Welcome back to The Immigration Desk. In my last article, I covered the visitor visa. This time, I want to talk about its longer-lasting relative, the Super Visa. Many of you have children or grandchildren who now call Canada home, and a few months at a time with them never feels like enough. The Super Visa was designed with you in mind. In this article, I will explain what a Super Visa is, who can apply, what your child or grandchild in Canada must show, what you cannot do while you are there and what to do if you want to stay longer.
What is a Super Visa?
A Super Visa is a special type of temporary resident visa for the parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. It is a multiple-entry visa, which means you can travel in and out of Canada as often as you like while it is valid. It can be issued for up to 10 years, or until your passport expires if that comes sooner.
The real advantage is the length of each visit. With a Super Visa, you may stay in Canada for up to 5 years at a time. A regular visitor is usually allowed to stay for up to 6 months. So, if you only plan to visit for 6 months or less, a regular visitor visa is generally the simpler option.
Who is eligible for a Super Visa?
To be eligible, you must:
- Be the parent or grandparent (biological or adopted) of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under Canada’s Indian Act;
- Be outside Canada when you submit your application. Your spouse or common-law partner may be included in your application, but other dependants, such as your children, cannot;
- Be admissible to Canada. In simple terms, this means no criminal record or health condition that would bar you from entering, and no history of giving false or misleading information to immigration authorities;
- Complete an Immigration Medical Exam (IME) with a doctor approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC);
- Have private health insurance that:
- is from a Canadian insurance company, or from an insurance company outside Canada that has been approved by the Minister;
- is valid for at least 1 year from the date you enter Canada;
- provides at least $100,000 in emergency coverage;
- covers health care, hospitalization and repatriation; and
- has been paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit. A quote alone is not accepted.
- Satisfy the visa officer that you are a genuine visitor who will leave Canada at the end of your stay.
A word of caution on insurance: if you are thinking of buying a policy from a company outside Canada, that company must be authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) and appear on OSFI’s public list of federally regulated financial institutions. Brokers and agents do not appear on that list, because they are not the insurer. Please check this carefully before you pay for a policy. The wrong policy can sink an otherwise strong application.
Also remember that citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines need a visa to travel to Canada. This means you will also be asked to give your biometrics (fingerprints and a photo), unless you have given them in the last 10 years.
Who can be your host?
Your host is the child or grandchild you are going to Canada to visit. IRCC looks just as closely at your host as it does at you. Your host must:
- Be your child or grandchild, biological or adopted, and be able to prove it (for example, with birth certificates);
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under the Indian Act;
- Be at least 18 years old and live in Canada;
- Write and sign a letter of invitation. The letter should promise financial support for the length of your visit and list the people in the household, with their names and dates of birth;
- Meet or exceed the minimum necessary income (MNI) for their household size.
The MNI is based on Statistics Canada’s low income cut-off figures, which are updated each year. When working out household size, your host must count themselves, their own family, you and any other relatives they have sponsored or invited. Your host’s spouse or common-law partner may co-sign the letter of invitation and add their income to help meet the requirement. Other relatives, such as your host’s brothers and sisters, cannot co-sign.
There is some good news here. Since March 31, 2026, IRCC has given hosts more flexibility. Your host may now rely on either of the two tax years before the application,
rather than only the most recent one. In some cases, your own income may also be counted towards the requirement, once your host covers a minimum share of it on their own.
Finally, as with every temporary resident visa, you must show that you intend to leave Canada at the end of your stay. Strong ties to home help here: a job, business or pension, property, and family you will return to in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A clean immigration history also counts. If you have travelled before and always respected the immigration rules of the countries you visited, that works in your favour.
What are your restrictions?
A Super Visa holder is still a visitor, or what the law calls a temporary resident. This comes with some important limits:
- You cannot work in Canada, even if the work is unpaid or voluntary, unless you have a work permit;
- You may take a short course or program of 6 months or less, but anything longer requires a study permit;
- You are not covered by Canada’s provincial public health insurance. This is exactly why the private insurance requirement exists. You are also not eligible for government benefits meant for residents; and
- You must leave Canada by the end of the stay you were authorized.
It is also worth knowing that a Super Visa does not lead to permanent residence on its own. Permanent residence for parents and grandparents is a separate process altogether.
What if you want to stay longer, or your visa expires?
This is where many people get confused, so let me make it plain. Your visa and your permitted stay are two different things. The visa is the document that lets you travel to Canada and enter. How long you may stay is decided by the border officer when you arrive.
This means that if your Super Visa expires while you are in Canada, you do not have to leave because of that alone. What matters is the date your authorized stay ends.
If you wish to stay beyond that date, you must apply to extend your stay before it ends. If you apply in time, you may remain in Canada under the same conditions while IRCC makes its decision. This is known as “maintained status”, which you may have heard called “implied status”. Please note that maintained status only lasts while you remain in Canada. If you leave, it ends.
If your stay has already run out, you may still be able to apply to restore your status, but only within 90 days, and there is no guarantee of approval.
If your Super Visa has expired and you are outside Canada, you will need a new visa before you can travel again. You can apply for a new Super Visa, or a regular visitor visa if you only plan a shorter trip.
What’s next?
In the next article of The Immigration Desk, I will continue with temporary residence. Since this area has several categories, I am covering them one at a time. Next up: Study Permits.
Until next time…
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