Your Parents Are Getting Older. The Super Visa Is How You Stop Counting the Days Between Visits.

The Parents and Grandparents Program is closed for 2026. The Super Visa is open — and after March 31, 2026, it just became significantly more accessible. This is the complete guide to what it is, who qualifies, what changed, and how to prepare a file that gets approved.

The Sawubona Canada Team · RCIC #R707177 · June 2026 · 11 min read

There is a particular loneliness to building a life in a new country while the people who raised you live on the other side of the world.

You built something here. A career, a home, perhaps a family of your own. And somewhere far away, your parents are getting older. The distance that once felt like a manageable inconvenience has started to feel like something heavier. Not just the missed birthdays and the phone calls that end too soon — but the dawning understanding that time, unlike a visa, cannot be renewed.

Canada's Super Visa exists for exactly this moment. It is not permanent residence. It will not make your parents Canadians. But it will let them stay — for up to five years at a time, on a single entry, with a visa valid for up to ten years. It is the pathway that says: you do not have to count the days between visits anymore.

In 2026, the Super Visa became more important than it has ever been. The Parents and Grandparents Program — the permanent residence route for parents and grandparents — confirmed it will not accept new applications this year. No intake. No lottery. No new permanent sponsorship pathway for parents and grandparents until further notice. The Super Visa is not the backup plan. In 2026, for the vast majority of Canadian families, it is the plan.

And on March 31, 2026, the rules around qualifying for it changed — making it accessible to thousands of families who were previously just short of the income threshold. This guide covers everything: what the Super Visa is, what changed and why it matters, how to qualify under the new rules, what a complete application looks like, and how to avoid the most common reasons applications are refused.

What the Super Visa Is — and How It Differs From a Regular Visitor Visa

A regular visitor visa allows a parent or grandparent to enter Canada and stay for up to six months per visit. When that six months is up, they leave. If they want to return, they apply again — and the process starts over. There is no continuity, no certainty, and no practical way to build extended time together within a six-month window.

The Super Visa is a different instrument entirely. It is a multiple-entry visitor visa with two defining characteristics that set it apart from everything else in Canada's temporary resident system:

• Each authorised stay can be up to five years — compared to six months under a standard visitor visa. When your parents arrive at the Canadian border on a Super Visa, the border officer can authorise a stay of up to five years in a single stamp.
• The visa itself is valid for up to ten years — or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. Within that validity window, your parents can enter and exit Canada as many times as they wish. They can spend winters in Canada and summers at home. They can come when a grandchild is born and stay to watch the first steps.

The stay can also be extended from inside Canada. If your parents arrive and you want them to stay longer than the period initially authorised, they can apply to IRCC to extend their status from within Canada — without leaving and re-entering. Extensions are processed within Canada and add time without requiring a new visa application.

What the Super Visa does not do: it does not grant permanent residence. Your parents will remain visitors — they will not have access to provincial health insurance, they will not be able to work, and they will not accumulate residency time toward citizenship. The Super Visa is a long-stay visitor visa, not a pathway to status. For families who want their parents to become permanent residents, the PGP remains the destination — when it reopens. For families who need their parents here now, or for extended periods, the Super Visa is the mechanism that makes it possible.

The Parents and Grandparents Program Is Closed for 2026. Here Is What That Means for You.

As of January 1, 2026, IRCC confirmed that the Parents and Grandparents Program will not open a new intake this year. No new interest-to-sponsor forms. No new invitations to apply. No new permanent residence pathway for parents and grandparents in 2026.

IRCC is focused this year on clearing the existing backlog — approximately 10,000 applications already in processing from previous lottery rounds, most dating back to 2020 and 2024 intake cycles. With the national PR admissions target set at 380,000 for 2026, and family class admissions targeted at 84,000, there is not enough allocation room to open a new PGP intake while also processing the backlog.

This is an administrative pause, not a permanent cancellation. The PGP will reopen. The question is when — and it is a question IRCC has not yet answered. If you submitted an interest-to-sponsor form in a previous intake round and received an invitation to apply, your application continues to be processed. If you did not, there is no PGP path available to you in 2026.

