Super Visa 2026: Requirements, Insurance, and How to Apply

With Canada pausing new intake to the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) in mid-2026, a lot of families are asking the same question: if we can't sponsor mom, dad, or a grandparent for permanent residence right now, how else can we have them here for the long term? For most people, the answer is the Super Visa. It's a special visitor visa built specifically for the parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and it lets them stay for years at a time instead of the usual few months.

Here's how it works in 2026, what it costs your family to qualify, and how to give your application the best shot.

What the Super Visa actually is

The Super Visa is a multiple-entry visa for parents and grandparents. It is a visitor document, so it doesn't lead directly to permanent residence, but it's unusually generous with time:

• You can stay for up to 5 years at a time on a single entry.
• The visa itself can be valid for up to 10 years (in practice, it can't extend past your passport's expiry date).

That combination is the whole appeal. A regular visitor is usually admitted for around six months; a Super Visa holder can stay for years, leave, and return, across a decade-long window.

Because the PGP is the route to actual permanent residence and it's currently closed to new applicants, the Super Visa has quietly become the main way to bring a parent or grandparent to Canada for long visits.

Who qualifies and what you'll need

To apply, you have to be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Beyond the relationship, there are four things Canada looks at closely.

Proof of your relationship

You'll need documents showing you really are the parent or grandparent of your host, plus proof that your host is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Most families also include a signed letter of invitation from the child or grandchild in Canada.

Your host's minimum income (LICO)

Your child or grandchild in Canada must show they earn enough to support you during your stay. The threshold is based on the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO). One point that trips people up: this is plain LICO, not the higher LICO-plus-30% figure the PGP uses for sponsorship, so the bar is a little lower.

The amount your host needs depends on their family size, which includes the parents or grandparents being invited. Current figures (updated July 29, 2025):

There's some flexibility on how a host proves this. As of March 31, 2026, they can either show the full amount in either of the two prior tax years, or show at least 75% of it in the most recent year and add the visiting parent's or grandparent's own income to make up the rest.

Medical insurance

This is the requirement people most often get wrong, so read it carefully. Your policy must:

• Provide at least CAD $100,000 in emergency medical coverage.
• Be valid for at least one year from your date of entry.
• Cover health care, hospitalization, and repatriation.
• Be valid for each entry, with proof shown every time you enter Canada.

One thing changed recently: you can now buy this coverage from a Canadian insurer or from a foreign insurer authorized by OSFI, Canada's financial regulator. The $100,000 and one-year minimums have not changed; only the range of insurers you can use has widened.

Immigration medical exam

You'll also need to complete an immigration medical exam as part of the application.

How to apply, step by step

The exact documents vary by country, but the general flow looks like this:

1. Confirm eligibility. You're a parent or grandparent, your host is a citizen or permanent resident, and your host meets the LICO figure for their family size.
2. Gather your documents. Invitation letter, proof of relationship, and your host's proof of income (such as their notice of assessment) and proof of status.
3. Buy compliant insurance that clearly meets the $100,000 and one-year rules.
4. Complete your immigration medical exam.
5. Apply online, pay the fee, and give biometrics if you're asked to.
6. Wait for a decision. If approved, you receive the visa, and for many nationalities it's placed in your passport.

Super Visa vs. a regular visitor visa

A regular visitor visa (a temporary resident visa) is open to almost anyone with a genuine reason to visit, but the standard admission is around six months per entry. The Super Visa is narrower in who it serves but far more generous on time.

• Who it's for: regular visa, any eligible visitor; Super Visa, parents and grandparents only.
• Length of stay: regular visa, usually up to six months; Super Visa, up to five years per entry.
• Extra requirements: regular visa, none of the below; Super Visa, medical insurance, host income, and a medical exam.
• Validity: both can be multiple-entry, but the Super Visa is designed for the long haul, up to 10 years.

If you only need a short trip, a regular visitor visa is simpler. For long, repeated stays, the Super Visa is the better fit. Just remember it keeps your parent as a visitor, which is why some families still weigh it against the sponsorship route to permanent residence.

Common reasons Super Visa applications are refused

• Insurance that falls short: less than $100,000, shorter than a year, or from an insurer that doesn't qualify.
• Host income below LICO, or income that isn't clearly documented.
• The officer isn't convinced you'll leave at the end of your stay. Weak ties to your home country are a frequent sticking point on any visitor application.
• Missing or incomplete documents, including the medical exam.
• A relationship that isn't clearly proven.

Tips to strengthen your application

• Line up insurance that plainly meets the rules, and keep the confirmation ready for every entry.
• Have your host pull together solid income proof and double-check they clear the LICO figure for their family size.
• Show genuine ties to home, such as property, work, or family that gives you a clear reason to return.
• Do the medical exam early so it doesn't hold up the file.
• Keep the invitation letter, forms, and supporting documents honest and consistent with each other.

Is the Super Visa right for your family?

The Super Visa won't give your parent or grandparent permanent status, and it isn't a substitute for the PGP if your family is set on eventual permanent residence. But while new PGP intake is paused, it's the most reliable way to keep parents and grandparents in Canada for long, repeated visits. If PR is the long-term goal, keep an eye on the family sponsorship program for when intake reopens, and in the meantime explore your other options for bringing parents to Canada.

This is general information, not legal advice — for your situation, consult an authorized immigration representative (an RCIC or a Canadian immigration lawyer).