Jerseygirl

You don't have to leave.

dave_j

The phrase 'multi-entry' begs so many simple questions that are never found on the CIC site.
It would have been so easy for CIC and their programers to have asked themselves what questions potential applicants might want answered, but so much is left in mid air.
We were preparing to apply to extend our visa when, some years after our sponsorship application, when we were awarded PR so the the issue fell away, much to our relief.
Unless you realise that sites like this exist then you're left on your own because officials probably know less than you do.

Steve_

This question is always difficult to answer, it's based on your non-immigrant intent which is subjective. There is no "how long", it's based on whether you have ties abroad. You could apply for an extension while in Canada and if CIC is convinced you still have non-immigrant intent, not a problem.

The question is really, what is non-immigrant intent in the context of someone who has by definition stated they've resided in Canada for the last two years?

This is the relevant bit of the CIC manual: Temporary residence requirements: Super visa applicants

And this: Temporary residents: Guidelines for issuing single-entry or multiple-entry visas

Not quite sure why they limited Jerseygirl's stay to one year, says very specifically at the POE the person should be admitted for two years.

But the only relevant bit on non-immigrant intent is that the person has a history of travelling to and returning from Canada, which is about as vague as it gets.

Some evidence you don't stick around, is all that seems to mean.

Jerseygirl

I was given a year because my PR application is being processed. I was told PR should be through by then. I'll believe that when I see it.

Former Lancastrian

I think I might have mentioned the odd time in other threads how much I hate CIC for certain things they have implemented and this is one of them

As with anything to do with Immigration be it temporary residents which include visitors, students and workers the legislation or rules and regulations are made by CIC aka IRCC. This sounds pretty good until you realize that there are no CIC employees working at any POE across Canada. Since 2003 all POEs are staffed by CBSA aka Canada Customs officers. Im betting you could count the amount of legacy CIC officers prior to 2003 still working at POEs and now wearing a CBSA uniform probably on 2 hands well maybe 3.
There is definitely a disconnect between CBSA and CIC when things like this are implemented. CBSA did not receive any specific instructions on what to do with super visa holders when entering Canada. Those of us who knew and administered the Immigration Act used our knowledge and issued visitor records for 2 years on their initial entry. I know of lots who didn't and this caused problems for some as they had no documentation issued to them.
Would it have been so hard for CIC to tell CBSA to issue VRs for 2 years to super visa holders?
So the next time you want to vent your frustrations on something that happened at a POE involving Immigration i.e. work permits, study permits or landings etc etc spare a thought for the CBSA officer who might not have known what to do because CIC didn't tell us what they wanted us to do.

Don't even talk to me about Refugee Processing at the moment

williamceri

For insurance cover for parents and older visitors, try " safevisit.ca " . They are backed by one of Canada's large banks and seem to cater to long term visitors. Found them MUCH cheaper than any UK insurance company. Goodluck.

dave_j

Interesting take on the situation FL, but one for which heads would roll in any commercial organisation. It must have happened that reports flew up the chain of CBSA that people were turning up with strange things called supervisas and that CBSA officers were asking some questions like 'what do I do with these people?'

So some seriously basic questions need to be answered.

1. How far up the chain did these reports go before they were ignored?
2. If they reached high enough why wasn't CIC contacted for information?
3. If CIC was contacted and failed to issue information, why wasn't more pressure applied to get them to do so and in ignorance of any CIC directive why didn't CBSA brass get out of their chairs and issue one of their own?
4. If CIC did reply then why wasn't information passed back down the chain to CBSA on the ground?
5. If information did reach the CBSA official at the POE why was it ignored?

This went on for years. In my ignorance I had anticipated that a new visa category would highlight glitches in the system, but expected these to have been ironed out by the time I arrived.

In my field of work we had these novel ideas called meetings, where individuals at different levels of management would talk to one another. We had things called telephones that enabled people of one company to talk with people of another company using something called electricity. We even had letters where one person could write to someone else asking questions using pen, ink and parchment. We'd even, yes we had internet in those days, got something called email.

Simply to state that CIC were at fault excuses the failures on all for the problems that myself and others had to endure for no good reason.

I appreciate that the CBSA official at the POE might have been in the dark initially but a lack of an ability to understand and learn from a new situation highlights a very broken system and one where those in charge need to be taken to task.

Quoting Cromwell someone should gather those responsible and tell them..'You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go'

Former Lancastrian

The Govt is not a commercial operation so they don't have competition from rivals say like an airline. We don't answer to shareholders per se and do not rely on quarterly reports to see how well/bad we are doing thats not to say that some commercial companies operate differently. Call centres are a good example of actually trying to talk to someone who actually knows what they are doing as its cheaper to pay persons just to read from a script or are limited to how much time they can spend with an individual.
Until you work for the Govt you have no idea how dysfunctional it can be at times however front line workers cannot be solely blamed for this and there are many Govt workers who provide exceptional service.
There is a chain of command and if you don't follow it then you could be disciplined or have your card marked. Eventually albeit sometimes a wrong attitude or years of seeing nothing done or higher ups not being held accountable many workers use the not my problem.

I speak from experience and I have done enough and my share of banging my head against a wall and now I don't suffer from as many headaches.

dave_j

Disturbing. You paint a picture of a service in complete disarray where the man on the ground is left to make it up as he goes along and woe betide anyone who attempts to make it better.
When I managed people, I took the view that if they had a problem then it became my problem and I worked to make it go away. You seem to have a management completely devoid of responsibility. One is tempted to ask 'what is it that they do other than polish the chairs they sit in?'

thefishnets

FL asked about getting medical treatment on the NHS if 'coming home' to UK.
There was a major fuss about this a couple of years ago when people were returning back from European emigration when their health deteriorated. I understand the upshot was that to qualify for NHS treatment you had to have been resident in the UK for the previous 6 months.
It caused a stir as you can imagine, particularly as the test cases were all enjoying EU 'freedom of movement' and entitled to use health facilities in the country in which they had been residing.
Things may change but with 'health tourism' being one of the watchwords for the Brexit campaigners I doubt it will improve.

Steve_

The regulations don't seem to make a distinction on that basis and as FL points out, it's two years, either it's granted or it's not granted. I'd file a complaint with CBSA if I were you and see what comes back. The inspector surely didn't parole you in for a year. The regs on this subject come from the CIC, CBSA follows them.

Jerseygirl

Can't be bothered with the hassle to be honest. Non of the border agents seem to know anything about the Super Visa...they look confused and wave us through. I wrote in another thread...my husband crossed the border last week...the officer admitted he had never heard of the Super Visa. He didn't even even look at his PP...admittedly hubby had already scanned his NEXUS card.