Super Visa Canada for Parents and Grandparents

Written and reviewed by Omer Khalil, RCIC (R710149), a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant and member of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Last reviewed: September 2026. Official IRCC source check: September 7, 2026 (stay length, insurance coverage and insurer rules re-verified that day).

A Super Visa lets eligible parents and grandparents of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian visit Canada for long stays. It is a visitor option, not permanent residence and not sponsorship. This page explains who qualifies, what the host must show, the income and insurance rules, how long your parents or grandparents can stay, and how a Super Visa compares to the Parents and Grandparents Program.

2026 update. IRCC changed how Super Visa income eligibility is assessed. Families should confirm the current income method, family-size calculation, and insurance requirements before applying.

What is a Super Visa?

A Super Visa is a long-stay visitor visa for parents and grandparents of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian. It allows approved applicants to visit Canada for up to 5 years per entry and provides multiple entries for up to 10 years, subject to passport validity and the visa issued. The current IRCC visitor-visa fee is CAD $100 per applicant plus CAD $85 biometrics per person where required (the eligible family biometrics maximum is CAD $170); private insurance and medical-exam costs are separate. It is visitor status. It is not permanent residence and it is not a sponsorship program. Families often use a Super Visa to spend extended time together, especially when the Parents and Grandparents Program is closed.

Super Visa is visitor status, not permanent residence. It does not by itself lead to PR.

Super Visa vs visitor visa

Both are visitor options, but they are used differently. IRCC notes that if you do not meet the Super Visa requirements, or you only want to stay 6 months or less, a regular visitor visa may fit better.

Super Visa vs Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (PGP)

A Super Visa is a visitor option. The Parents and Grandparents Program leads to permanent residence. IRCC paused new PGP intake on July 15, 2026 and is not accepting new interest-to-sponsor forms or sending new invitations until further notice. Existing applications continue to be processed. Sponsoring a spouse or partner is a separate family class route, set out in our spousal sponsorship guide.

PGP status. IRCC paused the Parents and Grandparents Program on July 15, 2026. IRCC is not accepting new interest-to-sponsor forms or sending new invitations until further notice, while existing applications continue to be processed. IRCC plans to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the existing PGP application inventory in 2026; that is not a new sponsorship invitation round. No reopening date or future invitation round is confirmed. For the latest PGP details, see our Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship page.

A Super Visa can be considered separately while PGP is paused. No reopening date is confirmed. A Super Visa does not change or improve any future PGP selection process.

Who can apply for a Super Visa?

Parents and grandparents of an eligible host can apply. The applicant must apply from outside Canada, be admissible to Canada, show valid private medical insurance, complete an immigration medical exam, and satisfy IRCC that the visit is genuine and temporary.

Who can be the host (child or grandchild)?

The host is the applicant’s child or grandchild in Canada. The host must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian, be at least 18, live in Canada, meet the income requirement, and sign a letter of invitation.

Super Visa requirements

In short, a complete Super Visa application brings together an eligible host, proof of the host relationship and income, a signed letter of invitation, valid private medical insurance for the applicant, a completed immigration medical exam, and evidence that the visit is genuine and temporary. Missing or weak pieces are the most common cause of delay or refusal.

Host income and financial support

The host must show that there is enough financial support for the parent or grandparent during the stay in Canada. IRCC uses a minimum necessary income based on family size, and the way income is proven was updated in 2026. There are now two accepted ways to meet it. The change took effect on March 31, 2026, and IRCC assesses every application already in processing on that date, or submitted on or after it, under the new income rules (IRCC notice, checked November 11, 2026).

Option 1: the host (including an eligible co-signer’s income, if there is one) meets or exceeds the required amount in either of the two tax years before the application is submitted.

Option 2: the host (including a co-signer, if applicable) earned at least 75% of the required amount in the year before the application, and the visiting parent or grandparent adds their own income to cover the rest, so the combined total meets the requirement. In that case, the applicant must show they will keep earning income while in Canada.
Illustrative income calculation (not the current IRCC income table): If the minimum necessary income for your family size were CAD $60,000, the host and eligible co-signer would need at least CAD $45,000 in qualifying prior-year income to use Option 2. With CAD $46,000 from the host/co-signer and CAD $14,000 of documented parent or grandparent income that will continue during the visit, the combined amount could reach CAD $60,000. With only CAD $44,000 from the host/co-signer, Option 2 would not meet its 75% minimum even if the visiting parent earns more; assess Option 1 separately. These numbers are hypothetical: use IRCC’s current threshold for your actual family size.

Only the host’s spouse or common-law partner can co-sign, and they must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian. Family size, dependent children, past sponsorships, and active Super Visa invitations all affect the calculation, so the income review should not be guessed. We confirm the current family-size count and the right proof-of-income method for your situation.

Super Visa income rules changed in 2026. Do not rely on an old income checklist. Confirm the current family-size calculation and proof-of-income method before applying.

What is the minimum income a Super Visa host needs?

