Canada’s Super Visa can permit eligible parents and grandparents to visit for up to five years at a time, with multiple entries for up to ten years. A strong application must satisfy both the special Super Visa requirements and the ordinary temporary-resident test.
The applicant must be the parent or grandparent of an eligible host and must apply from outside Canada. The host must be the applicant’s biological or adopted child or grandchild, be at least 18, live in Canada, have qualifying Canadian status and meet the minimum income requirement.
A Super Visa is temporary status, not permanent residence. The applicant must still persuade an officer that the visit is genuine, that they are admissible and that they will leave Canada at the end of the authorized stay.
Use the total family size on the date of application. The figures below are IRCC’s table currently in force, last updated July 29, 2025. They are before-tax annual income amounts and can change.
| Family size | Minimum income (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $30,526 |
| 2 | $38,002 |
| 3 | $46,720 |
| 4 | $56,724 |
| 5 | $64,336 |
| 6 | $72,560 |
| 7 | $80,784 |
| Each additional person | +$8,224 |
Option 1: The host and eligible co-signer meet the full minimum in either of the two taxation years immediately before filing, normally shown by a CRA Notice of Assessment.
Option 2: The host and co-signer show at least 75% of the minimum for the preceding 12 months, and the applicant’s continuing income can be added to reach the full amount. Detailed evidence is required.
Only the host’s spouse or common-law partner may co-sign; siblings and other relatives cannot.
The policy must be issued by a Canadian insurer or a qualifying foreign insurer authorized by OSFI and issued while doing insurance business in Canada.
At least $100,000 for health care, hospitalization and repatriation, valid for at least one year from the date of entry. A quote is not enough; the policy must be paid in full or by instalments with a deposit.
Every applicant must complete an immigration medical examination with an approved panel physician and must remain medically admissible.
Approval does not guarantee admission. Border officers may ask for the passport, approval documents and proof of valid paid insurance. Coverage should be maintained throughout the stay and must be valid when re-entering Canada.
Identify every person IRCC requires in family size and choose the applicable income route.
Prepare status documents, proof of residence, relationship evidence, income records and a precise invitation and financial-support promise.
Purchase a compliant policy timed for the expected entry date. Avoid relying on an unqualified insurer or an unpaid quotation.
Address purpose, finances, home-country ties, travel history, family circumstances, admissibility and the intention to leave after the authorized stay.
File online, pay fees, complete biometrics when required and follow instructions for the medical examination or additional evidence.
Visa-required applicants follow outside-Canada passport instructions. Visa-exempt applicants receive a Super Visa approval letter and may also require an eTA for air travel.
Bring the application evidence and current insurance in carry-on baggage. A CBSA officer makes the final admission decision.
Keep the passport and insurance valid. Before status expires, leave Canada or apply to extend the stay.
Temporary visitor status with extended stays. It can be available even while a parent or grandparent sponsorship application is pending, but it does not itself lead to permanent residence and does not authorize work or study.
A permanent-residence sponsorship program with an invitation process, a 20-year financial undertaking outside Quebec and strict income rules. It is not presently open to a fresh application on demand.
IRCC may accept into processing up to 10,000 applications from the 2025 intake during 2026. Since January 1, 2026, it has not accepted new parent or grandparent sponsorship and permanent-residence applications outside that intake. This is an intake pause—not a cancellation of files already in process.
IRCC inventory and admissions figures are rounded and count people, while the 10,000 intake cap counts applications. Reviewed against IRCC’s February 2026 data package and the 2026 Ministerial Instructions.
We calculate family size, review the host’s income evidence, prepare the invitation and visitor strategy, check insurance and medical requirements and represent the family throughout the application.