Super Visa for Granny

Over the years, Canada’s immigration system has been used and abused.


Politicians have upped the number of people we accept each year for their own gain rather than the best needs of the country.


There have been changes in where we accept people from for political reasons and even where we have placed our immigration application offices in foreign countries has been subject to political interference.


In short, for the last quarter century, both Liberal and Conservative governments have treated our immigration system as something to deliver voters.


As a result, there have been problems.


A backlog of nearly 1 million people who paid their fee, put in their application and waited and waited and waited.


One of the most politically sensitive files has been family reunification.


Helping people bring their parents or grandparents into the country may seem noble and yes, it can be.


But if we put too much emphasis on reuniting families and not enough on bringing in young, productive workers that will keep the economy moving then we will slowly kill our economy.


For better or worse, Canada is a social welfare state. We provide free education at the elementary and high school level, we provide low cost post-secondary education but for the collection of people over 65 trying to come to Canada the golden ring is the free health care.


While you and I pay for our healthcare through the tax system, people that come here later in life do not and this is a problem.


Seniors applying to come to Canada may not come in just for the free health care but once they are here they will have access to the system.


The Canadian Institute for Health Information reports that seniors in Canada make up just 14% of the population but consume 44% of all health care spending.


Currently there is a major backlog in the immigration system when it comes to seniors.


While we let in about 15-thousand parents and grandparents each year, there are 165,000 waiting in limbo.


The opposition parties say we should just let more people in each year, in every category, including seniors.


That may help win votes of people that will reward politicians that help their mum or dad get into the country but it will put incredible strain on our system.


The Harper government announced a moratorium on new applications today. No one else will be allowed to apply to come to Canada as a parent or grandparent for the next two years until the backlog is dealt with and the program redesigned.


It’s not fair to Canada to open the floodgates but nor is it fair to leave these people in limbo.


That doesn’t mean Canada will shut the door to family reunification altogether.


Your parents or grandparents can get a visa, in a matter of weeks not years, that will allow them access to extended stays in Canada – provided they have their own health insurance.


These moves are sure to be controversial with all the usual suspects but they sound to me like they are in the best interests of Canada and those who want to come here.