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Super Visas: Long-Term Temporary Visits for Parents and Grandparents of Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents

The following is legal information and not legal advice. If you need further information or need legal advice, please call our Intake Line at 416-441-1764 ext. 1 or complete our online Intake Form.

*Note: The information below only applies to super visa applications made after July 22, 2022. This article is current as of October 21, 2024.

IRCC refers to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in this article.

The Parent/Grandparent Super Visa is a special visitor visa for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents. The super visas granted currently allow a person to visit their child or grandchild in Canada for stays in Canada up to five years at a time – much longer than ordinary visitor visas, and allow them to visit multiple times during the validity period of the visa (granted up to a 10-year period).

The Canadian citizen/Permanent Resident adult child or grandchild (“the host”) promises to support their visiting parent/grandparent financially, and must purchase and maintain health insurance coverage for them for the duration of their visits.

Who can apply for a Super Visa?

  • Parent/grandparent of Canadian citizen or permanent resident in Canada. The parent or grandparent applicant must have an adult child or grandchild who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, proving the relationship with birth certificates, baptismal records, etc.
  • Parent/grandparent applicant outside of Canada. The parent/grandparent must be outside of Canada at the time of application.
  • Host made Minimum Necessary Income during prior year, with promise of financial support. The host signs an “invitation letter”, promising to provide financially for the applicant during the visit and listing their family size. To qualify, the host must show they made enough in gross income for their household size in the last year (through tax documents, paystubs, employment insurance, pension statements, bank statements, employer’s letter, accountant’s letter, etc.).

For 2024 applicants, the following table lists how much the Canadian-based host must have made during the 2023 tax year or in the last 12 months.

For “Number of family members”, add up:

  • Members of the host’s household:

The host + spouse or common-law partner + dependents

  • The number of parents or grandparents applying for super visas

The second column shows how much the host had to have made in the last year, to qualify. (A host’s spouse or common-law partner’s income can co-sign the invitation letter and include their income documents.)

Number of Family Members Host’s Required Annual Gross Income*
2

[inviter + super visa applicant]

At least                   $36,576
3 $44,966
4 $54,594
5 $61,920
6 $69,834
7 $77,750
Additional family members over 7 Add $7,916 per extra person

*A new “minimum necessary income” table is provided each year, although not always at the beginning of the year.

  • Prepaid Health Insurance. The applicant must pay for and provide proof of payment for medical insurance from a Canadian insurance company (or in coming months, by a foreign insurance company on an approved list). The health insurance policy must be:
  • valid for at least one year from the date of entry
  • provide at least $100,000 of emergency coverage for the costs of the applicant’s healthcare, hospitalization, and return to home country
  • be paid fully or in installments with a deposit
  • be maintained during the applicant’s stay, and valid each time they visit Canada.

What does IRCC Consider in Super Visa Applications?

  • Genuine Visitor. Although the super visa permits longer stays than ordinary visitor visas, the deciding visa officer must still evaluate and find that the applicant will be a ‘genuine’ visitor who will leave at the end of allowed stay. For this reason, a visa officer will consider:
  • whether the applicant maintains sufficient ties to their home country, e.g. family members, property, employment
  • whether the purpose for the visit is temporary, rather than permanent
  • the financial circumstances of the applicant and their family members
  • the overall economic and political stability of the home country – if there is turmoil or instability, an officer might be concerned that the applicant will try to stay in Canada permanently, and not leave at the end of the permitted stay.
  • Medical Exam. During the process, the applicant must submit to an immigration medical exam and not be found inadmissible.
  • Biometrics (fingerprints and photo). During the process, the applicant will be asked to attend at a Canadian Visa Application Centre to have their fingerprints and photo taken.
  • Other Requests. The applicant may receive an email requesting additional documents or applicant’s attendance at an interview.

Costs

  • Current fees for super visas are the $100 application fee + $85 biometrics fee.
  • The fees for medical examination are set by individual IRCC panel doctor/clinic.

Processing Times

These vary a lot depending on the country from which the applicant is applying. Estimated processing times may be available at this link.

How to Apply?

  • Super visa applications are made online, using the same portal for visitor visas.
  • An applicant can register for an account to the IRCC visitor visa portal. (This is a different portal from the permanent residence portal, and the website to pay fees.)
  • Forms and the document checklists are available at this link. Select the country from which the applicant is applying from the drop-down menu.
  • Invitation Letter. There is no form for the invitation letter. It is a document that host and co-signer if applicable, must write and sign. IRCC provides some basic guidance for the content of the invitation letter at this link.

Paper applications are limited to applicants with a disability that makes it hard to apply online, or when the applicant will be traveling with a refugee travel document or identity document issued to stateless persons.

Before making an application, it is advisable to read IRCC’s complete Instruction Guide for visitor visas, including super visas, available here. IRCC’s webpages on the super visa are available here.

For more information, or if you have questions about options available for you, please visit the contact our intake line at 416-441-1764 ext. 1.