Super Visa for Parents and Grandparents

The super visa is a multiple-entry temporary resident visa for parents and grandparents. It is issued under Ministerial Instructions made under section 15(4) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Section 29(3) of IRPA sets the authorized stay at 5 years for each entry. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issues the visa, and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) admits you at the border.

The super visa is a visit, not immigration. It does not lead to permanent residence and does not let you work or study. You must still convince the officer that you are a genuine visitor who will leave at the end of your stay. The parents and grandparents sponsorship program is currently paused, so the super visa is the main way for parents and grandparents to spend long periods with family in Canada.

Stay on each entry

5 years

Longest visa validity

10 years

Minimum emergency coverage per applicant

$100,000

Host income share in option 2

75%

1. June 22, 2023

   5-year stays written into the law

   Bill C-242 received royal assent. Holders who applied or entered on or after this date can stay 5 years at a time.

2. July 29, 2025

   Income table updated

   IRCC's minimum income table for hosts was last updated on this date.

3. March 31, 2026

   New Ministerial Instructions

   The host can use either of the 2 tax years before applying, or meet 75% of the minimum and add the visiting parent's or grandparent's income.

Both the host and the applicant must meet the requirements. The host (your child or grandchild) must:

• RelationshipBe your biological or adopted child or grandchild. They may also invite your spouse or common-law partner (a step-parent or step-grandparent), with proof of that relationship.
• StatusBe a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a person registered under the Indian Act
• Age and residenceBe at least 18 years old and live in Canada
• IncomeMeet or exceed the minimum necessary income, explained below
• Letter of invitationWrite and sign a letter promising financial support for the length of your stays, listing everyone counted in the family size with names and dates of birth

The applicant (parent or grandparent) must:

• Apply from outside CanadaBe outside Canada when you submit, and have the visa printed by a visa office outside Canada
• Medical examComplete an immigration medical exam with an IRCC panel physician and include proof
• Health insuranceHave a paid private policy that meets every rule in the insurance section
• Visitor requirementsBe admissible and show you are a genuine visitor. The officer looks at your ties at home, the purpose of your visit, your family and your finances.

If you already applied to be sponsored, you can apply for a super visa while you wait, or withdraw the sponsorship application and apply for a super visa.

The minimum necessary income is Statistics Canada's low income cut-off (LICO) for the family size. Count the applicants, the host, the host's spouse or common-law partner (including a separated spouse), the dependent children of both (regardless of custody), super visa holders the host or spouse invited in a letter that still applies, and anyone the host or co-signer sponsored whose undertaking is still in effect, with their family members. The table is in the costs section.

In IRCC's own example, a host with a spouse and 2 children who invites 2 parents has a family size of 6. The minimum is $72,560. Under option 2, the host must show at least $54,420 and the parents the remaining $18,140 or less. If both parents or both grandparents apply, their incomes can be combined. Foreign income is converted to Canadian dollars at the rate on the day you apply.

• Eligible insurerA Canadian insurance company, or a foreign company authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) to provide accident and sickness insurance, listed by OSFI, that issued the policy while doing insurance business in Canada
• At least 1 yearValid for at least 1 year from the date of each entry
• At least $100,000Minimum emergency coverage of $100,000 per applicant
• What it coversHealth care, hospitalization and repatriation
• Paid, not quotedPaid in full, or in instalments with a deposit. Quotes are not accepted.
• Shows the insurerNames the company that issued the policy. A foreign insurer's policy must say it was issued in the course of its insurance business in Canada.

Brokers and claims administrators are not insurance companies and do not appear on the OSFI list; the policy must name the actual insurer, sometimes called the underwriter. You must show proof of insurance on each entry, and keep it in force during your stay. Renew it if it will expire before you leave.

1. 1

   Host confirms income and family size

   Count every person in the family size, choose option 1 or 2, and gather the notice of assessment and other proof.

2. 2

   Host writes the letter of invitation

   Include the promise of financial support, the list of people in the family size with names and dates of birth, and everyone whose income is used. A co-signing spouse signs too.

3. 3

   Applicant gets a medical exam and insurance

   See an IRCC panel physician and buy a paid policy that meets the rules.

4. 4

   Apply online from outside Canada

   In the IRCC Portal, choose visitor visa or super visa, then the option to visit children or grandchildren for more than 6 months. Upload proof of relationship (such as the host's birth certificate), the host's status document, the letter, income proof, insurance and medical proof.

5. 5

   Pay and give biometrics

   Pay the fees when you submit, then book biometrics quickly after you receive the instruction letter. A super visa cannot be valid longer than your biometrics.

6. 6

   Submit your passport

   If approved, you get instructions to send your passport to a visa application centre (VAC). The visa cannot be printed in Canada. Visa-exempt applicants get a letter for the border officer and an eTA if flying.

7. 7

   Enter Canada

   Carry your application documents and proof of paid insurance in your hand luggage. The officer decides whether to admit you.

The medical exam and insurance premiums are paid to the panel physician and the insurer, not to IRCC, and are not included above. Processing times vary by country and visa office. The live figure below comes from IRCC's processing times tool and does not include time to give biometrics.

Most super visa refusals now come with an officer decision note explaining the reasons. There is no appeal. You can reapply when you can answer the refusal reasons, or a lawyer can ask the Federal Court for leave and judicial review within 60 days for a decision made outside Canada.

• To stay longer, apply for a visitor record before your status expires; it is your responsibility to keep valid status. IRCC's parents and grandparents page says super visa holders can apply for 2-year extensions from inside Canada, but its super visa stay rules mention an extension of up to 2 years only for holders who applied and entered before June 22, 2023. The officer decides how long any extension lasts.
• Keep your health insurance in force and your passport valid during your stay. You need proof of valid insurance each time you re-enter.
• Ask the border officer for a passport stamp if you need proof of your entry date, for example at an airport with primary inspection kiosks.
• A super visa does not allow you to work or study in Canada.
• If your name changes legally after you apply, you must ask IRCC to change it on your file.