Long visits to a qualifying child or grandchild in Canada, with host income, insurance and medical requirements. This is not an independent retirement or passive-income residence route.
Route overview
Family-linked long-stay visitor visa
Typical timeline / duration: Applications from 22 June 2023 onward can allow five years per visit. Older applications have entry-date rules; maintain valid visitor status and insurance.
Important notes
Prove the parent/grandparent relationship to a host who is at least 18, lives in Canada and is a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian. Obtain the signed invitation and financial-support commitment; only an eligible spouse/common-law partner may co-sign.
Calculate the full family size, including the visiting applicants, host, partner, dependent children and relevant existing super-visa/sponsorship commitments. The linked table is labelled 29 July 2025: examples are CAD 38,002 for two people and CAD 56,724 for four; consult the current table for filing.
Under the rules effective 31 March 2026, the host/co-signer may meet the full threshold in either of the preceding two tax years. Alternatively, their income for the preceding year must reach at least 75% of the threshold before the visitor's income can fill the remaining gap; document continuing visitor income and its currency.
Provide qualifying private insurance for at least one year from entry, with at least CAD 100,000 emergency cover for health care, hospitalisation and repatriation. It must be paid in full or by instalments with a deposit; a quote alone is insufficient.
Complete the immigration medical exam, prepare identity/relationship and local visa-office documents with the required translations, and apply while outside Canada. IRCC still assesses the genuine visit, home ties and admissibility.
A foreign insurer must meet IRCC's OSFI-authorisation/listing conditions and issue the policy while carrying on insurance business in Canada. An overseas travel-insurance policy is not automatically acceptable.
Carry qualifying insurance evidence on each entry and renew cover if it will expire during the visit. Five-year visitor eligibility does not remove the one-year initial insurance requirement or the need to maintain coverage.
The income-calculation changes apply to applications already in process or submitted from 31 March 2026. The two-tax-year option and the 75%-plus-visitor-income option have different evidence conditions.
The Super Visa remains a visitor route, not permanent residence or a general work permit. The application instructions distinguish the regular IRCC Portal from the new version's narrower eligibility.
Preparation checklist
Confirm the host's status, Canadian residence, age and relationship evidence.
Count all required family members and select the correct income-proof option.
Obtain tax assessments and any permitted visitor-income evidence.
Buy a compliant policy and verify the actual insurer, payment, dates and emergency cover.
Complete the medical exam and translations, then follow the outside-Canada application instructions.
Retain application/biometrics notices and carry insurance evidence when travelling.