On 15 July 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada paused intake of new applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program. IRCC will not accept new interest-to-sponsor forms and will not issue new invitations to apply until further notice. Existing applications continue to be processed, and IRCC still plans to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the programme in 2026 under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.
For families who were waiting to enter that queue, the practical position is blunt: there is no way to start a new parent or grandparent sponsorship right now. The Super Visa is the route IRCC itself points to, and it is open. This guide sets out exactly what it requires in 2026 – including the income rules that changed on 31 March 2026 and made a meaningful number of previously ineligible households eligible.
1. What the PGP Pause Does and Does Not Mean
A pause is not a cancellation. Keeping the two apart matters, because it changes what you should do next.
| Situation | What it means for you |
| You already have a PGP application in processing | Nothing changes. IRCC continues processing existing files. Keep your address, income and family details current and respond promptly to requests. |
| You were invited in 2025 and applied | Your file remains in the queue and is unaffected by the pause. |
| You submitted an interest-to-sponsor form in 2020 but were never selected | There is no active pool to remain in and no waiting list to join. A future intake, if announced, may use an entirely new process. |
| You never entered the pool | You cannot start a PGP application in 2026. The Super Visa is the available pathway. |
Important distinction: the Super Visa is a long-stay visitor visa. It does not lead to permanent residence and time spent in Canada on it does not accumulate toward PR. If permanent residence for your parents is the goal, the Super Visa is a bridge while you monitor IRCC for a future intake – not a substitute. Our overview of family sponsorship options covers the streams that are still open, including spousal and dependent-child sponsorship, which the pause does not touch.
2. Super Visa vs Visitor Visa vs PGP Sponsorship
| Super Visa | Visitor Visa | PGP Sponsorship | |
| Who it is for | Parents and grandparents only | Any visitor | Parents and grandparents only |
| Stay per entry | Up to 5 years | Usually up to 6 months | Permanent residence |
| Validity | Multiple entry, up to 10 years | Varies | Permanent |
| Host income test | Yes – minimum necessary income | No | Yes – higher threshold, multiple tax years |
| Medical insurance | Mandatory, minimum $100,000 | Not required | Not applicable |
| Leads to PR | No | No | Yes |
| Open in 2026 | Yes | Yes | No – new intake paused |
If a parent only plans to visit for a few weeks, a standard visitor visa is cheaper and faster – no year-long insurance purchase and no income test. See our complete 2026 visitor visa requirements guide before defaulting to a Super Visa you may not need. Our visitor and super visa services page sets out how our RCICs support either route.
3. Who Can Host and Who Can Apply
Your host must
- Be your biological or adopted child or grandchild, and be able to prove that relationship
- Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a registered Indian
- Be at least 18 years old and live in Canada
- Meet or exceed the minimum necessary income for the family size
- Write and sign a letter of invitation
You, the applicant, must
- Be outside Canada when you submit the application
- Have the visa printed by a visa office outside Canada
- Be admissible to Canada
- Hold private health insurance valid for a minimum of one year from the date of entry
- Complete an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician
Admissibility deserves attention here, because refusals on health grounds are more common for older applicants than families expect. If a parent has a significant medical condition, read our guide to medical inadmissibility and health-related challenges and, where relevant, overcoming inadmissibility in Canadian immigration, before you file.
4. How to Calculate Family Size – the Single Biggest Cause of Refusal
Getting family size wrong is the most common reason a Super Visa income calculation fails. The count is larger than most hosts assume. Include all of the following:
- You and any other Super Visa applicants the host will support, such as your spouse or common-law partner
- The host child or grandchild
- The host’s spouse or common-law partner, which may include a separated spouse
- Dependent children of the host and of their spouse or partner – regardless of custody or child support arrangements
- Previously approved Super Visa applicants covered by another letter of invitation that is still applicable
- Individuals the host or co-signer previously sponsored, where the undertaking is still in effect
Worked examples from IRCC
| Scenario | Count | Family size |
| Unmarried host with no children invites one parent | 1 host + 1 parent | 2 |
| Host with spouse and 2 dependent children invites both parents | 1 host + 2 parents + 2 children + 1 spouse | 6 |
| Host grandchild with spouse and 1 child invites a grandparent; spouse already hosts 2 parents on super visas | 1 host + 1 grandparent + 1 spouse + 1 child + 2 hosted parents | 6 |
| Host with spouse and 1 child invites 2 parents; host previously co-signed sponsorship of spouse’s 2 parents, still in effect | 1 host + 2 parents + 1 spouse + 1 child + 2 sponsored parents | 7 |
| Divorced host with 2 children in shared custody invites 2 parents | 1 host + 2 parents + 2 children | 5 |
Note the third and fourth examples. People counted are not always people living in your home, and not always people currently in Canada. Previously hosted or sponsored relatives count while those undertakings remain live.