IRCC sets the minimum necessary income by family size. Because the count always includes the host and at least one invited parent or grandparent, the smallest Super Visa family is 2 people, which needs CAD $38,002; a family of seven needs CAD $80,784, plus CAD $8,224 for each person after seven. The host, with an eligible co-signer if there is one, must meet that figure in either of the 2 tax years before applying (Option 1), or reach at least 75% of it in the year before applying and have the invited parent or grandparent’s own income cover the rest (Option 2). Either way, the answer depends on counting the family correctly.

IRCC’s table starts at 1 person, but a Super Visa family is always at least 2. This is IRCC’s table as shown on its proof of financial support page, where it is marked “Updated July 29, 2025” (read by MAK on November 4, 2026, when it was still the table on that page). IRCC revises the table, so check that page for the current figures before you apply.

How IRCC counts family size. According to IRCC’s proof of financial support page (read November 4, 2026), the count includes the invited parents or grandparents and any other Super Visa applicants the host will support (such as an applicant’s spouse or common-law partner), the host, the host’s spouse (which IRCC says might include a separated spouse) or common-law partner, the dependent children of the host and of that partner, previously approved Super Visa applicants named in another letter of invitation that still applies, signed by the host or the host’s spouse or common-law partner, and anyone the host or co-signer previously sponsored, or co-signed a sponsorship for, whose undertaking is still in effect. IRCC says dependent children must be counted whatever the custody and child-support arrangements are.

What do our RCICs see hosts get wrong on Super Visa income?

The biggest mistake our RCICs see is hosts not calculating family size properly, and many families make wrong assumptions about which income counts and who can co-sign. They always tell families to check their income documents and calculate family size before applying.

What our RCICs see: family size miscounted. The biggest mistake our RCICs see is hosts relying on their salary without properly calculating family size; they often forget to include dependent children or parents already being supported. A bigger family count means a higher minimum in the table above.

What our RCICs see: two wrong assumptions. Many families assume only last year’s income counts, or that any relative can co-sign. Under IRCC’s Option 1, the host can meet the minimum in either of the 2 tax years before the application is submitted, and only the host’s spouse or common-law partner can co-sign, and only if that partner is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian; other family members, such as siblings, cannot.

What our RCICs advise: check before you file. Our RCICs always tell families to check their income documents and calculate family size before applying, and not to assume that having a good job or money in the bank automatically makes them eligible. For the first of IRCC’s two ways to prove income, IRCC asks for the notice of assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.

The figures and the family-size, tax-year and notice-of-assessment statements above are IRCC’s, from its proof of financial support page; the co-signer rule is from IRCC’s forms and documents page. Both were checked on November 4, 2026. The statements about what MAK’s RCICs see and advise are MAK’s experience, not an IRCC rule.

Medical insurance requirement

The applicant must show proof of private health insurance that is valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry. IRCC requires the policy to cover health care, hospitalization, and repatriation, and to provide a minimum emergency coverage of $100,000 (IRCC, Super visa forms and documents page, page modified 30 July 2026, checked 7 September 2026). The policy must be paid, in full or by instalments, because a quote is not accepted.

The policy can be from a Canadian insurance company, or from a foreign insurance company that is authorised by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) and whose policy states it was issued while that company was doing insurance business in Canada. It must also meet IRCC’s current requirements. Because the insurance rules were updated, the policy should be checked carefully before submission. See the official IRCC insurance details in the links below.

Medical exam and admissibility

The applicant must take an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician and be admissible to Canada. IRCC also considers general visitor conditions, including ties to the home country, the purpose of the visit, family and finances, and whether the applicant is a genuine visitor who will leave at the end of the stay.

How long can parents or grandparents stay?

A Super Visa allows stays of up to 5 years per entry.

Extensions from inside Canada

Parents and grandparents visiting on a Super Visa may apply for 2-year extensions to their stay from inside Canada. Confirm the current rule before relying on it.

Common reasons Super Visa applications run into problems

Applications can be delayed or refused for reasons such as host income that does not meet the requirement, insurance that does not meet the minimum coverage or duration, weak proof of the host relationship, gaps in the invitation letter, a missed or incomplete medical exam, or concerns about whether the visit is genuine and temporary. These are common examples, not a diagnosis of your case. If your parents or grandparents have had a visitor refusal before, the next application should be prepared carefully.

How MAK helps with Super Visa applications

MAK Canadian Immigration is led by licensed RCICs. We confirm host eligibility and the right income option, review the insurance and medical requirements, help assemble a complete and well-documented application, and advise on stay strategy and prior refusals. We do not promise outcomes, because no one can, but we help you submit the strongest, most accurate application for your facts.

Official IRCC links

• Super visa for parents and grandparents (overview)
• Super visa: who can apply
• Super visa: forms and documents
• Super visa: proof of financial support (host income)
• Sponsor your parents and grandparents (PGP status)

Frequently asked questions

Talk to a licensed RCIC about a Super Visa

Help your parents or grandparents visit Canada with confidence. Book a Super Visa consultation with a licensed RCIC at MAK Canadian Immigration, or start a Super Visa assessment, and we will help you find the right path for your family.