The practical consequence for the majority of Canadian families: the Super Visa is the only operational pathway available right now to bring parents and grandparents to Canada for extended stays. This is why the March 2026 income flexibility changes matter so much — they were introduced specifically to make the Super Visa more accessible during the period when the PGP is unavailable.

What Changed on March 31, 2026 — The Income Flexibility That Opens Doors for Families Who Were Just Short

This is the change that matters most for anyone who was previously told they did not qualify — or who has been hesitant to apply because they were not certain they would meet the threshold.

On March 20, 2026, IRCC announced two significant changes to how income is assessed for Super Visa eligibility. Both took effect on March 31, 2026, and apply to all new applications submitted on or after that date — as well as any applications already in processing at that time.

Change 1: The Two-Year Income Assessment Window

Before March 31, 2026, IRCC assessed only your single most recent taxation year to determine whether your income met the Super Visa threshold. If that year was a low year — a period of parental leave, a job change, a business slowdown, or any disruption to your income — you failed the income test regardless of how strong your previous years were.

From March 31, 2026, IRCC will accept either of your two most recent taxation years. If your 2024 income was below the threshold but your 2023 income met it, you qualify. If 2023 was a difficult year but 2024 was strong, IRCC accepts the 2024 figure. You choose the stronger year — and that year becomes the basis for your eligibility assessment.

How to apply this practically: pull your Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency for both of the two most recent tax years. Look at Line 15000 on each — total income. If either year meets the Minimum Necessary Income threshold for your family size, you satisfy the income requirement. Include both NOAs in your application and clearly indicate which year you are relying on.

Change 2: Combining the Visiting Parent or Grandparent's Income

The second change addresses a specific situation that prevented many families from qualifying: where the host in Canada meets most of the income requirement but falls short of the full threshold. From March 31, 2026, where the host — and a co-signer, if applicable — meets a minimum portion of the required income, the income of the visiting parent or grandparent themselves can be used to cover the remaining gap.

This means a parent with a pension, rental income, investment income, or other documented foreign earnings is no longer simply a passive applicant waiting for their child to qualify alone. Their own financial standing can contribute to the household's demonstrated ability to support the visit.

The parent or grandparent's income must be documented — foreign pension statements, rental income records, investment account summaries, or other verifiable evidence of ongoing income. Income that cannot be verified does not count.

The 2026 Income Thresholds — What Your Household Needs to Show

The income requirement for the Super Visa is based on Canada's Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) tables, updated annually by Statistics Canada. The 2026 thresholds, updated in April 2026, are approximately three percent higher than the previous year, reflecting Consumer Price Index adjustments.

Critically: your family size for this calculation includes you as the host, your spouse or partner, your dependent children, the visiting parent or grandparent, and any individuals you are currently under an active sponsorship undertaking for. This is a broader definition than many applicants expect — adding the visitor to your family size count increases the threshold you need to meet.

Current 2026 LICO-based thresholds (approximate, effective from April 2026 update):

• Family of 1 (single host, one visiting parent): CAD $30,526 minimum
• Family of 2: approximately CAD $38,000
• Family of 3: approximately CAD $46,700
• Family of 4 (host, spouse, and two visitors, or host, spouse, child, and one parent): CAD $56,724
• Family of 5: approximately CAD $64,300
• Family of 6: approximately CAD $72,500
• Family of 7 or more: approximately CAD $80,700+

Always verify current LICO thresholds directly at canada.ca before submitting, as these figures are updated annually and can change between when you read this and when you apply.

If your income alone does not meet the threshold, a co-signer — your spouse or common-law partner — can combine their income with yours. Both incomes are assessed using the most recent (or strongest recent) Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.

Who Qualifies — The Full Eligibility Picture for Both the Host and the Visitor

The Super Visa involves two parties: the host in Canada, and the parent or grandparent applying from abroad. Both must meet specific requirements.

