On This Page, You Will Find:
- What the Super Visa is and how long it lets you stay
- Who can host and who can apply
- The 2026 changes to how host income is calculated
- The current minimum necessary income table
- Medical insurance rules, including insurers outside Canada
- Documents, fees and processing
- Super Visa or permanent sponsorship?
- Frequently asked questions
The Parents and Grandparents Super Visa is a multiple-entry temporary resident visa that lets parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians visit Canada for long, uninterrupted periods.
It is not permanent residence. It is a visitor visa with an unusually generous authorised stay, and it is currently the main option for families who cannot get into the paused Parents and Grandparents Program.
Two things changed materially in 2026: how Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) calculates the host’s income, and the confirmation that health insurance may be bought from certain insurers outside Canada. Both are covered below.
How Long the Super Visa Lets You Stay
A Super Visa can be valid for up to 10 years, or until one month before the passport expires, whichever comes first.
The length of each stay depends on when you applied. If you applied on or after 22 June 2023, you are eligible to stay for five years at a time. The older two-year rule only affects people who applied and entered Canada before that date.
- Applied on or after 22 June 2023: five years per entry
- Applied before 22 June 2023 and entered before that date: the period the border officer granted, with the option to extend
- Applied before 22 June 2023 but entered on or after that date: five years per entry
You can also apply from inside Canada to extend your visitor status before it expires. Maintaining valid status is the visitor’s own responsibility.
Visa-exempt parents and grandparents can still use the Super Visa. If approved, they receive a letter to present to a border services officer rather than a visa counterfoil, and they may still need an electronic travel authorisation to fly to Canada.
Who Can Host and Who Can Apply
The host must be the applicant’s biological or adopted child or grandchild, must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, must be at least 18, must live in Canada, and must meet or exceed the minimum necessary income.
The host writes and signs a letter of invitation promising financial support for the length of the authorised stay. That letter must list every person counted in the family size calculation, with names and dates of birth. The host’s spouse or common-law partner may co-sign; siblings and other relatives may not.
The applicant must be outside Canada when the application is submitted, must be admissible, must complete an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician, and must hold qualifying private health insurance.
The 2026 Change to the Income Test
On 20 March 2026 IRCC announced a new approach to the Super Visa income requirement, given effect by Ministerial Instructions that came into force on 31 March 2026. The instructions replace those issued in September 2023.
Hosts now have two ways to satisfy the requirement:
- A wider assessment window. The host, with a co-signer if applicable, may meet the threshold in either of the two taxation years immediately before the application is filed. Previously only the most recent year counted.
- Counting the visitor’s own income. If the host and co-signer reached at least 75 per cent of the required amount in the year before the application, the visiting parent’s or grandparent’s income can be added to make up the difference.
Applicants using the second route must show that they will continue to earn that income while in Canada, and the supporting documents must state the currency of payment.
All applications in processing on 31 March 2026, and everything filed since, are assessed under the new instructions. IRCC has confirmed that families who qualified under the old rules continue to qualify.
These changes apply only to the Super Visa. They do not change the minimum necessary income test used for permanent Parents and Grandparents Program sponsorship, which is still assessed over three consecutive tax years.
Minimum Necessary Income Amounts
The threshold is drawn from Statistics Canada’s low income cut-offs for urban areas of 500,000 people or more. IRCC last updated the published table on 29 July 2025.
| Number of family members | Minimum income the host needs (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $30,526 |
| 2 | $38,002 |
| 3 | $46,720 |
| 4 | $56,724 |
| 5 | $64,336 |
| 6 | $72,560 |
| 7 | $80,784 |
| Each additional family member | add $8,224 |
Family size is broader than many hosts expect. It includes the host, the host’s spouse or common-law partner, the host’s dependent children regardless of custody arrangements, every Super Visa applicant being invited, anyone already on an applicable letter of invitation, and anyone the host or co-signer previously sponsored whose undertaking is still in effect.
The preferred proof of income is the Canada Revenue Agency notice of assessment. Where that is unavailable, IRCC will consider T4 or T1 slips, twelve months of pay stubs, an employer letter, bank statements or pension and rental income records.
Medical Insurance: The Rules That Trip People Up
Proof of private health insurance is mandatory, and the requirement applies on each entry to Canada, not only the first.
