Canada Super Visa (Parents & Grandparents)
Application Fee
CA$100
≈ $70.12
Difficulty
Moderate
Duration
60 months
Overview
Canada's Super Visa lets a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian visit for 5 years at a time, with multiple entries over a validity of up to 10 years. The assessment centres on the Canadian host rather than on the applicant's own retirement income: the host must meet IRCC's minimum necessary income for their family size, and the applicant must hold private health insurance valid for at least 1 year from entry and take an immigration medical exam.
Dependants cannot be included in the application, and applicants must be outside Canada when they apply. The visa is issued as a temporary resident visa, and permanent residence runs through the separate parent sponsorship stream instead.
It suits families who want long, repeated stays and have a host who clears the income test. It does not suit anyone who needs a status that leads to permanent residence.
Eligibility Requirements
The super visa has no nationality restriction. Applicants from visa-exempt countries, which include US citizens, do not pay the super visa fee or the biometrics fee. If approved, they receive a letter to show a border services officer on arrival and may need to apply separately for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) if they fly. Applicants who need a visitor visa pay the fees and have the visa printed by a visa office outside Canada.
Application Fee
CA$100
≈ $70.12
one-time
Duration
60 months
Requirements Checklist
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Extra requirements for this visa
- Medical examination required
How and where to apply
Online through the IRCC Portal. You must be outside Canada when you submit the application. Biometrics are given after you apply, when IRCC sends an instructions letter.
Tax Information
How Canada taxes visitors and residents
The super visa has no tax status of its own. The IRS describes the US-Canada treaty as signed on 26 September 1980 and amended by five protocols, the latest effective 1 January 2009, and says its benefits generally follow residence for income tax purposes. In its worked example, Canada taxes a person who is a Canadian resident under the treaty on worldwide income.
The treaty reduces withholding on US dividends paid to Canadian residents, and Canada generally allows a deduction for the US withholding tax against Canadian tax on that income.
What the IRS still requires from US citizens and green card holders
US citizens and green card holders stay on worldwide taxation whatever visa they hold abroad. The foreign earned income exclusion on Form 2555 is US$132,900 for tax year 2026, but it covers only wages and self-employment income earned abroad. Pensions, Social Security, dividends and capital gains do not qualify.
Form 1116 claims a credit for foreign tax actually paid, so it matters only if Canada taxes the income. An FBAR is due when foreign accounts total more than US$10,000, and a Canadian bank or brokerage account counts toward that total.
Living in Canada
COL Index vs NYC
61.4
Monthly Cost (excl. rent)
$1,026
1BR Rent (City Center)
$1,305
Safety Index
54.4
Healthcare Index
68.6
Quality of Life Index
169.5
Time Zone
UTC-05:00
Capital
Ottawa
Population
38.0M
Official Languages
English, French
Avg Internet Speed
260 Mbps
Public Transit Quality
Excellent
With a budget covering rent and living costs, you'd need roughly $2,331/mo for a comfortable single-person lifestyle in Canada.See how far your money goes →
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✦ 87Who the host must be
The host must be your biological or adopted child or grandchild, a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, at least 18 years old and living in Canada. The host also writes and signs the letter of invitation and must meet the minimum necessary income.
That income threshold scales with family size: CAD 30,526 for a family of 1 and CAD 56,724 for a family of 4, with CAD 8,224 added for each person beyond 7. Family size counts the host, a spouse or partner, dependent children and every parent or grandparent being invited, plus anyone still covered by an earlier sponsorship undertaking or super visa invitation.
Since 31 March 2026 the host can meet the threshold in either of the 2 most recent tax years. A host who reaches 75% of the threshold can add the visiting parent’s own income to cover the rest.
Insurance and the invitation letter
The policy must come from a Canadian insurance company or from a foreign insurer the minister has approved, and it must run for at least 1 year from the date of entry. It has to cover health care, hospital care and repatriation, and it must be paid in full or by instalments with a deposit. A quote does not count as proof. A border services officer can ask to see the policy on arrival.
The invitation letter must list every person in the host’s family count with their name and date of birth, which is what lets IRCC apply the right income figure.
Staying in Canada and extending
Each entry allows a stay of up to 5 years for applications made on or after 22 June 2023, and the visa itself can be valid for up to 10 years. A stay is measured from the entry date, not the visa’s expiry date. To remain longer, apply for a visitor record at least 30 days before the current status ends.
A visitor already in Canada cannot convert to a super visa from inside the country, because the applicant must be outside Canada when the application is submitted.
Super visa and permanent residence
The super visa is a visitor route, and parents who want permanent residence use the parent sponsorship stream, which has its own rules. The two can run side by side: IRCC allows a super visa application while a sponsorship application is pending, and a sponsorship application can be withdrawn at any time in favour of a super visa.
Work Permissions
What's typically permitted:
Application Steps
- 1
📋 Confirm the host meets the requirements
- 2
📄 Get the invitation letter written
- 3
📄 Buy qualifying medical insurance
- 4
📅 Take the immigration medical exam
- 5
📋 Sign in to the IRCC Portal and answer the questions
- 6
📬 Upload documents, pay fees and submit
- 7
📅 Give biometrics if instructed
- 8
⏳ Receive the visa and travel
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At a Glance
Last verified: October 27, 2026