Super Visa Income Requirements
Who has to meet the Super Visa income requirement, how family size changes the threshold, which two tax years can be used, and what evidence IRCC accepts.
What income do I need to show for a Super Visa?
The child or grandchild in Canada must show they meet a minimum income based on the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) for their family size, not the visiting parent. Two changes have widened who qualifies: income from either of the two preceding tax years may be used rather than only the most recent, and the visiting parent or grandparent’s own independent income can now count toward the threshold.
Check the current figure before you rely on it
We do not publish the current LICO table for your family size on this page, because government fees, thresholds and processing estimates are revised on their own schedule and an out-of-date number here would be worse than none. IRCC publishes the current figure directly: check it on canada.ca. If you would rather have it confirmed against your own circumstances, book a consultation.
The income requirement is where most Super Visa applications are won or lost, and it is also the part families most often misunderstand. It is not assessed against the visiting parent, and it is not assessed against your current salary. It is assessed against the sponsoring child or grandchild’s income, for a defined family size, using tax records.
The rules have moved in applicants’ favour recently. If you were told years ago that you did not qualify, that assessment may no longer be accurate.
Whose income counts
The child or grandchild in Canada is the person who must meet the threshold. They must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person registered under the Indian Act, and it is their household income that is assessed.
A spouse or common-law partner can be included as a co-signer, and their income combined with yours to reach the threshold. Separately, the visiting parent or grandparent’s own independent income, such as a pension or rental income, can now be counted toward meeting the requirement, which was not previously the case and helps a considerable number of families.
How family size changes the number
LICO is not a single figure. It rises with family size, and the family size used is larger than most applicants assume, which is the most common reason a calculation comes out wrong.
- Yourself, and your spouse or common-law partner if you have one.
- Your dependent children, including those who are not living with you.
- The parents or grandparents you are inviting, and their dependants, counted whether or not they will all travel.
- Anyone you have previously sponsored and are still financially responsible for under an undertaking.
- Anyone your co-signer has an outstanding undertaking for.
Which tax years you can use
You may use income from either of the two taxation years preceding the application, rather than being restricted to the most recent one. In practice this means a year with a bonus, a full year of employment before a leave, or a stronger year before a change in circumstances can be the year assessed.
This matters more than it sounds. A family whose most recent year fell short because of parental leave, a job change or a period of illness may still qualify comfortably on the year before it. Choosing which year to present is a real decision, and it should be made after looking at both.
What evidence IRCC accepts
The requirement is proven with documents from the Canada Revenue Agency, supported by employment records. Self-declared figures carry no weight on their own.
- Notice of Assessment or T4/T1 for the tax year being relied on. This is the primary document and the one an officer looks at first.
- An employment letter stating position, start date, salary and hours, on company letterhead.
- Recent pay stubs covering a consistent period.
- For self-employed applicants, a Notice of Assessment plus business records, since there is no employer to issue a letter.
- For the visiting parent’s own income, documentation of the pension, rental or investment income being relied on.
Super Visa income versus sponsoring parents for PR
These two are frequently confused, and the difference is significant. Sponsoring parents or grandparents for permanent residence under the Parents and Grandparents Program requires the minimum necessary income plus 30 percent, met across three consecutive taxation years, together with a 20-year undertaking.
The Super Visa requirement is lower and shorter: a LICO-based threshold, assessed on a single qualifying year drawn from the last two, with no multi-decade undertaking. That is a large part of why many families who cannot meet the PGP requirement can still bring parents to Canada for extended visits.
Licensed & up to date
Prepared and reviewed by Rami Khattouf, RCIC #R531957, a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant in good standing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Last reviewed August 2026. Immigration rules, fees and processing times change. We verify every file against current official IRCC guidance before applying. This page is general information, not advice for your specific case.
Income Requirements: common questions
Yes, if they co-sign. A spouse or common-law partner can be added as a co-signer and their income combined with yours, which is often what brings a household over the threshold. Co-signing also makes them party to the commitment.
It can. The visiting parent or grandparent’s own independent income, including pensions, may now be counted toward meeting the threshold. It should be documented as carefully as the sponsoring child’s income.
You may rely on either of the two preceding taxation years, so the stronger year can be used. This is one of the more useful recent changes and it helps families affected by parental leave, a job change or a period of illness.
Yes. The parents or grandparents being invited, and their dependants, are counted in the family size whether or not all of them will actually travel. Undercounting here is the most frequent calculation error.
No. The Parents and Grandparents Program requires the minimum necessary income plus 30 percent across three consecutive tax years. The Super Visa uses a LICO-based threshold assessed on one qualifying year, which is a meaningfully lower bar.