Who can apply
To apply for a super visa, you and your host (child or grandchild) must both meet the requirements listed below.
If you don’t meet the requirements, or if you want to stay for 6 months or less, you may be eligible to apply for a visitor visa.
If you’ve already submitted a sponsorship application, you can
- apply for a super visa while you wait for a decision or
- withdraw your sponsorship application at any time and apply for a super visa
On this page
Host requirements
To be eligible for a super visa, you must have a host who
- you can prove is your biological or adopted child or grandchild
- is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada or registered Indian
- is at least 18 years old and lives in Canada
- meets or exceeds the minimum necessary income
- writes and signs a letter of invitation (opens in a new tab) for you to come Canada
Applicant requirements
To be eligible, you (the applicant) must
- be outside Canada when you submit your application
- have your visa printed by a visa office outside Canada (wait for visa office instructions)
- be allowed to enter Canada
- show proof that you have private health insurance valid for a minimum of 1 year from the date of entry
- from a Canadian insurance company or
- from a company outside Canada that has been approved by the minister
- take an immigration medical exam (opens in a new tab)
- meet certain other conditions
General requirements for visiting Canada
There are some general conditions you must meet to come to Canada as a visitor. Before we make a decision on your application, we’ll also consider
- whether you’re a genuine visitor to Canada who will leave by choice at the end of your visit
- your ties to your home country
- the purpose of your visit
- your family and finances
Visa-exempt applicants
Even if you don’t need a visitor visa to enter Canada, you can still get a super visa to stay in Canada for 5 years. If we approve your application, we’ll issue you a letter to give to a border services officer when you arrive in Canada.
If you travel by air, you may also need to apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) separately to allow you to travel to and enter Canada. The eTA will be electronically linked to your passport, so you need to travel with the passport you used to apply for your eTA and any supporting documents for your super visa application.