Last updated on February 4th, 2020
Choosing the right kind of Canadian Visa is the most important step in fulfilling your dream to be united with your loved one. There are cases where otherwise eligible persons who applied for the incorrect type of visa were repatriated. In this article, let’s talk about the unfortunate story of a 70-year-old grandmother from Toronto who was sent back to Sri Lanka, just because she applied (and was approved) for the wrong type of Visitors Visa to Canada.
In an August 2012 report from the Gulf Times, Gunapoosany Kandasamy, was sent back to her native Sri Lanka after her granddaughter filed a refugee claim instead of acting as a sponsor. Citizenship and Immigration Canada denied this refugee application and consequently, Kandasamy was on sent her way home.
To complicate matters, the 70-year-old Kandasamy has no relative to take care of her while in Sri Lanka. Her daughter, Chandradevi Uthirakumaran, lives in Toronto while her other two children are in Norway. Because of this, Uthirakumaran had to call people in Sri Lanka non-stop just to make arrangements for her mother when she arrives.
Instead of applying for a refugee claim, which is probably the most complicated option available, Uthirakumaran and Kandasamy should have applied for a Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, or Super Visa in short. As its name suggests, the Super Visa is offered to parents and grandparents of any Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Unlike regular visa applications, Super Visa applications are simpler and faster. There are only three basic requirements and the application processing time takes only a few weeks. This is because Super Visa are created primarily as a means to help family members reunite with each other after being apart for so long. In this light, Kandasamy would have been approved for a Super Visa if she applied for it.
Note, however, that the mother and daughter pair cannot be entirely blamed for this error, since the Canadian Super Visa was launched relatively recently. Hence, they may not yet be aware that such an option was available in the first place.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Minister Jason Kenney announced the new Super Visa last November 2011. This allows grandparents, parents to stay up to 2 years at a time for a period of ten years. This is in response to the growing immigrant population, who are often forced to leave their families in their homeland in search of a better life.
But there is a gleam of hope: Kandasamy can still apply for the new visa and hopefully, in just a few weeks time, she can meet her loved ones again.
For all your question regarding the Super Visa, the requirements and insurance please feel free to contact us at 1-877-211-4301 or by email at [email protected]
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