Parent and Grandparent Super Visa: Requirements for 2026

What is the Super Visa?

The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa lets the parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents visit for up to five years at a time. It is a multiple entry visa that can be valid for up to 10 years.

A regular visitor visa usually allows stays of up to six months. The Super Visa is built for families who want their parents close for long periods, to help with grandchildren or simply to be together, without going through permanent residence sponsorship.

Many families use the Super Visa while they wait for a chance to sponsor through the Parents and Grandparents Program.

Super Visa eligibility

The person applying must:

• Be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian under the Indian Act
• Apply from outside Canada
• Have a signed letter of invitation from the child or grandchild in Canada
• Have private medical insurance from an approved insurer (see below)
• Complete an immigration medical exam
• Meet all the usual visitor rules: ties to home, an honest purpose and no admissibility problems

The parent's spouse or common law partner can be included in the same application. Dependent children of the parent cannot.

Super Visa income requirement (LICO table)

The child or grandchild in Canada (the host) must show their household income meets the minimum necessary income for their family size. Count the host, their spouse or partner, their dependent children, the parents or grandparents being invited and their spouses, and anyone the host is still financially responsible for through an earlier sponsorship.

A spouse or common law partner of the host can co-sign to add their income. The table above was last updated by IRCC on July 29, 2025.

New Super Visa income rules from March 31, 2026

Since March 31, 2026, there are two new ways to meet the income requirement:

1. Use either of the last two tax yearsThe host and any co-signer can qualify with their income from either of the two tax years before the application. This helps families who had a lower income last year because of a job change, parental leave or a slow business year.
2. Add the parent's own incomeIf the host and co-signer earned at least 75% of the minimum in the year before applying, the visiting parent or grandparent can add their own income to make up the rest. They must also prove they will keep earning that income while in Canada, for example a pension.

These rules apply to applications submitted on or after March 31, 2026 and to applications that were still in processing on that date.

Super Visa insurance requirements

Medical insurance is the part of the Super Visa that families most often get wrong. The policy must:

• Come from a Canadian insurance company, or a foreign company approved by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI)
• Cover health care, hospital care and repatriation
• Give at least $100,000 of emergency coverage
• Be valid for at least one year from the date the parent enters Canada
• Be paid in full, or by monthly instalments with a deposit, and the parent must show proof

Compare policies carefully. Pre-existing conditions, deductibles and stability clauses make a big difference to what is actually covered. Insurance can be renewed while the parent is in Canada.

Super Visa documents checklist

• Letter of invitation from the host, with a promise of financial support for the whole visit
• Proof of the host's status: Canadian passport, citizenship certificate or PR card
• Proof of the host's income: Canada Revenue Agency notice of assessment for the year used, plus T4 or T1, pay stubs or an employer letter if needed
• Proof of relationship: the host's birth certificate naming the parent, and the parent's birth certificate for grandchildren cases
• Insurance policy and proof of payment
• Immigration medical exam confirmation
• Parent's passport, travel history and proof of ties at home

How to apply for a Super Visa

1. Check the incomeCount your family size and compare your notice of assessment with the table. Use the calculator on this page.
2. Get the medical examBook with an IRCC panel physician in the parent's country before applying, or after IRCC asks.
3. Buy the insuranceChoose an approved policy with at least $100,000 coverage for one year.
4. Apply onlineSubmit from outside Canada and pay $100 plus $85 for biometrics per person.
5. Biometrics and passportGive biometrics at a visa application centre, then send the passport for the visa when approved.
6. Arrive and get your stayThe border officer can authorize a stay of up to five years. Keep insurance active the whole time.

Frequently asked questions