Super visa requirements and minimum income

The super visa lets a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident visit for up to 5 years at a time. Most of the requirements land on the host in Canada: the income test and the letter of invitation. This page covers both, plus the insurance rule that trips people up.

Want the number for your family right away? Use the free super visa income check.

Who can be the host

The host is the applicant's child or grandchild who:

• can prove the relationship (birth certificate naming the parent; for a grandparent, the parent's birth certificate too),
• is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada or registered Indian,
• is at least 18 and lives in Canada,
• meets the minimum necessary income, and
• writes and signs the letter of invitation.

Siblings, aunts or friends cannot host a super visa. If that is your situation, a regular visitor visa is the route.

Step 1: count the family size

Family size is not just your household. IRCC counts:

• you, the host,
• your spouse or common-law partner (this may include a separated spouse),
• dependent children of you and your spouse, whatever the custody arrangement,
• the parents or grandparents you are inviting now,
• super visa holders you or your spouse invited in an earlier letter that still applies, and
• people you or your spouse sponsored whose undertaking is still in effect.

Example: you, your spouse and one child, inviting both your parents. Family size is 5.

Step 2: compare with the minimum necessary income

IRCC table updated July 29, 2025 (Canadian dollars):

• 1 person: $30,526
• 2 persons: $38,002
• 3 persons: $46,720
• 4 persons: $56,724
• 5 persons: $64,336
• 6 persons: $72,560
• 7 persons: $80,784
• each additional person: add $8,224

IRCC updates this table, usually once a year. Check the IRCC proof of financial support page before you apply.

Step 3: prove the income

There are two ways:

• Option 1. Your total income (plus your co-signing spouse's) meets the minimum in either of the 2 tax years before the application. Proof: the CRA notice of assessment.
• Option 2. In the year before the application, your side reached at least 75% of the minimum, and the parents' own income covers the rest. They must show the income continues while they are in Canada.

Use total income, line 15000 on your notice of assessment. If the notice of assessment is not available, IRCC accepts a T4 or T1, 12 months of pay stubs, an employer letter with salary, or bank statements showing regular deposits.

Can my spouse co-sign?

Yes, if your spouse or common-law partner is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian. They co-sign the letter and their income is added. No one else can co-sign.

Step 4: the letter of invitation

The letter is written and signed by the host (and the co-signer). On top of the usual invitation details, a super visa letter must include:

• a promise of financial support for the whole stay,
• the list and number of people counted in the family size, and
• each of those people's name and date of birth.

The usual details are your name, date of birth, address, phone, job title, status in Canada and family; and for each guest their name, date of birth, address, relationship to you, the purpose of the trip, how long they will stay, where they will stay and when they will leave.

Our invitation letter wizard writes this letter from your answers, adds the family size table and the income calculation, and gives you a document checklist.

Step 5: medical insurance

Each applicant needs private medical insurance that is:

• from a Canadian insurance company, or a foreign insurer authorized by OSFI and doing insurance business in Canada,
• valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry, and for each entry,
• at least $100,000 of emergency coverage for health care, hospitalization and repatriation, and
• paid in full, or by instalments with a deposit. A quote is not accepted.

Insurance brokers and claims administrators are not insurers. The policy must name the company that issued it.

Other requirements for the parents

• Apply from outside Canada, through the IRCC Portal.
• An immigration medical exam with a panel physician.
• Fees: $100 per person, plus $85 for biometrics if required.
• Documents not in English or French need a translation, with the translator's affidavit if the translator is not certified in Canada. A family member cannot translate.

A letter of invitation does not guarantee a visa. The officer also weighs the applicant's ties to their home country, finances and the purpose of the visit.

This page explains published IRCC requirements. It is not immigration advice; for advice on your case, talk to a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or a lawyer.