Super Visa Cost

The costs involved

A complete Super Visa application typically involves the following, in rough order of when they are paid.

• The government application fee for a temporary resident visa, paid to IRCC per applicant.
• The biometrics fee, payable once per applicant, with a family rate available where several people apply together.
• The immigration medical examination, paid directly to an IRCC panel physician. This is set by the physician, not by IRCC, and varies by country and clinic.
• Medical insurance meeting the Super Visa requirement. Normally the largest single cost, rising sharply with age and pre-existing conditions.
• Translation and certification of documents not in English or French.
• Passport renewal, where the existing passport has too little validity remaining to support a long visa.
• Travel to a biometrics collection point or panel physician, which is a real cost where these are not in the applicant’s home city.
• Professional fees, if a licensed representative prepares the application.

What insurance actually drives

Because the policy must run at least a year and meet a minimum coverage amount, insurance is not a small line item. Premiums increase with the applicant’s age, and pre-existing conditions can increase them further or require a specific policy.

Two things reduce it legitimately. Approved insurers outside Canada have been acceptable since 2022, and shopping beyond Canadian providers often lowers the premium substantially. And a higher deductible reduces the premium, at the cost of more out of pocket if care is needed. What does not reduce it safely is understating a health condition, which risks a policy that will not pay when it matters.

What you get back if the application is refused

This is the part worth understanding before committing money.

• The government application fee is not refunded on refusal. It pays for the assessment, not the outcome.
• The biometrics fee is not refunded, though biometrics remain valid for a period and may not need to be repeated for a subsequent application.
• The medical examination fee is not refunded, and results have a limited validity window.
• Insurance is often partially refundable if the visa is refused, but this depends entirely on the policy. Confirm the refund terms in writing before buying.
• Professional fees depend on the retainer agreement, which the CICC requires to be in writing and to set out what happens if the engagement ends.

Super Visa cost compared with sponsoring parents for PR

Sponsoring parents for permanent residence involves a different and generally larger cost structure: sponsorship and processing fees, the right of permanent residence fee, medicals, and biometrics, alongside a much higher income threshold sustained over three years and a 20-year undertaking.

The Super Visa’s recurring cost is insurance, which continues for as long as the visits do. The Parents and Grandparents Program front-loads cost and carries a long financial commitment afterwards. Which is cheaper depends less on the fees than on how long and how often the family expects the parent to be in Canada.