Super Visa vs Family Sponsorship for Parents

A Super Visa is a visitor visa: parents and grandparents can stay up to 5 years per entry, and they remain visitors. Family sponsorship through the PGP gives permanent residence, needs LICO plus 30% income for 3 years and a 20-year undertaking, and IRCC paused new intake on July 15, 2026.

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Last verified: November 2026

$100
Super Visa government fee per person, plus biometrics unless exempt
$1,260
PGP sponsorship government fees per principal applicant
20 years
The undertaking a PGP sponsor signs (10 years in Quebec)
5 years
The stay a Super Visa allows per entry

How do the Super Visa and PGP sponsorship compare?

A super visa is a long-stay visitor authorization that does not grant permanent residence. The PGP leads to a permanent resident (PR) visa. The two options solve different problems.

Super Visa and PGP sponsorship, side by side
Factor	Super Visa	PGP Sponsorship
Result	Visitor status, no PR	Permanent residence (PR)
Length of stay per visit	Up to 5 years per entry	Permanent (as long as PR is maintained)
Income requirement	Host meets the LICO level in either of the 2 tax years before the application; or the host meets at least 75% and the visiting parent adds their own income	LICO+30% for the 3 most recent tax years
Medical insurance	Required: at least $100,000 coverage, valid 1+ year (Canadian insurer or OSFI-authorized foreign insurer)	Not required (can apply for provincial or territorial coverage once PR)
Work authorization	No, visitor status only	Yes, once PR is granted
Sponsorship undertaking	None	20-year undertaking (10 years in Quebec)
Path to citizenship?	No	Yes, once PR residency/time requirements are met (Citizenship Act s.5)
Intake required?	No, apply anytime	Yes, and intake is paused: since July 15, 2026 IRCC accepts no new interest to sponsor forms and issues no invitations

The rule

A super visa is a long-stay visitor authorization that does not grant permanent residence; the PGP leads to a permanent resident (PR) visa.

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What does the Super Visa require?

The super visa is a multiple-entry visitor visa for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents or registered Indians. For applications made on or after June 22, 2023, it allows a stay of 5 years at a time, and it can be valid for up to 10 years.

It is a temporary-resident status, not permanent residence: your parents remain visitors and cannot work. Each province and territory decides who qualifies for its health plan, and the super visa requires private insurance. A visa officer assesses each application.

These are the main requirements:

The applicant must be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian (a dependent of the parent or grandparent generally cannot be included).
The child or grandchild in Canada (the host) must show income at or above the applicable Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) level for the family size. This is the LICO level, not LICO+30% as required for PGP sponsorship. The host (with a co-signer if applicable) shows income at or above the minimum in either of the 2 tax years before the application is submitted. Or, since March 31, 2026, the host shows at least 75% of the minimum in the year before the application and the visiting parent or grandparent adds their own income to cover the rest. The proof shows the currency they are paid in and that the income continues while they are in Canada.
The applicant must have private medical insurance providing at least $100,000 in coverage for health care, hospitalization and repatriation, valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry, from a Canadian insurer or a foreign insurer authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI).
The applicant must provide a signed letter of invitation from the child or grandchild in Canada.
The applicant must satisfy a visa officer that they are a genuine visitor who will leave Canada at the end of the authorized stay.
Standard visitor visa admissibility requirements apply (valid travel document, and not inadmissible on grounds such as security, criminality or health), and the applicant must take an immigration medical exam.

What does PGP sponsorship give, and what does it ask of the sponsor?

The PGP grants full permanent residence with a path to Canadian citizenship. As PRs, parents can work, apply for provincial or territorial health coverage, and build a life in Canada without recurring private medical insurance costs.

Each province and territory decides who qualifies for coverage, and in some provinces the wait for coverage to start is up to 3 months. As PRs, parents carry the PR residency obligation (generally 730 days in every 5-year period under IRPA s.28).

Only permanent residents can build toward Canadian citizenship (the grant provision is Citizenship Act s.5). A super visa never leads to citizenship by itself, though days spent in Canada as a temporary resident in the 5 years before applying count as half days, up to 365.