5. Minimum Necessary Income Table
These are the figures IRCC publishes for the host, last updated 29 July 2025 and current on the department’s page as at July 2026.
| Number of family members | Minimum income the host needs (CAD) |
| 1 | $30,526 |
| 2 | $38,002 |
| 3 | $46,720 |
| 4 | $56,724 |
| 5 | $64,336 |
| 6 | $72,560 |
| 7 | $80,784 |
| Each additional family member beyond 7 | Add $8,224 |
A widely repeated error worth correcting. Many articles state that the Super Visa income threshold is “LICO plus 30%”. The figures above are the amounts IRCC publishes on its Super Visa financial support page, and they are the amounts an officer will assess against. Use the published table for your family size rather than calculating a percentage uplift yourself, and confirm it on canada.ca on the day you file – the table is revised annually.
6. The 31 March 2026 Income Change: Two Ways to Qualify
This is the most consequential update to the programme in years, and it is additive – no family lost eligibility, some families gained it.
Option 1 – Either of the last two tax years
The host can show that total income, including a co-signer’s income where applicable, met or exceeded the minimum in either of the two tax years before the application is submitted. Previously only the most recent year counted. Proof is the Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.
This helps households with one weak year behind them – a parental leave, a job change, a business start-up year.
Option 2 – 75% plus the applicant’s own income
If the host’s total income in the year before the application was at least 75% of the minimum required amount, the visiting parent or grandparent can add their own income to cover the remainder. The combined figure must meet or exceed the minimum necessary income.
- The host must clear the 75% floor first. The parent’s income supplements; it does not replace the host’s income.
- You must prove continuing income. The applicant has to show they will keep earning while in Canada, and the document must state the currency they are paid in.
- Only a spouse or common-law partner can co-sign. Siblings and other relatives cannot.
Documents accepted as proof of the host’s income
The CRA Notice of Assessment is preferred. If unavailable, IRCC accepts any of: the T4 or T1 for the last tax year; pay stubs for the most recent 12-month period; an original employer letter stating job title, description and salary; bank statements from the last calendar year showing investment income or regular employment or pension deposits; or proof of other income such as pension statements or rental leasing contracts showing rent amount and frequency.
7. The $100,000 Medical Insurance Requirement
Insurance is a hard requirement and a frequent point of failure. The policy must:
- Provide a minimum of $100,000 in emergency medical coverage
- Be valid for a minimum of one year from the date of entry
- Cover health care, hospitalisation and repatriation
- Be paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit – quotes are not accepted
- Name the insurance company that issued the policy
- Be valid for each entry to Canada and available for review by a border services officer on request
The range of acceptable insurers has widened. You may now buy from a Canadian insurance company, or from a company outside Canada that is authorised by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions under the Insurance Companies Act to provide accident and sickness insurance, appears on OSFI’s public list of federally regulated financial institutions, and issued the policy while doing insurance business in Canada. Any policy from a foreign insurer must carry a statement confirming that last point.
8. Processing, Length of Stay, and What Happens on Arrival
A Super Visa is a multiple-entry visa valid for up to 10 years, allowing stays of up to five years per entry. Visa-exempt applicants can still obtain one; IRCC issues a letter to present to a border services officer on arrival, and an electronic travel authorisation may be needed separately for air travel.
On processing times: IRCC publishes current Super Visa processing times by country of application and updates them regularly. They vary substantially by visa office, so a figure quoted in an article is unreliable by the time you read it. Check the official processing times tool for the country you are applying from before you commit to travel dates.
If your parents ultimately become permanent residents through a future PGP intake, their obligations change – see our complete 2026 PR card renewal guide for the residency obligation that follows. Families with cross-border circumstances should also review US to Canada family sponsorship.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Parents and Grandparents Program open in 2026?
No. IRCC paused intake of new applications on 15 July 2026 and is not accepting interest-to-sponsor forms or issuing invitations until further notice. Existing applications continue to be processed. Our earlier guide to the Parents and Grandparents Program explains how the programme operates when intake is open.
How long can my parents stay on a Super Visa?
Up to five years per entry, on a visa that can be valid for multiple entries for up to 10 years.
Can my parent’s income count toward the income requirement?
Yes, since 31 March 2026, but only if the host’s own income reaches at least 75% of the minimum necessary income for the family size, and only if the parent can prove continuing income while in Canada.
Does time on a Super Visa count toward permanent residence?
No. The Super Visa is a temporary resident visa and does not accumulate time toward PR or citizenship.
Can I apply for a Super Visa if I already submitted a sponsorship application?
Yes. IRCC allows you to apply for a Super Visa while a sponsorship decision is pending, or to withdraw the sponsorship application at any time and apply for a Super Visa instead.
