Super Visas
Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents can sponsor their parents and grandparents for a Super Visa.
Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents can sponsor their parents and grandparents for a Super Visa. A Super Visa is a form of temporary residence that allows your parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for up to five years at a time without having to leave Canada. This can also be extended for up to one additional year while they are in Canada. This visa only allows them to visit and does not allow them to work in Canada. Dependants cannot be included in this type of application.
As a Super Visa is for temporary residence, your parents and grandparents would not have any benefits in Canada such as government medical.
Who is eligible for a super visa?
To be eligible for a Super Visa, applicants need to:
- have a child or grandchild living in Canada who is a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident
- have their child or grandchild agree in writing to support them financially while in Canada and they must be able to show the minimum income required to do so
- have medical insurance for at least one year which is valid in Canada
- undergo an immigration medical examination
- submit police clearances with their application
Are there any financial requirements for a Super Visa?
As part of the application, the Canadian citizen or permanent resident child or grandchild would have to prove that their household meets the minimum necessary income to support their parent or grandparent for a super visa. This is a requirement even if the applicant has enough money to fund their trip. The following documents are examples of what can be used as proof of these funds:
- Notice of Assessment (NOA) or T4/T1 for the most recent tax year
- Employment Insurance stubs
- employment letter including salary and date of hiring
- pay stubs
- bank statements
When assessing the minimum necessary income, the child or grandchild needs to calculate the “total number of persons they will be responsible for.” This needs to include:
- themself
- their spouse or common-law partner, if applicable
- their dependent children, if applicable
- their spouse’s or common-law partner’s dependent children, if applicable
- any other person they may have sponsored in the past for whom you are still financially responsible for
- the number of parents and grandparents they want to sponsor
