Summary#

This bill changes visitor visas for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents. It lets them stay longer and broadens where they can buy required health insurance. It also requires a public report on possibly lowering the income requirement for host families.

• Sets a 5-year stay for eligible parents and grandparents visiting for an extended period (s.29(3)).
• Allows required private health insurance to be purchased from approved insurers outside Canada (added after s.15).
• Orders the Minister to table a report within one year on reducing the host’s minimum income requirement, special processing circumstances, and a review process; the report must be published online (Report to Parliament clauses).
• If no reduction is provided within two years, the Minister must table reasons in Parliament (Explanation clause).
• Does not change who qualifies for a visa beyond these items; all usual admissibility rules still apply (implicit).

What it means for you#

• Households (Canadian citizens or permanent residents): You can host a visiting parent or grandparent for up to 5 years per stay once this law takes effect (s.29(3)). You still must meet the existing income requirement until the Minister completes the report and decides on any change (Report to Parliament clauses). You may be able to use a foreign health insurer if the Minister approves that insurer (added after s.15).

• Parents and grandparents (foreign nationals): You may apply for a temporary resident visa for an extended visit of 5 years if you meet all conditions (s.29(3)). You must carry private health insurance, which can be from a Canadian company or an approved company outside Canada (added after s.15). All other entry and admissibility rules remain in place (implicit in the Act).

• Insurance buyers and providers: Families can shop for required medical coverage from Canadian providers or approved foreign providers, if the Minister has approved them (added after s.15). Coverage must still meet any standards set by ministerial instructions (e.g., coverage limits), but the bill does not change those standards (added after s.15).

• Immigration practitioners and advisers: The 5-year stay is set in statute rather than policy, providing a clear rule for planning (s.29(3)). Watch for the Minister’s report within one year and any follow-up changes to the income threshold or review process (Report to Parliament clauses).

• Parliament and the public: The Minister must table and publish the report within set timelines, and must provide reasons if no income-threshold reduction is implemented within two years (Report to Parliament; Explanation clause).

Expenses#

Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• The bill includes no explicit spending, appropriations, or fee changes (entire bill).
• It requires the Minister to approve foreign insurance options and to prepare, table, and publish a report; no cost estimate is provided (added after s.15; Report to Parliament clauses). Data unavailable.
• Any administrative, enforcement, or oversight costs for approving and monitoring foreign insurers are not quantified. Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• Longer stays reduce repeat travel and make caregiving and family support easier for multi-year periods (s.29(3)).
• Allowing approved foreign insurers increases competition and choice for required health coverage, which could lower premiums for families (added after s.15). Assumes sufficient approved providers and comparable coverage terms.
• A mandated report, publication, and possible income-threshold reduction could open the program to more families with modest incomes, while keeping transparency through public tabling (Report to Parliament clauses).
• Codifying the 5-year stay in the Act provides stability compared with relying only on ministerial instructions, helping families plan multi-year visits (s.29(3)).
• The explanation requirement if no reduction occurs within two years increases accountability to Parliament and the public (Explanation clause).

Opponents' View#

• Approving foreign health insurers may pose oversight and enforcement challenges, including verifying solvency, claims payment, and consumer protection across borders (added after s.15). Assumes limited regulatory reach outside Canada.
• A 5-year stay could raise risk of unpaid medical costs if insurance is inadequate or claims are denied, potentially shifting burdens to provinces or hospitals (s.29(3)). No quantified risk provided.
• If the Minister later reduces the income requirement, more hosts with limited means could face financial strain supporting long visits; the bill does not define safeguards (Report to Parliament clauses). This outcome depends on future ministerial decisions.
• The bill mandates reporting but does not guarantee policy change; timelines could create uncertainty for applicants planning near-term travel (Report to Parliament; Explanation clause).
• No fiscal estimate is provided; administrative and compliance costs for reviewing insurers and managing the reporting and any new review process are unknown (entire bill).