How do parents in Pakistan get a Canada super visa? (2026)

Who can apply for the Canada super visa from Pakistan?

You can apply if you are the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a registered Indian, and that child or grandchild invites you and meets the income requirement. You must also be outside Canada when you apply.

The super visa is a visitor visa with extra conditions. It is designed for long family visits, such as helping after a grandchild’s birth or spending a Pakistani winter with a son in Toronto. It does not give permanent residence, and it does not allow you to work.

The host in Canada

As of 15 September 2026, IRCC says your host must:

• be your biological or adopted child or grandchild, which you can prove
• hold Canadian citizenship, permanent residence or registered Indian status
• be at least 18 years old and live in Canada
• meet or exceed the minimum necessary income for their family size
• write and sign a letter of invitation to you

A host who is a Canadian citizen but lives in Dubai does not meet the rule. The host has to live in Canada.

You, the parent or grandparent

IRCC requires you to be outside Canada when you submit, to have your visa printed by a visa office outside Canada, and to be admissible to Canada. You also need private medical insurance from an accepted insurer and an immigration medical exam. Both are explained below.

An officer still asks the ordinary visitor questions. Are you a genuine visitor who will leave by choice? What are your ties to Pakistan, your purpose, and your family and financial situation? A long stay is allowed, but the officer must still believe you will go home.

Who cannot be included

IRCC is clear that you cannot include dependants in a super visa application. Each parent or grandparent applies separately. An unmarried daughter or a younger son who lives with you in Pakistan cannot travel on your super visa, and would need to apply for a regular visitor visa of their own.

Brothers, sisters, uncles and in-laws of the host are not eligible for a super visa at all. For them, the Canada visitor visa guide is the right starting point.

Should your parents apply for a super visa or a regular visitor visa?

Choose the super visa when parents want to stay longer than six months at a time and the host can meet the income and insurance rules. For shorter trips, a regular visitor visa is usually simpler and cheaper overall.

When the super visa fits

It suits a retired father who wants to spend most of the year with his daughter in Mississauga, or grandparents helping with young children while both parents work. The extra paperwork buys long stays without leaving Canada every six months.

When a visitor visa fits

If your parents want three months for a convocation or a wedding, the visitor visa avoids a large insurance premium and the income test. It also helps when the host’s income is below the table. In my experience, many families reach for the super visa out of habit when their real plan is two short visits a year.

How much income does your child in Canada need for a super visa?

The host’s income must meet or exceed Statistics Canada’s low income cut-off for large urban areas, based on family size. As of 15 September 2026, IRCC publishes the table below, updated on 29 July 2025.

The 2026 ministerial instructions define the requirement as the low income cut-off for urban areas of 500,000 people or more, with no extra percentage on top. Use only the super visa table, not income figures quoted for other family programmes.

Who counts in the family size

IRCC’s financial support page says to count:

• you, and any other super visa applicants the host will support, such as your spouse
• the host child or grandchild
• the host’s spouse, which can include a separated spouse, or common-law partner
• dependent children of the host and of their spouse or partner
• earlier super visa applicants still on an active letter of invitation
• people the host previously sponsored whose undertaking is still in effect

In practice, the family size is never below two. A single son inviting both parents is a family of three, so he needs at least CAD 46,720.

Two ways to meet the requirement

On 20 March 2026, IRCC announced changes that took effect on 31 March 2026 and also applied to applications already in processing. As of 15 September 2026, the host can qualify in one of two ways.

• Either of the last 2 tax years: the host’s total income, with any co-signer, meets or exceeds the table in either of the 2 tax years before the application is submitted.
• Combined with your income: the host’s total income in the year before the application was at least 75% of the required amount, and your own income is added to cover the rest.

The second option matters for Pakistani families. A father with a pension, rental income from a shop in Gujranwala, or a working mother can now help close a gap. Your documents must cover the most recent 12-month period and state the currency you are paid in.

Documents that prove the host’s income

IRCC asks for the Canada Revenue Agency notice of assessment from the host, or the co-signer. It also lists supporting documents such as T4 or T1 forms, pay stubs covering 12 months, an employer letter, bank statements showing deposits and investment income, and pension or rental records. Only the host’s spouse or common-law partner can co-sign.

For your side, a pension book or pension office statement, bank statements in PKR, rent agreements and FBR tax returns are the usual Pakistani evidence. Keep the figures consistent across every document.

What must the host’s letter of invitation say?

The letter must invite you, promise financial support for your whole visit, and list everyone counted in the family size. A letter that misses any of these points weakens the application.

What the letter should contain

IRCC’s letter of invitation page and its super visa document list, checked on 15 September 2026, point to these details:

• your full name, date of birth, address and telephone number in Pakistan
• your relationship to the host, the purpose of the trip and how long you plan to stay
• where you will stay, how expenses will be paid and when you plan to leave
• the host’s full name, date of birth, address and telephone number in Canada, and job title
• a copy of the host’s proof of status, such as a citizenship certificate or PR card
• a written promise of financial support for the length of your visit
• the list and number of people in the family size, each with a name and date of birth

Proving the relationship

IRCC accepts a copy of the host’s birth certificate or baptismal certificate, or another official document naming you as the parent or grandparent. For a son born in Pakistan, a NADRA birth certificate that names you is the natural document. A NADRA Family Registration Certificate is useful support, and a grandparent may need documents linking both generations.