The Host in Canada Must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is at least 18 years of age
• Be the child or grandchild of the person applying — the relationship must be documented with birth certificates, marriage certificates, or adoption records as applicable
• Meet the Minimum Necessary Income threshold for their family size — using either of the two most recent tax years, or combining with the visiting parent's documented income under the new March 2026 rules
• Write and sign a formal letter of invitation to the visiting parent or grandparent, including a commitment to provide financial support during the stay
• Provide their most recent Notice of Assessment from the CRA as proof of income

The Visiting Parent or Grandparent Must:

• Be admissible to Canada — no serious criminal record, no security concerns, no medical inadmissibility
• Hold a valid passport — ideally valid for the full duration of the intended stay
• Complete an Immigration Medical Examination (IME) with an IRCC-designated panel physician before the application is submitted — this is a mandatory upfront requirement, not something done after approval
• Hold valid private Canadian medical insurance covering a minimum of CAD $100,000, valid for at least one year from the date of entry, issued by an insurer approved by Canada's Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI)
• Demonstrate ties to their home country — evidence that they intend to return at the end of their authorised stay. Property ownership, pension commitments, ongoing family ties, bank accounts, or other anchors to the home country all contribute to this demonstration

The Medical Insurance Requirement — What CAD $100,000 Means and How to Get It Right

The medical insurance requirement is one of the most misunderstood parts of the Super Visa application — and one of the most common reasons for delays or additional document requests.

The policy must provide a minimum of CAD $100,000 in emergency medical coverage. It must be valid for at least one full year from the intended date of entry into Canada. And it must be purchased from a Canadian insurance company — specifically, an insurer approved by Canada's Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. International travel insurance policies, regardless of their coverage amount, do not meet this requirement unless issued by an OSFI-approved Canadian insurer.

The insurance is purchased and paid for before the visa is approved — it is a requirement of the application, not a condition attached to approval. You cannot submit the application and then arrange the insurance. The proof of insurance must be in the file when it is assessed.

Premiums vary significantly based on the applicant's age, health status, any pre-existing conditions, and the level of coverage selected. A 65-year-old applicant in good health will pay considerably less than a 78-year-old with documented cardiovascular conditions. Some insurers offer Super Visa-specific policies with monthly payment options, which reduces the upfront cost of a full-year premium. Compare several OSFI-approved Canadian insurers before purchasing — coverage terms and exclusions differ, and price is not the only variable that matters.

One practical note: be completely honest about pre-existing conditions when purchasing the insurance. Failure to disclose health conditions can result in claims being denied — which, for a parent hospitalised in Canada without coverage, would be a financial catastrophe. It can also create issues with IRCC during the application or at renewal.

The Immigration Medical Examination — What It Involves and How to Time It

Every Super Visa applicant must complete an Immigration Medical Examination (IME) with a panel physician designated by IRCC before submitting the application. There are no exemptions. This applies to both parents if two are applying simultaneously — each requires their own separate exam.

The exam results are uploaded directly to IRCC's system by the panel physician and are valid for 12 months from the date of the exam. If the application is not submitted within that window — or if processing extends beyond it — the exam expires and must be repeated. Given Super Visa processing times of approximately 60 to 132 days globally, the 12-month validity is generally sufficient if the exam is completed shortly before submission.

The examination tests for conditions that could represent excessive demand on Canada's health and social services, or that pose a public health risk. Common conditions discovered during the exam — manageable chronic diseases, controlled diabetes, treated hypertension — do not automatically result in inadmissibility. What matters is whether the condition is likely to generate excessive healthcare costs in Canada over the intended stay. This is assessed by the medical officer, not by the panel physician.

Bring all existing medical records, prescriptions, and prior test results to the panel physician appointment. Accurate disclosure accelerates the process and prevents follow-up requests. Panel physicians can be found in most countries through the IRCC panel physician locator on canada.ca.

Processing Time in 2026 — What to Expect and How to Plan

Super Visa processing time in 2026 varies by country of residence. The global average runs approximately 60 to 132 days — roughly two to four months for a complete, well-prepared application. Applications from high-volume visa offices — New Delhi, Manila, Beijing, Islamabad, Karachi, Nairobi — typically run toward the longer end of that range due to application volumes at those specific offices.

Processing time does not begin until the application is complete. A missing document — no proof of insurance, an expired medical exam, a missing NOA — pauses the clock and generates an additional documentation request. The single most effective way to manage the timeline is to submit a complete file the first time.

Biometrics add approximately one to two weeks to the overall timeline if your parent or grandparent has not previously provided biometrics to IRCC within the last ten years.