PGP sponsorship requires LICO+30% income for each of the 3 most recent tax years. The sponsor signs a 20-year undertaking (10 years in Quebec) to support the parents financially.

When can you apply for each?

You can apply for a super visa at any time. Super visa processing times vary by country and are posted in the IRCC processing times tool. PGP processing generally takes many months to a few years.

Can parents hold a Super Visa while a PGP application is in progress?

Yes, it is generally possible to pursue both at once. A super visa is a visitor visa and does not lead to permanent residence by itself.

When both are in play:

Parents who are inside Canada on a super visa when their PGP application is approved will still need to complete the permanent-residence confirmation (landing) step.
If a parent applies for a super visa while a PR application is pending, the officer must still be satisfied the parent will leave by the end of the authorized stay (IRPA s.20(1)(b)).
An intention to become a permanent resident does not preclude temporary residence if the officer is so satisfied (IRPA s.22(2)), and an officer decides each case.

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What do people ask?

Is the Super Visa a type of family sponsorship?

No. The Super Visa is a visitor visa, so the child or grandchild in Canada invites and hosts the parent and signs no sponsorship undertaking. Family sponsorship of parents runs through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), which leads to permanent residence and carries a 20-year undertaking (10 years in Quebec). The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship guide explains the PGP.

Can parents work in Canada on a Super Visa?

No. The Super Visa is visitor status, and it does not authorize work in Canada. A foreign national may not work in Canada unless authorized (IRPA s.30(1)). A parent who wants to work would need separate work authorization, or permanent residence through the PGP, which IRCC has paused for new intake. The Super Visa Canada 2026 guide explains what visitor status allows.

Which option is cheaper: Super Visa or PGP sponsorship?

It depends on how long your parents stay. The Super Visa has lower government fees: $100 per person, plus biometrics of $85 per person to a family maximum of $170, unless exempt. It also needs private medical insurance, which IRCC says to renew to keep coverage for the whole stay. PGP sponsorship costs $1,260 per principal applicant in government fees, and permanent residents can later apply for provincial or territorial health care. The Fee Calculator shows current amounts.

What income does the host or sponsor need?

The two tests differ. A Super Visa host must meet the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) for the family size, in either of the two tax years before the application. Since March 31, 2026, a visiting parent can add their own income once the host reaches 75% of the threshold. A PGP sponsor needs the LICO plus 30% for each of the 3 most recent tax years. The Family Sponsorship Income guide compares the tests.

What medical insurance does the Super Visa require?

Private medical insurance that covers health care, hospitalization and repatriation for at least $100,000, valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry. It can come from a Canadian insurer or a foreign insurer authorized by OSFI. Proof is needed at application and again at each entry, and IRCC says to renew the policy if it will expire before the parent leaves Canada. The Super Visa Canada 2026 guide explains the insurance test.

Does the Super Visa 5-year stay reset with each entry?

Generally yes. For applications made on or after June 22, 2023, IRCC says that if a border officer grants your parents entry, they can stay for 5 years, even if the officer does not stamp the passport. The visa's expiry date is not one of the events that end a stay (IRPR s.183(4)). Your parents do not need to leave and re-enter to keep a current stay going: they can apply from inside Canada to extend it by up to 2 years at a time. The Visitor Visa Extension guide explains how to extend a stay from inside Canada.

My parents are on a Super Visa and we were invited to the PGP. What happens?

Your parents can keep their Super Visa status while the PGP application is processed. Once permanent residence is approved, they complete the confirmation (landing) step, which can happen from inside Canada. They need valid visitor status and insurance until then. IRCC paused new PGP intake on July 15, 2026, so this applies to files already in progress. The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship guide covers the steps.

Is the PGP a lottery, and is it open right now?

It is not open. IRCC paused the PGP on July 15, 2026: it will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors until further notice. IRCC keeps processing files already in its system. In past rounds, IRCC invited a capped number of sponsors from a pool of interest forms, at times by random selection. The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship guide tracks the program.

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Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.