What medical insurance does a super visa need?

You need private medical insurance with at least CAD 100,000 of emergency coverage, valid for at least 1 year from the date you enter Canada. It must be paid, not just quoted.

The conditions the policy must meet

As of 15 September 2026, IRCC’s super visa document list says the insurance must:

• give minimum emergency coverage of CAD 100,000
• be valid for a minimum of 1 year from the date of entry
• cover your health care, hospitalisation and repatriation
• be paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit, as quotes are not accepted
• be available for border services officers to review on request

Canadian insurer or approved foreign insurer

You can buy from a Canadian insurance company. Since 28 January 2025, IRCC also accepts a policy from a company outside Canada, but only if three conditions are all met. The company must be authorised by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) to provide accident and sickness insurance. It must appear on OSFI’s list of federally regulated financial institutions. And the policy must be issued under the company’s insurance business in Canada.

IRCC does not publish its own list of approved foreign insurers on its super visa pages. It points you to OSFI’s website. So before buying a policy sold in Lahore or Karachi, check the company’s exact legal name on OSFI’s list and ask for written confirmation that the policy is issued under its Canadian business.

Keeping cover for the whole stay

IRCC’s January 2025 notice also said super visa holders should have valid health insurance for the whole stay, and that it must be valid for each entry to Canada. The one-year minimum is for the application. A parent planning three years in Canada should budget to renew, and carry proof of the policy when travelling.

How do parents in Pakistan book the immigration medical exam?

Every super visa applicant needs an immigration medical exam with a panel physician approved by IRCC. IRCC recommends having it before you apply, and your own family doctor cannot do it.

Finding a panel physician

Use IRCC’s Find a Panel Physician tool on its website, look up approved doctors in Pakistan, and contact the clinic directly to book. You pay the clinic, and IRCC says the cost can differ from one doctor to another. Take your passport and whatever else the clinic tells you to bring when you book.

Upfront exam and validity

With an upfront exam, the clinic gives you a document confirming the exam, and IRCC says you must include a copy with your application. Results are valid for 12 months. If the application is delayed, or you apply much later, you may be asked to repeat the exam.

Elderly applicants with diabetes, heart conditions or past surgery should take recent reports and prescriptions to the appointment, and answer the doctor’s questions fully. When I talk to families about this, the worry is usually the condition itself, but a concealed condition is the bigger problem.

What does a super visa cost, and where are biometrics given?

As of 15 September 2026, the government fee is CAD 100 per person, plus CAD 85 for biometrics unless you are exempt. The medical exam and the insurance premium are paid separately, at prices set by the clinic and the insurer.

A couple aged 65 and 60 applying together would pay CAD 200 in visa fees and CAD 170 in biometrics, so CAD 370 to IRCC. A grandmother aged 80 applying alone pays CAD 100 and gives no biometrics.

Giving biometrics in Pakistan

After you pay, IRCC sends a biometrics instruction letter to your account, and says to book an appointment as soon as you can. IRCC’s visitor visa pages give 30 days from the letter and list visa application centres run by VFS Global in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. The visitor visa guide covers booking and the 10-year validity of biometrics in more detail.

How long is the super visa valid, and how long can parents stay?

A super visa gives multiple entries for up to 10 years, and each stay can last up to 5 years. From inside Canada, you can ask to extend a stay by up to 2 years.

Visa validity and each stay

IRCC says super visa holders who entered Canada after 22 June 2023 can stay for 5 years at a time. An officer can issue a visa for less than 10 years, and IRCC’s general visitor guidance says a multiple entry visa runs no later than your passport’s expiry, so renew a passport close to expiry before you apply. If you leave before your authorised stay ends and come back, IRCC says you may get another 5-year period, provided you still meet the super visa requirements.

Extending a stay from inside Canada

To stay longer, apply for a visitor record from inside Canada. IRCC says an extension of up to 2 years can be approved, and that you should apply at least 30 days before your current status expires. The fee is CAD 100. Make sure your medical insurance is renewed for the extra period, and keep the host’s support in place.

Staying on after your status ends, with no extension application made in time, breaks the conditions of your stay and can count against you in every future application to Canada.

How long does a super visa take, and what if it is refused?

IRCC does not publish one fixed processing time for super visas. It says the time varies by country and does not include the time needed to give biometrics, so check IRCC’s processing times tool for Pakistan before you plan travel.

Reading the refusal

Since 29 July 2025, IRCC includes officer decision notes with most temporary resident visa refusals, and it names super visas among them. Some parts may be removed. Read each concern and match it to a document that was weak or missing. The guide to reading a visa refusal explains the method, and it works for family visas too.

Reapplying

IRCC says that applying again with the same information, even through a consultant or agent, will likely not change the decision. Reapply when something real has changed: a stronger tax year, a corrected family size, proper insurance or clearer ties to Pakistan. Beyond a fresh application, the legal route is judicial review in the Federal Court of Canada, which has strict deadlines, so speak to a lawyer licensed in Canada quickly.

