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Canada super visa for parents from India: 2026 rules
By the DummyTicketDesk desk · Reviewed 22 October 2026
THE QUICK ANSWER
The super visa lets parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents or registered Indians stay up to 5 years at a time, with multiple entries over up to 10 years. The host must meet IRCC’s minimum income and sign an invitation promising financial support. Each applicant needs a medical exam and paid private health insurance with at least CAN$100,000 of emergency cover, valid for a year from entry.
Super visa or ordinary visitor visa?
Both are visitor visas that let a parent spend time with family in Canada. The super visa trades more paperwork for much longer stays. If your parents plan a visit of a few weeks, the ordinary visitor visa is simpler. If they want to spend long stretches with grandchildren, the super visa is built for that.
| Point | Super visa | Visitor visa |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | Parents and grandparents of a citizen, PR or registered Indian | Anyone eligible to visit |
| Stay | Up to 5 years at a time | Standard visitor stays |
| Entries | Multiple, over up to 10 years | Single or multiple, case by case |
| Dependants | Cannot be included | Family members can apply together |
| Host’s income | Must meet IRCC’s minimum | Helpful only if the host pays |
| Insurance and medical exam | Both required | Not on the standard list |
| Fee | From CAN$100; check the biometrics fee | CAN$100 plus CAN$85 biometrics |
Who can be the host
The host is the applicant’s child or grandchild, and must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a registered Indian (a status under Canadian law, not Indian citizenship). The host writes and signs the invitation letter, promises financial support for the whole visit, and must show the minimum necessary income for the size of the family unit.
In practice that means the son or daughter in Toronto, Brampton, Surrey or Calgary does most of the paperwork, and the parents in India add their own forms, insurance, medical exam and identity documents.
The minimum income table
IRCC’s table is marked “Updated July 29, 2025”. The invitation letter must list the people counted in the family size, so work out the number using IRCC’s own definition before you pick a row.
Proof is the host’s Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment for either of the two tax years before you apply. If the host falls short there is a second route: the host shows at least 75% of the minimum, and the parents or grandparents make up the difference with their own income.
| People in the family unit | Minimum income (CAN$) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 30,526 |
| 2 | 38,002 |
| 3 | 46,720 |
| 4 | 56,724 |
| 5 | 64,336 |
| 6 | 72,560 |
| 7 | 80,784 |
| Each additional person | 8,224 |
The insurance rules, point by point
The insurance requirement is precise, and a policy that misses any one point does not count. Read the policy wording against this list before paying.
- Issued by a Canadian insurance company, or by a foreign insurer authorised by OSFI, Canada’s financial institutions regulator.
- Valid “for a minimum of 1 year from the date of entry”.
- “Provide a minimum emergency coverage of $100,000”.
- “Cover the applicant’s health care, hospitalization and repatriation”.
- “Be valid for each entry”, not only the first.
- Paid in full, or by instalments with a deposit. “Quotes aren’t accepted.”
The invitation letter
Every visitor’s invitation letter covers the same ground, and the super visa adds two items. Have the host sign it and attach a copy of their status document.
| Part of the letter | What to include |
|---|---|
| About the parent | Name, date of birth, address, phone, relationship |
| About the visit | Purpose, length, where they will stay, how it is paid, departure date |
| About the host | Name, date of birth, address, job title, status in Canada |
| Host’s family | Details of the host’s family |
| Super visa only | “A promise of financial support for the entire visit” |
| Super visa only | The list of people counted in the family size |
Medical exam, biometrics and processing time
Applicants need an immigration medical exam, which IRCC lists alongside the insurance as an eligibility requirement. Build it into the timeline from the start rather than treating it as a final step.
Super visa processing was reported at about 70 days in September 2026, far longer than the roughly one month reported for an ordinary visitor visa from India. Check IRCC’s processing-times page, which counts from receipt of a complete application and includes the time needed to give biometrics. For biometrics, IRCC exempts applicants over 79 and asks others to give them once every 10 years.
Flights and the date of entry
The super visa’s requirements do not include a flight booking. What does depend on your dates is the insurance, which must run at least a year from the date of entry. Agree a realistic entry date with the insurer, and keep the invitation letter consistent with it.
A super visa file does not need a reservation. If you want one to show the planned entry date alongside the invitation, order it for the day you submit and treat it as a record of the plan, not a booking to keep alive through 70 days of processing.
Flight reservation for Canada visa
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Reserve nowQuestions people ask
Can both parents apply for the super visa together?
Yes, but each parent is an applicant in their own right, with their own forms, medical exam and insurance policy meeting every IRCC condition. The host’s invitation can cover both, provided it gives each parent’s details in full.
Can we use an Indian insurance policy for the super visa?
Only if the insurer is authorised by OSFI, Canada’s financial institutions regulator. Otherwise you need a policy from a Canadian insurance company. It must give at least CAN$100,000 of emergency cover for health care, hospitalisation and repatriation, run a year from entry, and be paid, not quoted.
What if my income is below the minimum?
IRCC allows a top-up. If the host shows at least 75% of the minimum necessary income, the parents or grandparents can make up the rest with their own income. The host’s figure is proved with a Notice of Assessment for either of the two tax years before applying.
How long can my parents stay on a super visa?
Up to 5 years at a time, with multiple entries over a validity of up to 10 years. The insurance must be valid for each entry, so plan cover around every trip, not just the first one, and keep proof of it with their travel documents.
How long does the super visa take from India?
About 70 days was reported in September 2026, much longer than an ordinary visitor visa. IRCC’s processing-times page gives the current estimate, updated weekly, counting from receipt of a complete application and including the time needed for biometrics.
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