Visitor visa or super visa? How to choose for your parents and grandparents
Both let a parent visit Canada for the same $100 fee. One allows six months at a time with no income test; the other allows five years at a time but needs your income, $100,000 of insurance and a medical exam. Here is how to pick.
The short answer: choose a visitor visa when your parent or grandparent will visit for up to six months at a time, or when your income does not meet the super visa minimum. Choose the super visa when they want long stays — up to five years at a time — and you can meet the income test, buy at least $100,000 of qualifying medical insurance, and they can pass an immigration medical exam. The government fee is the same $100 either way.
Both are temporary resident visas. Neither gives permanent residence, and in both cases the officer still has to be satisfied that your parent is a genuine visitor who will leave Canada at the end of the stay.
Visitor visa vs super visa at a glance
| Visitor visa | Super visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | Most visitors | Parents and grandparents only |
| Stay per entry | Usually up to 6 months | Up to 5 years |
| Visa validity | Up to 10 years | Multiple entry, set by the officer |
| Host income test | No | Yes, by family size |
| Letter of invitation | Recommended | Required, with income proof |
| Medical insurance | Not required | $100,000+, paid before applying |
| Medical exam | Sometimes | Required |
| Government fee | $100 + $85 biometrics | $100 + $85 biometrics |
When a visitor visa is the better choice
A visitor visa suits families who plan visits of a few weeks or a few months: a wedding, the birth of a grandchild, a summer. It has no income threshold and no insurance requirement, so it is also the realistic option when the host's income falls short of the super visa minimum. A multiple-entry visitor visa can be valid for up to 10 years, or until the passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first.
If a visit runs longer than planned, your parent can apply to extend their stay with a visitor record ($100) before their status expires. If the date passes, restoring status costs $246.25 and is only possible within the restoration window, so plan the extension early.
Citizens of visa-exempt countries do not need a visitor visa at all; they travel with an eTA when flying. Since May 26, 2026, some citizens of Indonesia and Malaysia can also use an eTA instead of a visa if they meet IRCC's conditions and travel by air.
When the super visa is the better choice
The super visa was built for parents and grandparents who want to spend long periods with family in Canada without reapplying or extending every six months. For applications made on or after June 22, 2023, a super visa holder can stay up to five years at a time. Before that status ends, they must leave or apply to extend.
It asks more of the family in return. The host — a child or grandchild who is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, at least 18 and living in Canada — must write and sign a letter of invitation, prove they meet the minimum necessary income, and list everyone counted in their family size with names and dates of birth. The applicant must be outside Canada when applying, take an immigration medical exam, and hold qualifying medical insurance.
The income test in 2026
The minimum necessary income depends on the host's family size: the host, their spouse or partner, their dependent children, anyone they have sponsored who is still under an undertaking, and every parent or grandparent being invited. Counting that number wrongly is where many files go off track.
| Family size | Minimum income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $30,526 |
| 2 | $38,002 |
| 3 | $46,720 |
| 4 | $56,724 |
| 5 | $64,336 |
| 6 | $72,560 |
| 7 | $80,784 |
IRCC now accepts two ways to meet it:
- Either of the last two tax years. The host's total income in either of the two tax years before the application meets the minimum, proven with a CRA Notice of Assessment.
- 75% plus the parent's own income. If last year's income reached at least 75% of the minimum, the parent or grandparent can add their own income to close the gap. They must show it will continue while they are in Canada — for example a pension, remote employment or rental income — documented over the most recent 12 months, with the currency shown.
A spouse or common-law partner who is a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian can co-sign and add their income under either option. Siblings and other relatives cannot co-sign. The super visa income checker runs both options for your family size.
The insurance rules that trip people up
Super visa medical insurance must give at least $100,000 of emergency coverage, cover health care, hospitalization and repatriation, and be valid for at least one year from the date of entry — and for each entry. It must be paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit. A quote is not accepted.
The policy can come from a Canadian insurer, or from a foreign insurer that is authorized by OSFI to sell accident and sickness insurance, appears on OSFI's list of federally regulated financial institutions, and issued the policy while doing insurance business in Canada. Foreign policies must say so in writing. Brokers and claims administrators are not insurers and do not appear on that list. See what the insurance has to show.
Mistakes that turn a good file into a refusal
- Counting the family size without the parents being invited, or forgetting a person still under a sponsorship undertaking.
- Sending an insurance quote instead of a paid policy, or a policy from a broker that is not itself an approved insurer.
- An invitation letter that omits the names and dates of birth of the family members counted.
- Treating the super visa as a formality: the officer still weighs the purpose of the visit and the parent's ties to home.
Before you file, work through the super visa document checklist or the visitor visa checklist.
Which one should you file?
If the visits are short, or the income test is out of reach this year, file a visitor visa and keep the super visa for later. If your parents want to spend long stretches with you and the income and insurance are in place, the super visa saves repeated applications and extensions. Our Brampton and London offices check family size, income routes and insurance wording before anything is filed. Request a consultation.
Sources: IRCC, Super visa: who can apply; Proof of financial support; Forms and documents; How long you can stay; About the visitor visa; Fee list. General information only, not legal advice; IRCC makes all final decisions.
Questions, answered
What is the difference between a visitor visa and a super visa?
A visitor visa lets most visitors stay up to 6 months at a time and has no income or insurance requirement. The super visa is only for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians, lets them stay up to 5 years at a time, and requires the host to meet a minimum income, a letter of invitation, an immigration medical exam and private medical insurance of at least $100,000.
How long can parents stay in Canada on a super visa?
Up to 5 years at a time for applications made on or after June 22, 2023. A visitor visa usually allows up to 6 months per entry, unless the border officer sets a different date.
How much does a super visa cost compared to a visitor visa?
The government fee is the same: $100 per person, plus $85 for biometrics if needed. The real cost difference is the super visa medical insurance, which must give at least $100,000 of emergency coverage for at least one year and be paid in full or in instalments with a deposit before you apply.
What income do I need to invite my parents on a super visa?
The host must meet the minimum necessary income for their family size: $30,526 for one person up to $80,784 for seven (table updated July 29, 2025), plus $8,224 for each additional person. The host can use either of the two tax years before applying, or, if last year reached at least 75% of the minimum, add the parent's own continuing income to close the gap.
Can I switch from a visitor visa to a super visa while my parent is in Canada?
No. Super visa applicants must be outside Canada when they apply. A parent already in Canada as a visitor can apply to extend their stay with a visitor record before their status expires, then apply for a super visa from outside Canada later if a longer stay makes sense.
Does a super visa guarantee entry to Canada?
No. As with any visitor, the officer must be satisfied the applicant is a genuine visitor who will leave Canada voluntarily, and the border officer decides entry on arrival. Insurance must be valid for each entry and available to show on request.
