Two-year moratorium on parent & grandparent visas

November 2011

Canada has announced a two-year moratorium for parent and grandparent visas in an effort to slash a massive backlog of applications.

At present, there are more than 165,000 parents or grandparents of Canadian residents on the waitlist to have a permanent visa granted.

Under the current family reunification scheme, about 15,000 sponsored parents or grandparents are granted entry to Canada each year, but the Citizenship and Immigration Department (CIC) receives more than twice that number of applications.

The average wait time for an application to be processed now exceeds more than seven years.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, says: “Action must be taken to cut the backlog, reduce the wait times, and ensure that the parents and grandparents program is sustainable over the long run.”

During the two-year break, CIC will boost the amount of parents and grandparents admitted to Canada – 2012 is expected to see a 60% increase in numbers – and will launch a consultation to seek feedback on reforming the current system.

CIC has also announced a new Parent and Grandparent Super Visa which will be good for 10 years, but will have to be renewed every two years. People applying to sponsor a parent or grandparent will have to show they can support their visiting relatives. To be accepted, the visitors will be required to have private health insurance coverage during their stay in Canada. The new visa is expected to take just eight weeks to be granted.