It’s official! The U.S. has announced the opening of land borders for Canadian and Mexican visitors who intend to visit the U.S., from November. This was annouced earlier today by the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, allowing visitors who are fully vaccinated visitors for COVID-19 to enter the United States for non-essential purposes, including to visit friends and family or for tourism, via land and ferry border crossings.
Lawmakers in both the U.S. and Canada have appreciated the gesture of finally lifting the restrictions that have been in place since March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly harmed the economies of both countries and has prevented visits to friends and families for more than 19 months.
Unvaccinated visitors will still be restricted from entering the United States from Canada or Mexico at land borders. The exact date of lifting the travel restrictions will be announced soon. Canada had lifted the restrictions for American visitors since August 9, 2021, for non-essential travel.
Before submitting an application for a super visa for your parent or grandparent, the applicant will need to show that they have medical insurance. These are the listed requirements from canada.ca for medical insurance from a Canadian* insurance company:
valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry
at least $100,000 coverage
have proof that the medical insurance has been paid (quotes aren’t accepted)
*Beginning on July 4th, 2022, designated non-Canadian insurers have been allowed to provide medical insurances for super visas, according to a statement on June 7th, 2022 by Canada’s immigration minister. There are currently no designated non-Canadian insurers, but any new insurers will be updated on IRCC’s website according to the statement. Please also follow DFI on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates
How Much Does Super Visa Medical Insurance Cost?
The best way to proceed is to use a quote comparison website. These are websites where you can put in the information specific to your situation and it will give you a range of quotes from different insurance providers. Some popular examples are listed below:
To give you an approximate range of costs, I’ll get quotes from 2 different hypothetical applicants on rates.ca.
Example #1: 65 year old man with no pre-existing medical condition
On the most affordable end, we have AwayCare TrueNorth for $1,243.95 for standard coverage with a $1000USD deductible.
On the other end, we have Allianz Global Assistance providing an AD&D (Accidental Death and Dismemberment) policy for $3230.25 with a $0 deductible.
Example #2: 60 year old woman with pre-existing medical condition
It is very important to note that rates.ca states that the quotes for those with stable pre-existing medical conditions might not be accurate until after speaking with a representative
The most affordable rates are very similar to the previous applicant’s, with AwayCare TrueNorth providing coverage at a $1228.44.
As far as the best coverage, this applicant can get a much better deal for the same plan provided by Allianz Global Assistance than the previous applicant, with a premium at $2606.10.
While the prices can change drastically depending on your particular situation, here are some common ranges:
Single mid-40s, no pre-existing medical conditions: about $800 to $1,800
Couple mid-40s, no pre-existing medical conditions: about $1,600 to $3,600
Single early 70s, no pre-existing medical conditions: about $1,700 to $4,600
Single 70s, stable pre-existing medical condition: starts around $2,200
While there’s not much in your control as to what type of quotes you get, it is encouraged in general to apply as a couple if possible instead of submitting 2 different applications, as it reduces costs usually.
What if my super visa is refused?
If the super visa application is denied, the money is may not be lost. The insurance company may provide a full or partial refund based on the particulars of the policy.
Additionally, if you don’t stay in Canada for the full year that the policy covers and haven’t made a claim, you may also be provided with a prorated refund for the unused coverage.
What is a super visa?
Many parents want to see and spend time with their children and grandchildren who now live away from them in Canada, and vice versa. To serve this purpose without having to permanently relocate to Canada, you can get a super visa.
According to canada.ca, “a super visa lets you visit your children or grandchildren for up to 2 years at a time. It’s a multi-entry visa valid for a period up to 10 years.”
So, if you have or are a child or grandchild that is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, this could be a great option for reuniting your family for extended periods of time in a simple manner.
If you need any help with applying for a super visa, or want to see what’s the best option for you, please book a consultation with us and we’d be happy to assist!
You do not need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to lease or own property in Canada. Any foreign national is allowed to do so without restriction – they simply need to pay any required taxes, such as sales tax or land transfer tax, in order to take ownership of their Canadian property.
Rights of Foreign Property Owners in Canada
If you are a foreign national without a work permit or study permit, and you own property in Canada, then you will enter Canada as a visitor in order to go to your Canadian cottage or home. However, owning property in Canada does not give any foreign visitor the right to enter Canada, even to enjoy the property they have paid for. It is a privilege, not a right, for any person who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to enter Canada – even if they are property owners.
