Starting March 31, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will change how it calculates family income for super visa eligibility. The new approach will provide hosts with two alternative ways to meet the income requirement:
1. Extending the income assessment period: Hosts and their co-signer (if applicable) may meet or exceed the income requirement in either one of the two taxation years preceding the time of application. Previously, IRCC assessed only the year before.
2. Allowing the income of the visiting parent or grandparent to be added: If the hosts and their co-signer (if applicable) meet the required minimum percentage of income, the income of the visiting parents and grandparents can be added to cover the remaining amount.
Super Visa – Overview
For most Canadian visitors, they are allowed to only stay for a maximum of six months after their first entry into Canada. With the Super Visa, you can visit your child or grandchild in Canada for up to 7 continuous years without the need to leave and re-enter Canada every 6 months.
In June 2022, IRCC announced that effective July 4, 2022:
- The length of stay for Super Visa holders will be increased to five years per entry into Canada.
- People who currently have a Super Visa also have the option to request to extend their stay by up to two years while in Canada. This means current Super Visa holders will now be able to stay in Canada for up to seven consecutive years.
- IRCC will have the authority to designate international medical insurance companies to provide coverage to Super Visa applicants in the future.
This article will let you know if you are eligible for the Super Visa and how to apply for it.
Super Visa – Eligibility
To be eligible for the Super Visa, you have to:
- be the parent or grandparent of a permanent resident or a Canadian citizen,
- prove that you are a real visitor and are planning on leaving Canada at the end of your visit,
- provide proof of minimum income requirements (LICO, see below) of your child or grandchild in Canada,
- receive a written statement your child or grandchild support you financially,
- subscribe to a minimum of one-year medical insurance from a Canadian-based insurance company, and
- go through a medical exam for immigration purposes.
Super Visa – How to Apply
The application process is pretty similar to that of a Temporary Resident Visa for visitors. You can check the process here. However, you will need to provide additional documents:
- An invitation letter from your child or grandchild, that is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. You can find here the information that needs to be included in the invitation letter.
- You will need proof from your child or grandchild that he or she meets the low income cut-off (recent Notice of Assessment, T4 or T1 form, pension statement, investments, etc.).
- You will need a document confirming your medical exam.
- You need proof that you subscribed to a minimum one-year medical insurance coverage by a Canadian insurance company or an eligible foreign insurance company, that:
- covers health care, hospital costs and your return to your home country,
- covers you for at least $100,000,
- is valid for multiple entries into Canada, and
- that you can show an immigration officer upon entry in Canada.
To be eligible as valid health insurance coverage, the policy from a company outside Canada must:
- be issued by a foreign insurance company authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) to provide accident and sickness insurance,
- appear on OSFI’s list of federally regulated financial institutions, and
- be issued under the company’s insurance business in Canada.
Using a co-signer
Your child’s or grandchild’s spouse or common-law partner may co-sign the letter of invitation and provide proof of income, if required, to meet the minimum necessary income. Other family members of your host, such as siblings, can’t co-sign.
Super Visa – Income Requirements
When calculating the number of depend family members, the child or grandchild in Canada needs to include you and your spouse/partner (in addition to spouse/partner/children or any previously sponsored persons).
The Low Income Cut-off amounts below have been updated on June 29, 2025.
| Number of dependent family members | Minimum gross income (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $30,526 |
| 2 | $38,002 |
| 3 | $46,720 |
| 4 | $56,724 |
| 5 | $64,336 |
| 6 | $72,560 |
| 7 | $80,784 |
| For each additional family member, add | $8,224 |
To meet income requirements for your application, your child or grandchild in Canada must prove they earn the minimum necessary income. There are two options:
Option 1:
- Child or grandchild (and co-signer, if applicable) can show their total income meets or exceeds the minimum in either of the two tax years before applying.
Option 2:
- Child or grandchild (and co-signer) can show income in the year before applying was at least 75% of the minimum income requirement.
- You can add your own income to cover the rest, so combined income meets the minimum income requirement.
Super Visa – Medical Exam & Biometrics
You will need to pass a Medical Exam with an IRCC approved doctor. Find out more in our medical exams article.
You may need to provide biometrics (fingerprints scanning and photograph). You can find more information on Biometrics in this page.
Super Visa – Application Fees
Super Visa – Processing Times
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has a target service standard of processing 80% of super visa applications within 112 days.
According to the annual data published in December 2025 – From April 2024 to March 2025, IRCC processed 85% of applications within the 112 days standard.
Processing times for a Super Visa depend on the country from when you are applying.You can find out your country’s processing times here. You need to select “Visiting, studying, working temporarily”, then “Super Visa”, then choose the country you are applying from.
