OTTAWA – The much hyped Super Visa announced by Citizenship and Immigration Canada will be a costly affair with insurance costs beginning at $3,300 for a fit senior.
The visa itself costs C$150 or its equivalent, said CIC spokesperson Bill Brown – or IRs 6,900 in India (and Nepal); PRs10,500 in Pakistan; LKRs17,200 in Sri Lanka (and the Maldives); and BDT11,400 in Bangladesh.
“The (third party) service provider charge fee” is extra, Brown said. Per transaction, VFS Global charges in India Rs720, and in Bangladesh Taka875; TT Services in Lanka charges Rs450.
There is no such third-party service in Pakistan.
Insurance cover for the minimum $100,000 health policy needed starts at $2,000 per year for a fully fit senior willing to pay a deductible of $1,000; more realistically, it starts at $3,300 for a fairly fit senior under 70 years, payable in advance (but with no pre-existing liability), revealed a rough insurers’ survey.
Meanwhile Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism minister Jason Kenney continues to trumpet the visa.
“We pledged to process the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa in less than eight weeks,” the Minister said. “We’ve issued the first of the Super Visas in just two weeks and we remain committed to reuniting families through the Super Visa in a timely manner.”
