Check the current Super Visa income test in a few steps: calculate your family size, see the minimum income required, and find out whether you qualify through either of IRCC’s two income options introduced in 2026.
Work out your family size, the current minimum income required, and whether you meet either of IRCC’s two income options. This tool estimates the income test only; it does not decide admissibility or approval.
The host is counted automatically as one person. Add everyone else IRCC requires in the family-size calculation.
Count dependent children regardless of custody where IRCC’s dependent-child definition applies. Active invitation or sponsorship obligations may need to be counted even if those people are not in Canada.
Applicant income under Option 2: IRCC requires evidence of the applicant’s qualifying income and proof it will continue during the visit. The supporting document must identify the currency. Income is assessed on gross (before-tax) amounts.
Enter your family details and income above to see whether either income option is met.
The Super Visa lets parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents visit for extended periods, currently up to five years at a time. The most common reason applications are refused is the income test, so it is worth getting the numbers right before you apply. The host in Canada must show that they can financially support the visitor, and the required amount is set by the Low Income Cut-Off, published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and based on your total family size.
Family size is where many applicants slip up. It is not just the people travelling. IRCC counts the host, the host’s spouse or common-law partner, all dependent children of the host and their spouse, the parents or grandparents being invited, any accompanying spouse, and anyone still covered by an active invitation or sponsorship undertaking. Dependent children count even in shared-custody situations where the definition applies. The calculator above adds the host automatically and lets you enter each of the other groups, then shows the exact minimum income for that size.
Income is assessed on gross earnings, meaning your total pay before taxes and deductions rather than your take-home amount. Only income that can be documented to IRCC’s standard counts, which in practice usually means amounts supported by a Canada Revenue Agency notice of assessment or an equivalent record.
Before March 31, 2026, the income rule was rigid: the host had to meet the threshold in the single most recent tax year. IRCC then introduced two more flexible ways to qualify, which the calculator checks for you.
Option 1 lets the host, together with an eligible spouse or common-law co-signer, meet the required amount in either of the two tax years immediately before applying. A single weaker year no longer sinks an otherwise strong application. Option 2 helps hosts who fall a little short on their own: if the host and any eligible co-signer reach at least 75% of the required amount in the most recent year, the visiting parent or grandparent’s own qualifying income can be added to cover the remaining gap. Only the host’s spouse or common-law partner can act as a co-signer; other relatives cannot. If a co-signer does not meet the required status, age and residence conditions, their income should not be counted, and the calculator reflects that.
Enter your figures under both options to see which one works for your situation. Many families qualify under one but not the other, and knowing which route to use before filing saves time and avoids a refusal.
The income test is necessary but not sufficient. A complete Super Visa application also needs a compliant signed invitation letter from the host that promises financial support and states the family size, private medical insurance from a qualifying Canadian insurer or an eligible foreign insurer with at least $100,000 in emergency coverage valid for at least one year, an immigration medical exam by an approved panel physician, and proof of the parent or grandparent relationship. Because the Super Visa is still a temporary-resident application, the officer also weighs the applicant’s ties, purpose of visit and likelihood of leaving at the end of the authorized stay.
If you are also planning a permanent move, it can help to look at the wider picture. Estimate a federal ranking with the CRS calculator, check citizenship timing with the physical presence calculator, or compare provincial routes on the PNP calculators.
Family size includes the host, the host’s spouse or common-law partner, all dependent children of the host and their spouse, the Super Visa applicants being invited and any accompanying spouse, plus anyone still counted under an active invitation or sponsorship undertaking. Dependent children are counted regardless of custody where IRCC’s definition applies.
IRCC assesses gross income, meaning total earnings before taxes and deductions, and looks at the host in Canada, plus an eligible spouse or common-law co-signer where used. The required amount is based on the Low Income Cut-Off for the family size.
IRCC introduced two ways to meet the income test. Under Option 1, the host and any eligible co-signer can qualify using income from either of the two tax years before applying, not only the most recent year. Under Option 2, if the host reaches at least 75% of the required amount in the most recent year, the visiting parent or grandparent’s qualifying income can be added to cover the rest.
No. The income test is one part of the application. The applicant also needs a compliant signed invitation letter, private medical insurance with at least $100,000 in coverage valid for one year, an immigration medical exam, proof of the parent or grandparent relationship, and must meet normal temporary-resident and admissibility requirements.
Yes. The thresholds are based on the Low Income Cut-Off, which IRCC and Statistics Canada update to reflect inflation and cost-of-living changes, so the figures shown here should always be confirmed on the official IRCC pages before you rely on them.
This calculator uses published LICO thresholds and the current income options, but the amounts and rules change and each application is decided individually. Confirm the current figures and requirements on IRCC’s official Super Visa pages before you apply.
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