Anyone hoping to bring their parents to live in Canada runs into a closed door today: the parents and grandparents sponsorship program is paused. IRCC is not accepting new interest-to-sponsor forms or inviting anyone to apply, and it has not said until when.
The route that remains is the super visa. And there is a development worth knowing about, because it changed the requirement that held up the most applications.
In short: sponsorship is paused until further notice. The super visa allows stays of 5 years per entry, valid for up to 10. Since March 31, 2026, there are two new ways to meet the host's income requirement, and the most common mistake is not the amount but how the family is counted.
What "paused" means
The official page says it plainly: no new interest-to-sponsor forms are being accepted, and no one will be invited to apply until further notice. Applications already submitted continue to be processed.
In other words: those already in the process carry on; those who wanted to join cannot, for now.
The super visa is not an ordinary visitor visa
The difference is duration. An ordinary visitor visa allows stays of up to six months. The super visa allows you to stay five years per entry, with multiple entries over a validity of up to ten years. And from inside Canada, a two-year extension can be requested.
It does not allow dependants on the same application, and the fee starts at CAD $100, against $1,260 for sponsorship.
One point that often surprises people: you can apply for a super visa even with a sponsorship application in progress. You can also withdraw the sponsorship at any time and apply for a super visa instead.
What the host must meet
The host — child or grandchild — must:
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian
- Be at least 18 years old and live in Canada
- Be able to prove the biological or adoptive relationship
- Meet or exceed the minimum necessary income
- Write and sign a letter of invitation
What the traveller must meet
- Be outside Canada when the application is submitted
- Hold private health insurance valid for at least one year from the date of entry, from a Canadian insurer or a foreign one approved by the minister
- Take the immigration medical exam
- Be admissible, and show they are a genuine visitor who will leave at the end of the visit
Those who do not need a visa to enter Canada can still obtain a super visa: they receive a letter to present to the border services officer, and may also need an eTA if travelling by air.
The March change: two new routes for income
This is the point most families do not know about. Since March 31, 2026, IRCC changed how income is calculated and opened two alternatives:
Two tax years can be used. The host — and their co-signer, if any — may meet the requirement in either of the two taxation years preceding the application. Previously only the immediately preceding year was assessed. A bad year no longer disqualifies automatically.
The parents' income can be added. If the host meets a required minimum percentage of the income, the income of the visiting parents or grandparents can be added to cover the remainder.
Applications in processing on March 31 and those submitted since are assessed under the new criteria. Those who already qualified continue to qualify. Those wishing to use one of the alternatives must submit the documents proving it.
Super visa, or wait for sponsorship?
Annette P. Campos, a regulated immigration consultant (RCIC), can review your situation and your family's to determine which route applies and what documents it requires.
The minimum income, and the mistake that costs most
The table in force, updated July 29, 2025:
| People in the family | Host's minimum 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 |
Here is the thing: the most common mistake is not the amount, it is the count. Family size is not "the people living in my house". IRCC requires you to include:
- The host and every super visa applicant they will be supporting
- The host's spouse or common-law partner, even if separated
- The dependent children of the host and of their spouse, regardless of custody or child support arrangements
- Previously approved super visa holders under another letter of invitation still in effect, signed by the host or their spouse
- People the host or co-signer previously sponsored, if the undertaking is still in effect
IRCC's own example illustrates it well: a host inviting their two parents, who has a spouse and one dependent child, and who once co-signed the sponsorship of their spouse's two parents — an undertaking still in effect — counts as a family of seven. They must show $80,784, not the $56,724 that counting only the people under their roof would suggest.
That calculation comes before gathering any document. Getting it wrong means preparing a complete file for the wrong amount.
What to do now
While sponsorship remains paused, the super visa is the available route, and under the March rules it is more accessible than it was. The two questions that determine everything are how many people IRCC counts in your family, and which of the two tax years is the one to present.
If you are thinking of bringing your parents
We review your case, calculate the family size that applies, and prepare the application with the documentation IRCC requires.
Sources: IRCC, Sponsor your parents and grandparents, Super visa: Who can apply, Proof of financial support and the notice Changes to how the parents and grandparents super visa income requirement is calculated, consulted on October 14, 2026. Amounts and rules change: always verify on canada.ca when you apply.