Super Visa for Parents & Grandparents

A Super Visa is a multiple-entry visitor visa that allows stays of up to five years at a time, and the visa itself can remain valid for up to ten years.

That is the feature that separates it from an ordinary visitor visa, where the standard authorized stay is six months. The visa cannot be valid longer than the passport it is issued in, so a passport close to expiry will shorten it. An extension from inside Canada is possible in some circumstances.

Applicants need private health insurance covering medical care, hospitalization and repatriation, with at least $100,000 in emergency coverage and validity for at least one year from entry.

Since January 28, 2025, qualifying foreign insurers may also issue policies if they have OSFI authorization for accident and sickness insurance and issue the policy through their insurance business in Canada. IRCC accepts full payment or instalments with a deposit; a quotation alone does not meet the requirement. Check IRCC’s insurance requirements before buying.

Effective March 31, 2026, a host and co-signer, if applicable, can meet the Super Visa minimum income requirement by showing that their total income met the full threshold in either of the two tax years before the application.

Alternatively, if the host and co-signer earned at least 75% of the required amount during the year before the application, the visiting parent or grandparent's income may cover the remaining gap if they can prove that income will continue while they are in Canada. Savings alone are not income.

The Super Visa uses IRCC's current minimum necessary income table; the Parents and Grandparents Program's LICO-plus-30% calculation does not apply. The medical exam, relationship evidence and qualifying health insurance with at least $100,000 in emergency coverage are still required. Applications already in process when the new rules took effect are assessed under the new instructions. See IRCC's Super Visa financial-support rules.

No. A Super Visa grants visitor status, which does not authorize work or study.

A separate work or study permit would be required, and applying for one does not follow automatically from holding a Super Visa. Short courses that are exempt from the study permit requirement are the narrow exception. Working without authorization puts future applications at risk, so check before starting anything.

The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) can give a parent or grandparent permanent residence. IRCC paused new intake on July 15, 2026 and is not accepting new interest forms or issuing invitations until further notice; submitted applications continue to be processed. When intake is available, sponsors must meet the applicable income requirement—generally LICO plus 30% for the relevant three tax years—and sign a 20‑year undertaking outside Quebec. See IRCC’s current PGP status.

The Super Visa is faster and more accessible. It’s a multiple‑entry visitor visa valid for up to 10 years, allowing stays of up to 5 years at a time. Your parent or grandparent keeps their status abroad. They just get to visit for long stretches. It’s the most practical path for most families.

Refusals usually come down to three things: insurance that does not meet the requirement, income evidence that does not clearly establish the threshold, or an officer not being satisfied the visit is genuinely temporary.

The last one is the hardest to fix after the fact. Officers weigh ties to the home country, the stated purpose of the visit and the family’s overall circumstances. A refusal is not permanent, but reapplying without addressing the actual reason tends to produce the same result, so start by reading the refusal letter and, where useful, the officer’s notes.