The policy must:
- be valid for at least one year from the date of entry
- provide minimum emergency coverage of $100,000
- cover health care, hospitalisation and repatriation
- name the insurance company that issued or underwrote it
- be paid in full, or paid by instalments with a deposit (a quote is not accepted)
- be available for review by a border services officer on request
The insurer may be Canadian, or it may be a company outside Canada, but only on strict terms. A non-Canadian insurer must be authorised by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) under the Insurance Companies Act to provide accident and sickness insurance, must appear on OSFI’s public list of federally regulated financial institutions, and must have issued the policy while doing insurance business in Canada. Every foreign-issued policy must carry a statement to that effect.
OSFI does not list foreign insurers that have no Canadian branch or subsidiary, and brokers and claims administrators never appear on the list. If the company selling the policy is not on OSFI’s list, the policy will not satisfy the requirement.
If coverage will lapse before departure, it should be renewed so that the visitor remains covered for the whole stay.
Documents, Fees and Processing
A complete application package generally includes the letter of invitation with income proof, evidence of the host’s status in Canada, proof of the parent or grandparent relationship, the insurance policy, proof of the immigration medical exam, and the standard temporary resident visa forms. Documents not in English or French need a translation and, where the translator is not certified, an affidavit.
The Super Visa is charged as a temporary resident visa. The processing fee starts at $100 per applicant. Biometrics cost $85 per person, to a maximum of $170 for a family applying at the same time. The immigration medical exam and the insurance premium are separate costs paid to third parties.
Processing times vary widely by visa office and are updated regularly, so check IRCC’s processing times tool rather than relying on a fixed figure. Biometrics collection time is not included in the published estimate.
Super Visa or Permanent Sponsorship?
The Parents and Grandparents Program has been closed to new applicants since the start of 2026, with no new interest-to-sponsor forms or invitations being issued. That makes the Super Visa the practical route for most families this year.
The trade-off is status. Super Visa holders remain visitors: they cannot work, they are not covered by provincial health insurance, and they must keep private coverage in force. Permanent residence through family sponsorship offers those benefits but is subject to intake caps and a 20-year undertaking.
Applying for a Super Visa does not prejudice a sponsorship application. A parent or grandparent with a sponsorship application already in the system can apply for a Super Visa while waiting for a decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much medical insurance does a Super Visa applicant need?
The policy must provide at least $100,000 in emergency coverage for health care, hospitalisation and repatriation, and be valid for a minimum of one year from the date of entry to Canada. Proof of a valid policy is required on every entry, not just the first, and the policy must be paid in full or paid by instalments with a deposit.
Can Super Visa insurance be bought from a company outside Canada?
Yes, but only from a foreign insurer authorised by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions to provide accident and sickness insurance and listed on OSFI’s public register of federally regulated financial institutions. The policy must also have been issued while the company was doing insurance business in Canada and must include a statement saying so. Brokers and claims administrators do not qualify.
What income does the host need in 2026?
The host must meet Statistics Canada’s low income cut-off for their family size, starting at $30,526 for one person and $56,724 for four, based on the table IRCC updated on 29 July 2025. Since 31 March 2026, the host can meet the amount in either of the two tax years before the application, or reach at least 75 per cent of it in the most recent year and add the visiting parent’s or grandparent’s income to cover the rest.
How long can a Super Visa holder stay in Canada per entry?
Applicants who applied on or after 22 June 2023 are eligible to stay five years at a time. Those who applied and entered before that date received the period granted by the border officer, often two years, and could apply to extend. The visa itself can be valid for up to 10 years, allowing multiple entries.
Does a Super Visa lead to permanent residence?
No. It is a multiple-entry visitor visa and confers no permanent status, no work authorisation and no access to provincial health coverage. Permanent residence for parents and grandparents is available only through the Parents and Grandparents Program, which is currently closed to new applicants.
Can a visa-exempt parent or grandparent use the Super Visa?
Yes. Nationals who do not need a visitor visa can still be assessed under the Super Visa criteria and, if approved, receive a letter to present to a border services officer on arrival, which supports a stay of five years. If travelling by air, they may still need to apply separately for an electronic travel authorisation.
Sources
- Super visa for parents and grandparents: Who can apply — Canada.ca
- Super visa: How long you can stay — Canada.ca
- Super visa: Forms and documents — Canada.ca
- Super visa: Proof of financial support — Canada.ca
- Changes to how the super visa income requirement is calculated (20 March 2026) — Canada.ca
- Ministerial Instructions regarding the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa (2026) — Canada.ca