Super Visa or Parents and Grandparents Program?

Two different results

Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)

Sponsorship for permanent residence. The parent or grandparent becomes a permanent resident, and the sponsor signs an undertaking to support them for 20 years from the day they become a permanent resident (IRPR s. 132; outside Quebec).

Super visa

A visitor visa for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians. It allows multiple entries for up to 10 years, with stays of up to 5 years at a time. It does not lead to permanent residence.

The PGP gives a permanent result. The super visa gives long visits while the person keeps their life and status in their home country.

PGP intake status in 2026

On July 15, 2026, IRCC paused intake of new applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program. It will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice. Applications already in the system continue to be processed, and IRCC plans to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the PGP in 2026.

IRCC's program page, last updated August 18, 2026, still shows the PGP as "Paused" and gives no date for a next intake. We found no later notice changing this as of October 20, 2026.

For context, the 2025 intake did not open a new interest form. IRCC accepted up to 10,000 complete applications and sent invitations from the pool of people who had submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020.

No form to submit right now. There is currently no PGP interest to sponsor form open, and IRCC is not sending invitations. Watch IRCC's own notices for any reopening.

When the PGP is open, the income test is stricter than the super visa's: the sponsor (with a co-signing spouse or partner, if any) must show at least the minimum necessary income plus 30% for each of the three tax years before applying (IRPR s. 133(1)(j)(i)(B)). Quebec residents follow Quebec's income rules. You can estimate this with our parents and grandparents income calculator.

Super visa income rules since March 31, 2026

The host is the applicant's child or grandchild: 18 or older, living in Canada, and a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian. The host writes and signs a letter of invitation and must meet the minimum necessary income for their family size.

For the super visa, IRCC sets the minimum at Statistics Canada's most recent low income cut-off (LICO). Unlike the PGP, there is no 30% added. New Ministerial Instructions took effect on March 31, 2026 and apply to applications in process on that date as well as new ones. The host can now qualify in one of two ways:

Option 1The host's income, plus a co-signer's if any, meets or exceeds the minimum in either of the two tax years before the application.
Option 2The host's income over the most recent 12 months or tax year is at least 75% of the minimum. The visiting parent's or grandparent's own income can cover the rest, up to 25%.

Only the host's spouse or common-law partner can co-sign, and only if they are a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian. Siblings and other relatives cannot co-sign. The family size includes the host, the host's spouse or partner (even if separated), their dependent children, the visiting parents or grandparents, earlier super visa applicants under an invitation letter that still applies, and anyone still under a sponsorship undertaking the host signed or co-signed.

Family size	Minimum necessary income
1	$30,526
2	$38,002
3	$46,720
4	$56,724
5	$64,336
6	$72,560
7	$80,784
Each additional person	$8,224

These are the figures on IRCC's page (marked "Updated July 29, 2025"). IRCC prefers the host's Canada Revenue Agency notice of assessment as proof. Our super visa income calculator applies this table.

Medical insurance for the super visa

The applicant must have private medical insurance that:

is from a Canadian insurance company, or from a foreign insurer authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) and on its list (brokers and claims administrators are not insurers);
is valid for at least one year from the date of entry, and valid for each entry;
gives at least $100,000 in emergency coverage;
covers health care, hospitalization and repatriation;
is paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit. Quotes are not accepted.

The applicant also needs an immigration medical exam, must apply from outside Canada and must meet the usual visitor requirements, including showing that they will leave at the end of their stay. Proof of valid insurance can be requested again on each re-entry, and coverage has to be kept up while in Canada.

How long each stay can be

At the border, the officer can authorize a stay of up to 5 years. The visa itself can be valid for up to 10 years with multiple entries. A visa does not guarantee entry: the border officer still checks identity and admissibility, so the applicant should carry their super visa documents in hand luggage.

IRCC says super visa processing times vary by country and does not give a fixed time. Fees start at $100, and biometrics are separate.

Which one fits

	Super visa	PGP
Result	Temporary visits	Permanent residence
Open to new applicants now	Yes	No, paused since July 15, 2026
Income test	LICO, in one of the two tax years before applying (or the 75% option)	Minimum necessary income plus 30%, in each of three tax years
Commitment by the child or grandchild	Letter of invitation	20-year undertaking

Today, for most families the practical question is not which program to choose but whether the super visa works for them now. If the PGP reopens, a family may want to look at both. For example, a family whose income meets the PGP test for three years, and whose parents want to settle in Canada for good, may want to be ready for the next intake.

General information only. This article is not legal advice. Immigration rules and program instructions can change, and the result depends on the facts of each case.

Super visa or the Parents and Grandparents Program: which one fits.