With the backlog having climbed to more than 165,000 parents and grandparents waiting for a decision on their Canadian permanent residence applications, and with the waiting time for processing exceeding seven years, CIC has announced a four-part Action Plan to tackle this problem. This Action Plan encompasses the following:

1. Increasing the number of parents and grandparents to be admitted in 2012 to 25,000 (up from nearly 15,500 in 2010).
2. Introduction of a new Super Visa for parents and grandparents, which will be valid for 10 years, and which will allow eligible applicants to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time with the possibility to renew for a further 24 months. This Super Visa will come into effect on December 1, 2011.
3. Public consultation on how to redesign the parents and grandparents program, so that it will become sustainable and avoid huge backlogs.
4. CIC will not accept new sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents for two years starting November 5, 2011.

This Action Plan appears to have some “give and take”. While no new sponsorship applications will be accepted for two years so that the backlog of applications can be attacked, eligible parents and grandparents can obtain the new Super Visa so they can join their family members in Canada, albeit with temporary status. Full details on eligibility criteria for the new Super Visa have not yet been announced, although CIC has announced that parents and grandparents will have to take an immigration medical test, prove that they have purchased Canadian medical insurance, and prove that there is a child or grandchild in Canada who will provide financial support and who meets a minimum income threshold. CIC aims to process Super Visa applications in eight weeks on average.

Read the full announcement here.