & giving them access to most of the rights of a Canadian citizen.
Under the Super Visa program successful applicants get temporary resident status – similar to those on a work/ study permit in Canada. This implies that their stays will also be limited in Canada. Super Visa holders can remain in Canada for up to five years at a time, with the opportunity to extend for an extra two years. This implies that these temporary residents can stay in Canada for seven years at a time before needing to leave.
Cost
Is Super Visa a good alternative to the PGP? Well, because of the differing immigration outcomes, both programs also have varying costs.
Note: In addition to application costs, sponsors under the Parents and Grandparents Program must meet/ exceed the minimum necessary income criteria for sponsorship, while a Super Visa sponsor must meet the low-income cut-off.
For the PGP, successful applicants need to pay 1.205 CAD for a principal applicant, which includes a sponsorship fee (85 CAD), a successful applicant processing fee, & a right of PR fee (575 CAD).
Moreover, an addition of 1,205 CAD is needed to include the spouse/ partner of your parent/ grandparent, including a 635 CAD processing fee & a 575 CAD right of permanent residence fee.
Applicants can also waive the permanent residence fee in certain circumstances.
On the other hand, applicants under the Super Visa program will need to pay 100 CAD for their single/ multiple entry Super Visa for a single applicant or a 500 CAD fee per family of five being sponsored. Applicants might also pay an additional 100 CAD fee to extend their stay as a visitor or a 229 CAD fee to restore their status in Canada, should they need to.
To be eligible as a family under the Super Visa, family members must all apply at the same time and place, and all children in the family should qualify as dependents.
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