Practical planning guidance: allow four to five months from when you begin preparing documents to when you expect your parents or grandparents to arrive. The medical exam should be completed shortly before submission — not weeks or months before, to preserve the 12-month validity window. The insurance must be purchased and in hand before submission. The invitation letter should be signed and dated close to the submission date.

Why Super Visa Applications Are Refused — and How to Address Each Risk Before You Submit

The Super Visa is a visitor visa — and the single most common reason visitor visa applications are refused is dual intent. An officer who believes the applicant intends to stay in Canada permanently, not as a visitor, will refuse the application regardless of how complete the documentation is.

Understanding and proactively addressing these refusal grounds is what separates prepared files from refused ones:

• Insufficient ties to the home country: The most common refusal. An officer must be satisfied that your parent or grandparent intends to return home. Strong ties — property ownership, ongoing pension or financial obligations, dependent family members remaining at home, active bank accounts — all contribute to demonstrating genuine intent to leave Canada at the end of the authorised stay.
• Income below the LICO threshold: Even with the new two-year flexibility, applications where neither recent tax year meets the threshold — and the visitor's own income cannot bridge the gap — will fail the income test. Verify your numbers before submitting.
• Non-compliant insurance: Insurance that is not from an OSFI-approved Canadian insurer, that does not cover the minimum $100,000, or that is not valid for a full year from date of entry will make the application incomplete. Purchase the right product before submitting.
• Medical inadmissibility: A condition identified during the IME that is assessed as creating excessive demand on Canadian health or social services. This cannot be prevented — but it can be addressed with legal counsel before a final decision is issued, particularly in borderline cases.
• Incomplete application: Missing forms, missing police certificates, unsigned letters, or inconsistencies between documents. A complete file moves cleanly. An incomplete file generates requests for information, pauses the clock, and sometimes triggers a more scrutinised review.

Super Visa vs. Parents and Grandparents Program: Understanding the Real Difference

The Super Visa and the PGP are not competing alternatives — they serve different purposes and produce different outcomes. Understanding the distinction clearly helps you plan for both the immediate future and the long term.

• Super Visa: Visitor status only. Up to 5 years per entry, valid for 10 years. No access to provincial health insurance. No work authorisation. No pathway to permanent residence. Income assessed using LICO baseline. Available year-round, no intake cap. Processing 60–132 days. Open in 2026.
• Parents and Grandparents Program: Permanent residence. Full access to provincial health insurance, social services, and eventually a path to citizenship. Income assessed at LICO plus 30% for three consecutive tax years. Annual intake by lottery — no new intake in 2026. When open, processing can take several years. Sponsor signs a 20-year financial undertaking.

For most families in 2026, the practical path is: apply for the Super Visa now, and prepare for the PGP when it reopens if permanent residence is the ultimate goal. The two pathways are not mutually exclusive — a parent can enter Canada on a Super Visa while a PGP application is in processing, provided the application for permanent residence does not suggest an intent to abandon visitor status.

You Do Not Have to Wait Another Year to Have Them Here.

The Super Visa will not make your parents Canadian. It will not give them the healthcare card or the permanent address or the sense of belonging that comes with residency. But it will give you years together. Real, continuous, unhurried time — not counted in return flights.

With the PGP closed for 2026 and the income rules now more flexible than they have ever been, the window for a strong Super Visa application is open. The families who move forward this year are the ones who understand the new rules, assemble a complete and well-organised file, purchase the right insurance, book the medical exam in the right sequence, and submit with confidence.

Four to five months from now, your parents could be in Canada. Not for a visit. For a stay.

Ready to Start Your Super Visa Application? Let's Make Sure Your File Is Complete.

Our RCIC-licensed team will assess your income eligibility under the new March 2026 rules, help you structure your invitation letter and supporting documentation, identify any admissibility risks early, and guide you through every step from medical exam timing to submission. A 30-minute consultation gives you a clear, honest assessment of where you stand and exactly what your application needs.

sawubonacanada.com/book-consultation · +1 647-558-9000 Sawubona Canada Immigration Inc. · RCIC #R707177 · Mississauga, Ontario CICC Licensed · sawubonacanada.com · +1 647-558-9000

Information current to June 2026. General information only — not legal or immigration advice. Income thresholds, processing times, and programme availability change frequently. Always verify current requirements at canada.ca or consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant before submitting any application.