This page is for sons and daughters in Canada who want their parents or grandparents with them, and for parents in Kerala and elsewhere planning long stays with their children and grandchildren. Permanent sponsorship is closed for now, so for most families the Super Visa is the way to spend real time together in Canada.
Parents and grandparents sponsorship is paused
On 15 July 2026, IRCC announced that it is pausing the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP). It will not accept new interest-to-sponsor forms or invite sponsors to apply until further notice. IRCC said demand keeps exceeding the spaces in the immigration levels plan, and that the pause is meant to reduce processing times for families already waiting. Canada plans to admit up to 15,000 parents and grandparents as permanent residents in 2026.
The last intake was in 2025. Starting 28 July 2025, IRCC sent 17,860 invitations to sponsors who had submitted an interest-to-sponsor form back in 2020; no new forms were accepted. The goal was 10,000 complete applications, and the last day to apply was 9 October 2025.
What this means for you:
- If you applied in 2025 or earlier, your application continues to be processed.
- If you were not invited, there is no way to apply for parent sponsorship today, and no date for the next intake. Be wary of anyone who says they can "reserve a place".
- Nobody can say whether a future intake will again use the 2020 pool.
In the 2025 intake, sponsors had to meet a minimum income in each of three tax years, and a parent sponsorship carries an undertaking to support the parents for 20 years. Keeping your tax filings complete now costs nothing and keeps that door open.
Why the Super Visa is the route now
The Super Visa is a visitor visa designed for parents and grandparents. It gives multiple entries for up to 10 years, and each stay can last up to 5 years. It does not lead to permanent residence, but it lets parents live with the family for long periods, attend births and graduations, and help with grandchildren.
For a short visit — a wedding, a few months after a baby is born — an ordinary visitor visa may be simpler. See Visitor visas.
Who can apply
The parent or grandparent must:
- have a child or grandchild who is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, at least 18 and living in Canada;
- have a signed letter of invitation from that child or grandchild, with proof of the host's income and the name and date of birth of each person counted in the household;
- show that the host meets the minimum income (below);
- buy private health insurance (below);
- complete an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician;
- be outside Canada when applying, and satisfy the officer that they are a genuine visitor.
Other dependants cannot be included in a Super Visa application.
How long parents can stay
Super Visa holders who entered Canada on or after 22 June 2023 can stay 5 years at a time. While in Canada they can apply to extend their stay, and an officer may grant up to 2 more years. Apply before the current stay ends.
Health insurance
The policy must:
- be valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry, and for each entry;
- cover health care, hospitalization and repatriation;
- give at least $100,000 of emergency coverage;
- be paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit — a quote is not accepted.
Since 28 January 2025, the insurer can be a Canadian company or a foreign insurer authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI). A foreign policy must include a statement that it was issued while the company was doing insurance business in Canada. Check the insurer against OSFI's list before you pay.
The income requirement
The host (the child or grandchild, with a co-signing spouse or partner if needed) must meet this minimum, based on the low-income cut-off. Family size counts the host's household plus the parents or grandparents being invited.
Super Visa minimum income, updated 29 July 2025:
| Family members | Minimum income (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $30,526 |
| 2 | $38,002 |
| 3 | $46,720 |
| 4 | $56,724 |
| 5 | $64,336 |
| 6 | $72,560 |
| 7 | $80,784 |
| Each additional person | add $8,224 |
IRCC updates this table from time to time; check the host financial support page before applying.
More flexible income rules in 2026
From 31 March 2026, there are two ways to meet the requirement:
- Either of the last two tax years. The host can show the required income in either of the two tax years before the application.
- The 75% option. If the host's income in the year before the application was at least 75% of the minimum, the visiting parents can add their own income to cover the rest. The combined amount must meet the minimum.
This helps families where the host had one low year, or where the parents have a pension or other income of their own. Applications already in processing are assessed under the new rules.
Fees
The Super Visa fee is the visitor visa fee: $100 per person, plus $85 for biometrics ($170 maximum for a family applying together). Processing times change; check IRCC's processing-times tool.
How Polinsys helps
We check the host's income against the table and the 2026 options, count the household correctly, and tell you honestly whether to apply now or wait for a stronger tax year. We prepare the invitation letter, review the insurance policy before it is bought, and present the parents' ties to home — property, pension, family in Kerala — clearly. Joy Stephen, RCIC (CICC licence R419719), represents the application. If parents were refused before, we start from the officer's notes. Ask your questions at our free Friday Q&A: FREE Webinars: Resource Guides and AR Q&A.
Official sources
Rules change often. These are the government pages this page was checked against on October 2, 2026.
Related pathways
Ask about Parents and grandparents: sponsorship and Super Visa
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