Super Visa

The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa allow the parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to come to Canada as visitors for a period of up to two consecutive years at their initial visit without having to renew their status.

Eligibility criteria and documentary requirements

An applicant is eligible for a super visa if they meet the requirements for temporary residence in Canada as a visitor and provide the additional required documentation. Specifically, they must provide the following:

proof of their relationship to the child or grandchild (who must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident), such as:
- a copy of the child’s or grandchild’s birth certificate
- a copy of the child’s or grandchild’s baptismal certificate; or
- other official document naming the applicant as the parent
proof of a medical examination and of being admissible on health grounds
satisfactory evidence of private medical insurance from a Canadian insurance company valid for a minimum period of 1 year from the date of entry that (all must apply):
- covers the applicant for health care, hospitalization,and repatriation
- provides a minimum of $100,000 coverage
- is valid for each entry to Canada and available for review by the examining officer, upon request
a letter of invitation written and signed by the host child or grandchild promising financial support for the entire duration of the applicant’s intention to stay in Canada;
evidence of the child’s or grandchild’s means of providing financial support through meeting the low-income cut-off (LICO) minimum (a co-signer may be added to meet the LICO minimum) in the form of one of the following documents:
- the most recent copy of the notice of assessment (if the child or grandchild does not have a paper copy of their notice of assessment on file, they can view and print their tax returns as well as other personal tax information using the Canada Revenue Agency My Account online service by visiting www.cra.gc.ca/myaccount to register or log in)
- the most recent copy of the child’s or grandchild’s T4 or T1
- an original letter from the child’s or grandchild’s employer stating their:
  - job title
  - job description
  - salary
- the child’s or grandchild’s employment insurance pay stubs, including:
  - a letter from an accountant confirming the child’s or grandchild’s annual income, if they are self-employed
  - proof of other sources of income (pension statement, investments, etc.)

Visa-exempt visitors can apply for a super visa

If the applicant does not require a visitor visa to enter Canada, they can still use the super visa to stay in Canada for up to two years. To do so, follow the steps below:

Complete and submit the requested documents to prove the eligibility.
If the application gets an approval, the applicant will be issued with a letter to give to a border services officer when arriving in Canada. In addition, if the applicant travels by air, they need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) separately to allow to travel to and enter Canada. The ETA will be electronically linked to the passport, so the applicant needs to travel with the passport which was used to apply for the ETA, and the letter to facilitate the applicant’s travel to Canada. The officer at the border may approve a visit to Canada for up to two years.