How do you apply, step by step?

The application is online, and the order matters. Income and insurance problems are cheaper to find before you pay for a medical and a premium.

1. 1

   Check the host and the income table

   Confirm your child or grandchild is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, is at least 18 and lives in Canada. Work out the family size and compare their income with IRCC’s current table for either of the 2 tax years before you apply.

2. 2

   Collect the host’s income proof and letter of invitation

   The host gathers the Canada Revenue Agency notice of assessment and other income documents, then writes and signs a letter of invitation with a promise of financial support and the name and date of birth of everyone counted in the family size.

3. 3

   Book the upfront medical exam with a panel physician

   Find an IRCC panel physician in Pakistan with IRCC’s Find a Panel Physician tool and contact the clinic directly. Pay the clinic, keep the confirmation document it gives you, and remember that results are valid for 12 months.

4. 4

   Buy medical insurance that meets every condition

   Buy a policy from a Canadian insurer, or from a foreign insurer that meets IRCC’s OSFI conditions, with at least CAD 100,000 of emergency cover for health care, hospitalisation and repatriation, valid for 1 year from entry and paid in full or by instalments with a deposit.

5. 5

   Prepare your own documents in Pakistan

   Scan your passport, proof of your relationship to the host, and evidence of your ties to Pakistan, such as property papers, pension records and family commitments. If the host is relying on your income, add documents covering the most recent 12 months.

6. 6

   Apply online from outside Canada and pay the fees

   Each parent or grandparent applies through the IRCC Portal while outside Canada. Pay the CAD 100 visa fee and, unless exempt, the CAD 85 biometrics fee, using a credit card or a Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard card.

7. 7

   Give biometrics and answer any requests

   Book a biometrics appointment as soon as the instruction letter arrives. Watch your IRCC account, reply to any request on time, and send your passport only when IRCC asks, so the visa can be printed by a visa office outside Canada.

What goes wrong most often?

Insurance dates that do not match the trip

A policy that starts on the purchase date and ends 12 months later may not cover a full year from the day you actually land. IRCC wants 1 year from the date of entry. Ask the insurer, in writing, how the start date works if the visa takes longer than expected, and never submit a quote.

Income below the table for the real family size

Hosts often forget to count both parents, a separated spouse or a relative they sponsored earlier. Then CAD 50,000 looks enough for a family of four when the true family size is six, which needs CAD 72,560. Count carefully, and check both tax years.

A letter of invitation missing key details

A short note saying “I invite my parents” is not enough. The letter needs the written promise of financial support, the length of the visit, and the names and dates of birth of everyone in the family size. Only the host’s spouse or partner may co-sign it.

Undeclared family members

Parents sometimes leave a second son in Canada, or a daughter refused a UK visa, off the forms. Undeclared family members and hidden refusals do far more damage than the facts themselves. Under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, misrepresentation can lead to five years of inadmissibility.

Paying someone who is not authorised

Families are often charged for a “super visa file” by agents who promise approval. Before you pay anyone, read the guide to checking a visa consultant in Pakistan. Under section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, only members of a Canadian law society, the Chambre des notaires du Québec or the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants may be paid to represent or advise you.

A realistic example

This is a hypothetical illustration, not a real client. Imagine Tariq and Shahida Butt, aged 66 and 61, living in Multan. Tariq receives a government pension and they own their house. Their daughter Sana is a permanent resident in Calgary, married to Faisal, with two young children. Their son Adeel lives with them in Multan.

• Family size: Sana counts herself, Faisal, the two children and both parents. That is six people, so the table needs CAD 72,560.
• Income: Sana and Faisal, as co-signer, earned CAD 70,000 in 2025 but CAD 76,000 in 2024. They use the 2024 notice of assessment under the either-of-2-years rule.
• Letter: Sana writes a signed letter covering a two-year visit, promising support, and listing all six people with dates of birth. Faisal co-signs.
• Medical: Tariq and Shahida book an upfront exam with a panel physician found through IRCC’s tool, taking Tariq’s diabetes reports.
• Insurance and applications: they buy CAD 100,000 policies from a Canadian insurer, paid by instalments with a deposit, then each submits a separate application and pays CAD 100, with CAD 170 in biometrics for the two.
• Ties: they upload the house papers, pension statements, Adeel’s details on the family form and a NADRA birth certificate naming them as Sana’s parents.

Nothing here makes approval certain. The file simply answers the officer’s questions before they are asked. I would also expect Tariq and Shahida to keep the renewal date of their insurance written on the fridge in Calgary.

The version that goes wrong

Now imagine Sana counts only four people, uses the weaker 2025 year, and sends a two-line letter with no promise of support. An agent in Multan sells the parents a local policy after showing a quote, and the forms leave out Adeel because “he is not travelling”. The income falls short, the insurance fails IRCC’s conditions, and the missing family member raises a question of honesty that no later document can fully repair.

Longer term, some families look at permanent routes instead. If the host is still building their own status, the Canada Express Entry guide explains the skilled route, and you can book a free consultation to talk through your family’s options in general terms.

Key takeaways

Frequently asked questions