General

Canada to give “super visa” to elderly immigrants

Move will shorten backlog of applications, Ottawa hopes

The federal government is planning to introduce a “super visa” that will allow the parents and grandparents of immigrants to stay in Canada for prolonged periods of time without becoming permanent residents. Because the new type of visa does not afford the same privileges of permanent residence, processing times should be shorter, allowing the government to curtail the backlog of immigration applications for the elderly. “There are currently 160,000 parents and grandparents waiting to join their loved ones in Canada, but Ottawa only grants about 15,000 visas to the group each year. The backlog is growing by 14,000 a year,” the Toronto Star writes.

The Toronto Star

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