Super Visa Document Checklist

From the parent or grandparent abroad

These are gathered by the applicant in their country of residence.

• A valid passport with sufficient remaining validity. A visa cannot be issued beyond the passport’s expiry, so a passport close to expiry shortens the visa.
• Completed application forms, signed where signatures are required.
• Photographs meeting the current specification.
• An immigration medical examination completed by an IRCC panel physician. Results go directly to IRCC.
• Proof of purchased medical insurance meeting the coverage, amount and one-year validity requirements.
• Proof of the relationship to the child or grandchild in Canada, such as a birth certificate, and where names have changed, the documents that link them.
• Biometrics, once the instruction letter is issued after submission.
• Evidence of ties to the home country, supporting the temporary nature of the visit.
• Where applicable, police certificates and previous travel history.

From the child or grandchild in Canada

These are prepared by the host in Canada and sent to the applicant, or uploaded with the application.

• A signed invitation letter, which is a substantive document rather than a formality.
• Proof of Canadian citizenship, permanent residence, or registration under the Indian Act: a passport, citizenship certificate, PR card or equivalent.
• Proof of meeting the income requirement, primarily the Notice of Assessment for the tax year relied on.
• An employment letter stating position, start date, salary and hours.
• Recent pay stubs, and for self-employed hosts, business records alongside the Notice of Assessment.
• A written commitment of financial support for the duration of the visit.
• Where a co-signing spouse or partner is used, their income documents on the same basis.
• A list of household members, which is what the family size calculation is checked against.

Translation, certification and formatting

Documents not in English or French require a translation, and IRCC has specific expectations about who may translate and what must accompany it. A translation done informally by a family member is a recurring cause of delay.

Scans should be legible and complete, including blank reverse sides where a document has content on both. Where a document is unavailable, an explanation in the application is far better than a silent gap, because an officer assessing an unexplained absence will draw their own conclusion.

The omissions that most often cause refusals

A small set of gaps accounts for a disproportionate share of refused applications.

• Insurance evidence that is a quote rather than proof of a paid policy.
• Income documents that establish income but not for the family size actually being assessed.
• An invitation letter that states a welcome but omits the length of stay, accommodation or the financial commitment.
• No evidence addressing why the visit is temporary, which leaves the central question unanswered.
• Undisclosed previous refusals or immigration history. These surface anyway, and non-disclosure raises misrepresentation, which is far more serious than the original issue.