If you want your parents or grandparents to live with you in Canada, you have two main routes: the Super Visa (a long-stay visitor visa) and the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) (which leads to permanent residence). They solve different problems, and choosing the wrong one costs you time. Here’s an honest comparison.
The Super Visa: fast, flexible, temporary
The Super Visa is a multiple-entry visitor visa valid for up to 10 years, and it lets a parent or grandparent stay in Canada for up to 5 years per visit (with the possibility of extending from inside Canada).
Pros:
- Open year-round — no lottery, no waiting for a window.
- Fast and predictable compared to permanent residence.
- Long stays without giving up status in their home country.
Cons / requirements:
- Your parent stays a visitor — not a permanent resident. No PR benefits.
- Requires private medical insurance (historically at least CAD $100,000 in coverage, valid at least one year). Since 2024, certain approved non-Canadian insurers are also accepted, which has improved affordability.
- You (the host) must meet the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) based on your family size and provide an invitation letter.
- Your parent needs a satisfactory medical exam.
Parent & Grandparent Program (PGP): permanent, but competitive
The PGP leads to permanent residence, but it’s notoriously hard to access because of the intake system.
Pros:
- Leads to permanent residence — eventually citizenship, provincial health coverage, and full settlement.
- No insurance requirement once they land and are covered provincially.
Cons / requirements:
- Lottery-style intake. IRCC invites a limited number of sponsors from an “interest to sponsor” pool — you can’t simply apply whenever you want. In recent years IRCC has drawn from an existing pool rather than opening new submissions.
- Higher income test: Minimum Necessary Income (LICO + 30%) for three consecutive tax years, proven by CRA Notices of Assessment.
- A 20-year sponsorship undertaking (10 years in Quebec) — a long financial commitment.
- Longer processing once submitted.
Side-by-side
| Super Visa | PGP (Sponsorship) | |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome | Long-term visitor | Permanent residence |
| Intake | Open year-round | Invitation/lottery |
| Income test | LICO (1 year) | LICO + 30% (3 years) |
| Insurance | Required (~$100K) | Not required after landing |
| Speed | Faster | Slower / uncertain |
| Commitment | None beyond invitation | 20-year undertaking |
Our usual recommendation: run both
For most families, the smartest strategy is not either/or — it’s both:
- Apply for a Super Visa now so your parent can actually arrive and live with you.
- Submit an interest to sponsor for the PGP whenever IRCC opens a window.
If a PGP invitation eventually comes, your parent is already in Canada and the file can move toward permanent residence. This “dual” approach is permitted and is how many of our clients reunite their families fastest.
Get the right plan for your family
The choice between Super Visa and PGP depends on your income, your timeline, and whether permanent status matters to your parents. Getting either application wrong — an income shortfall, the wrong insurance, a weak invitation letter — leads to refusals that delay reunification by years.
Book a consultation and we’ll map both options against your situation in a single meeting.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the PGP any time? No. IRCC only accepts interest-to-sponsor submissions during specific windows and then invites a limited number of sponsors. Outside those windows, the Super Visa is your route.
How long can my parent stay on a Super Visa? Up to 5 years per visit, on a visa that can be valid for up to 10 years, with the option to extend from inside Canada.
Do I need a high income for the Super Visa? You must meet LICO for your family size for the most recent year — a lower bar than the PGP’s LICO + 30% over three years.
Can my parent work on a Super Visa? No. A Super Visa is a visitor visa and does not authorize work. Permanent residence through the PGP would.