Conservatives want to make it easier for relatives of immigrants to enter Canada
The bill has already passed two readings out of the mandatory three.
Conservative MP Kyle Seebeck introduced Bill C-242, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Amendment (Temporary Resident Visas for Parents and Grandparents) Act. It is intended to make it easier to obtain supervisas for close relatives of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Supervision allows you to enter and exit Canada an unlimited number of times over a ten-year period. It is easier to obtain a super visa than a permanent residence permit for a close relative under family sponsorship.
"This compassionate legislation is a sensible change that will unite more Canadians and residents with their parents and grandparents, - Seebeck said. — Conservatives will always support families. Bill C-242 will help unite many Canadians and residents with loved ones from other countries."
The bill proposes three main changes:
- relatives will be able to stay in Canada without renewing their status for five years instead of two;
- they will be able to purchase health insurance not in Canada;
- the minimum income requirements for people who are visited by relatives on supervised visits will be lowered.
The bill is now before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. After committee approval, there must be a third reading, consideration in the Senate, and royal assent by the governor general. Only then will the bill become law and take effect.
Although Seebeck argues that sharing elderly people with relatives will help them keep costs down, since grandparents can babysit young children, committee members fear that Canada will not get money from other countries' health insurance plans. More resources are needed to create a list of foreign insurance companies that can be trusted.
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