The Visit That Actually Lasts
Most families who go through the effort of bringing a parent or grandparent to Canada want more than six months. They want the grandparents at the first birthday party, at the school concert, at the Sunday dinners, through a winter and a summer and another winter. They want the kind of time that actually matters.
The standard visitor visa gives you six months per entry. The Super Visa gives you up to five consecutive years. You can arrive in September and still be there when your grandchild starts school the following September. You can be there for the surgery, the recovery, the celebration, the ordinary days. That is the difference.
The Super Visa is a multiple-entry visa valid for up to 10 years. Each time the parent or grandparent enters Canada, they may stay for up to 5 consecutive years without needing to apply for extensions or leave to reset their clock. For families separated by an ocean and years of distance, it is the most meaningful immigration document available.
The most significant change in years - effective March 31, 2026:
IRCC announced two new ways to meet the income requirement. These changes open the Super Visa to thousands of families who previously could not qualify. If you applied before March 31 and were refused because of income, your situation may have changed.
Parents & Grandparents
Of Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Citizens & PRs 18+
Must host and meet the income requirements.
Not Included
Cannot include dependent children in the same app.
No
The Super Visa is a long-stay visitor document, not PR.
The Income Changes - Two New Pathways
The income requirement is where most Super Visa applications succeed or fail. The host in Canada must prove their household income meets the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO), plus 30%, adjusted for family size.
Before March 31, 2026, IRCC calculated this using only the most recent tax year. If the sponsor had a difficult year, they were disqualified regardless of their track record in previous years. That rule has changed.
Pathway 1: Two-Year Assessment Window
From March 31, 2026, sponsors can now meet the income threshold using either of their two most recent tax years. If your 2024 income qualifies but your 2025 income does not (due to parental leave or job change), you can use your 2024 Notice of Assessment.
Pathway 2: Combined Income
If the visiting parent or grandparent will be living in the same household as the sponsor, their income can now be added to the sponsor's income to meet the LICO+30% threshold.
Now, a financially independent parent with a pension, rental income, or investments can help the family qualify even if the sponsor's income alone falls short.
2026 Income Thresholds (LICO + 30%)
| Family Size | LICO (base) | Required (LICO + 30%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 persons | $40,583 | $52,758 |
| 3 persons | $49,902 | $64,873 |
| 4 persons | $60,591 | $78,768 |
| 5 persons | $68,760 | $89,388 |
| 6 persons | $77,580 | $100,854 |
| 7 persons | $86,398 | $112,317 |
| Each additional person | + $8,819 | + $11,465 |
The Health Insurance Requirement
The Super Visa health insurance requirement is mandatory and non-negotiable. It is also the most commonly misunderstood part of the application. Getting it wrong means a refusal that could have been avoided.
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Minimum $100,000 Coverage: Must be from an OSFI-regulated Canadian insurance company or a specifically approved foreign company.
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1 Year Minimum Validity: Must be valid for at least 1 full year from the expected date of entry into Canada.
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In Force at Entry: Insurance must be active on the date of entry - not just purchased but valid and in force.
Medical Examination
Every Super Visa applicant must complete an Immigration Medical Examination (IME) with an IRCC-approved panel physician before the visa is issued. The medical exam assesses whether the applicant has a condition that would make them medically inadmissible to Canada.
Chronic but manageable conditions - controlled diabetes, stable heart disease, managed hypertension - generally do not cause inadmissibility. The standard applied is whether the condition would impose an "excessive demand" on Canadian health and social services. The health insurance requirement exists partly to address this concern: a parent with private coverage is less of a demand on Canada's public system.
How to Apply
Host calculates income eligibility
Using the new two-year window (Pathway 1) and/or combined household income (Pathway 2).
Parent completes the IME
Book with an IRCC-approved panel physician before submitting the application.
Purchase qualifying health insurance
Minimum $100,000 coverage from an approved Canadian insurer, valid for at least 1 year.
Submit online application
Submitted from outside Canada. Processing is approximately 132 days globally as of March 2026.
Super Visa vs Standard Visitor Visa vs PGP
| Feature | Super Visa | Standard TRV | PGP (Sponsorship) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stay per entry | Up to 5 years | Up to 6 months | Permanent resident |
| Income test | Host: LICO + 30% | No formal test | Sponsor: MNI |
| Insurance | Yes - $100K min. | No | No |
| Medical exam | Yes | No | Yes |
| Processing | ~132 days | Varies | Lottery + years |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Disclaimer: The information on this page is intended as a general guide and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration laws and policies change frequently. Final decisions on all immigration applications are made solely by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and other Canadian immigration authorities. No outcome can be promised. For advice specific to your situation, please book a consultation with our RCIC-licensed team.