Super Visa Income Requirement (2026): Minimum Income Table

The Super Visa lets parents and grandparents visit their children or grandchildren in Canada for up to 5 years at a time, with multiple entries over a period of up to 10 years. In return, IRCC asks for something a normal visitor visa does not: the child or grandchild who invites you (your host) must show they earn enough to support you.

Below: the current table, how to count the family, whose income can be added, and which documents prove it. All figures were checked on official Government of Canada pages on 22 October 2026. They can change, so check the IRCC page again on the day you apply.

What IRCC calls the income requirement

IRCC calls it the minimum necessary income. Under the Ministerial Instructions for the Super Visa that came into force on 31 March 2026, this is the amount in Statistics Canada's most recent low income cut-off (LICO) publication, for urban areas of 500,000 people or more.

Two points often cause confusion:

• It is the plain minimum necessary income, not "LICO plus 30%". IRCC's Super Visa table adds no 30%. Do not confuse it with the Parents and Grandparents Program, which is permanent sponsorship. That program has its own separate income table and asks the sponsor to meet it for each of the 3 tax years before applying.
• The host must meet the income, not you. You can add your own income in one situation (Option 2 below), but the host's income always comes first.

The Super Visa minimum income table (2026)

This is the table on IRCC's "Proof of financial support" page, in Canadian dollars. IRCC states it was updated July 29, 2025, and it is the table in use as of 22 October 2026.

How to count the family unit

Getting this number right matters more than anything else. Leaving out one person puts you on the wrong row of the table, and IRCC will apply a higher amount. IRCC says to include all of these people:

• You, and any other Super Visa applicants the host will support, such as your spouse or common-law partner
• The host (your child or grandchild)
• The host's spouse or common-law partner, which might include a separated spouse
• Dependent children of the host and of their spouse or common-law partner, regardless of custody and child support arrangements
• Other Super Visa holders named in another letter of invitation that the host signed or co-signed and that still applies, and, if the host's spouse or partner co-signs your letter, those named in a letter they signed. They must be counted even if they are not in Canada now
• People the host or co-signer has sponsored to Canada whose sponsorship undertaking is still in effect

Worked counting example

Priya is a Canadian citizen living in Calgary. She wants to invite her mother, Asha. Here is Priya's household:

• Priya, the host
• Asha, her mother, who is applying
• Daniel, Priya's husband
• Leo, their 6-year-old son
• Ella, Daniel's 10-year-old daughter from an earlier relationship, who lives mostly with her mother

Ella counts, because IRCC counts the dependent children of the host's spouse regardless of custody. So the count is Priya (1) + Asha (2) + Daniel (3) + Leo (4) + Ella (5) = 5 persons. The table shows $64,336.

Now suppose Daniel co-signs Priya's letter of invitation, and Daniel's parents already hold Super Visas under a letter of invitation Daniel signed that still applies. They are added even if they are back home right now. The count becomes 7 persons, and the minimum rises to $80,784.

The letter of invitation must list every person counted, with each person's name and date of birth. Make sure the number in the letter matches the number used for the income check.

Two ways to meet the income test

IRCC's proof of financial support page describes two options.

Option 1: the host meets the full amount

The host's total income, plus a co-signer's income if there is one, must meet or exceed the minimum necessary income in either of the 2 tax years before the application is submitted. The proof is the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) notice of assessment for that year.

For an application submitted in October 2026, that would normally be the 2025 or the 2024 tax year. If the host earned more in one of those years, that is the year to use.

Option 2: the host meets at least 75%, and you add your own income

The host's total income (plus a co-signer's, if any) in the year before you submit must be at least 75% of the minimum. You can then add your own income to cover the rest. The combined amount must still meet or exceed the full minimum.

The Ministerial Instructions refer to "the income of the foreign national(s) applying," so where two parents or grandparents apply together, both applicants' income can count. For your own income, you must:

• show proof that you will continue to earn it while in Canada, such as a pension
• use documents that show the currency you are paid in

Using the example above: for 5 persons, 75% of $64,336 is $48,252. If Priya and Daniel together earned $52,000, they pass the 75% test. Asha would then need to show at least $12,336 a year in continuing income to close the gap. If they earned $45,000, they would be under 75%, and Option 2 would not be available.

Who can be the host, and whose income can be combined

IRCC's rules for the host:

• They must be your biological or adopted child or grandchild
• They must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian
• They must be at least 18 and live in Canada
• They must write and sign the letter of invitation, including a promise of financial support for the length of your authorized stays

Apart from your own income under Option 2, the only person whose income can be added to the host's is a co-signer, and the co-signer can only be the host's spouse or common-law partner. The co-signer must meet the same status, age and residence rules as the host (except being your child). IRCC states that other family members of the host, such as siblings, cannot co-sign. So two brothers cannot pool their income to invite a parent.

What proof of income IRCC accepts

IRCC's preferred proof is the host's or co-signer's CRA notice of assessment. If it is not available, IRCC lists these alternatives:

• T4 or T1 for the last tax year
• Pay stubs for the most recent 12-month period available
• An original letter from an employer stating job title, job description and salary
• Bank statements from the last calendar year showing investment income and regular deposits for employment or pension
• Other proof of income, such as pension statements, or rental property ownership documents and leasing contracts showing the rent amount and how often it is paid

For your own income under Option 2, IRCC lists the same kinds of documents, without the T4, T1 and notice of assessment. Any document not in English or French needs a translation.

Insurance basics

The income test is only one part. IRCC also requires private health insurance that:

• comes from a Canadian insurance company, or from an insurance company outside Canada that is authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) and appears on OSFI's list
• is valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry
• gives at least $100,000 of emergency coverage
• covers health care, hospitalization and repatriation
• is valid for each entry to Canada
• is paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit. Quotes are not accepted

IRCC notes that insurance brokers and claims administrators are not insurance companies and will not appear on the OSFI list. You also need an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician.

Government fees

As charged by IRCC, checked on 22 October 2026:

• Super Visa (visitor visa) fee: CAD 100 per person
• Biometrics: CAD 85 per person, with a maximum of CAD 170 for a family of 2 or more applying at the same time

Fees can change, so check the fee list before paying.

Meeting the income table does not mean a visa will be issued. An IRCC officer decides each application and also looks at the usual visitor factors, such as your ties to your home country and the purpose of your visit. No one can guarantee that a Super Visa will be approved.

Get the full Super Visa guide

The full Super Visa guide covers the whole application: complete document checklists for you and your host, a letter of invitation template, an income worksheet, a full worked example, and the medical and insurance steps in order.