If you are inadmissible to Canada, then you will not be allowed to enter Canada, even to go to a property you own. The most common reason for inadmissibility to Canada for Americans is criminal inadmissibility surrounding DUI charges. If you are an American citizen who owns property in Canada, you will be refused entry at the Canadian border if you have a criminal record. To overcome your inadmissibility and visit Canada, you will need to either apply for a Temporary Resident Permit or Criminal Rehabilitation.
Staying Legal While Visiting Your Canadian Property
If you enter Canada as a visitor, how long you are allowed to remain in Canada is determined by Canada Border Services Agency when you speak with them at the border. Nearly all visitors are given 6 months to remain in Canada. Unless CBSA tells you otherwise, then you are allowed to stay for 6 months from the day you have entered.
If CBSA wants you to leave Canada sooner than 6 months from entry, they will advise you verbally AND write the date you must leave on the stamp they put in your passport. You should also be given a visitor record, which is a paper document, which tells you the date you must leave Canada (your expiry date).
No matter how long you are given by CBSA at the time you enter Canada, you can apply to extend your stay as a visitor from within Canada without having to leave. As long as you apply BEFORE your expiry date, then you will have implied status, and will continue to be legal in Canada until a decision is made on the application to extend your stay. If the application is approved, then you are allowed to stay until the expiry date on your new visitor record. If the application is refused, then you must leave Canada immediately.
Even if your visitor extension application is refused, if you leave Canada on time as you are supposed to, then you should be able to re-enter Canada in the future without problems. It is extremely important to maintain valid status in Canada to prevent problems the next time you try to cross the Canadian border.
Relocating to Canada Permanently
Owning property in Canada does not give applicants for permanent residence any additional advantage. Applicants for economic immigration, based on work experience and education, still need to meet all eligibility requirements regardless of their country of nationality or any property ownership in Canada. Additional points are awarded for family members in Canada and English (or French) language ability.
There is no maximum age for immigrating to Canada. If you are over the age of 45, economic immigration to Canada via Express Entry can be much more difficult as the applicant will not be awarded any points for their age. However, there are still programs which applicants over 45 can take advantage of.
The coronavirus COVID-19 is impacting all of our lives in a serious way. The last thing that anyone wants to do now is get on a plane to leave Canada, especially if you don’t know when you will be able to come back.
If your status in Canada is expiring soon or has already expired, then you have a couple of options to remain in Canada.
If your status in Canada has not yet expired:
If you are currently a worker, student, or visitor, you can apply to extend your status to remain in Canada with legal status.
You have to submit your application before the expiry date of your current status. If you do this, you will have what is called implied status. Implied status is continued legal status under the same conditions that you originally entered Canada with.
You will continue to have implied status as long as you remain in Canada until a final decision is made on your application to extend your status, and you can continue the same activities such as studying, working, and visiting, as you were allowed to do when you entered Canada.
If you are not eligible to extend your study permit or work permit:
If your temporary status as a visitor, study permit, or work permit has already expired:
If your work permit, study permit, or visitor status expired less than 90 days ago, you can submit an application to restore your status.
Not to worry – a lot of people think that the moment their status in Canada expires, the police will show up and arrest or deport them! This is absolutely not the case.
You have 90 days to restore your temporary status. If you are not eligible to restore your status as a worker or student, you may apply to restore as a visitor so that you do not have to leave Canada during the COVID-19 crisis.
If your status expired more than 90 days ago:
If your study permit, work permit, or visitor status expired more than 90 days ago, then you are no longer eligible to restore your status.
However, you do have the option to apply for a Temporary Resident Permit in order to regain legal status in Canada.
If your temporary resident permit is valid for 6 months or more, then you may apply for a work permit or study permit which will be valid to the expiry date of the TRP.
Fees
Fees for a status extension or restoration application usually range from $350 – $500 per person + government application fee.
Temporary Resident Permit fees for individuals inside Canada without status usually range from $500 – $1000 per person + government fees depending on the circumstances.
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The government of Canada has been explicit about wanting to limit exposure to COVID-19 coronavirus sickness to all people currently present in Canada. This includes not only Canadian citizens and permanent residents, but also temporary residents and even those without status.
All people in Canada are encouraged to seek medical attention should they begin to exhibit coronavirus symptoms.
Contact us if you have additional questions about your status in Canada.
