Super Visa vs visitor visa comes down to one trade-off for parents. The Super Visa allows stays of up to five years at a time, but it requires private medical insurance, a medical exam and proof of your income. A visitor visa is simpler, but most stays are capped at about six months and insurance is your own choice. Below, both paths sit side by side, with dated costs for a six-month and a two-year visit.
This guide is insurance information, not immigration advice. IRCC sets the rules and changes them, so confirm each one on canada.ca before you apply.
Super Visa or visitor visa: which should your parents choose?
Choose the Super Visa if your parents want to stay longer than six months at a time. It allows up to five years per entry, but needs $100,000 of private medical insurance valid for a year, a medical exam and proof of your income. For visits of six months or less, a visitor visa is usually simpler and costs less upfront.
IRCC's help centre draws the same line: five years at a time on a Super Visa, up to six months on a visitor visa. Staying longer on a visitor visa means applying for an extension and paying a new fee.
Decision table: Super Visa vs visitor visa at a glance
| Super Visa | Visitor visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | Parents and grandparents of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian | Visitors from visa-required countries, parents included |
| Stay per entry | Up to 5 years at a time | Up to 6 months for most visitors, set by the border officer |
| Validity | Multiple entries over up to 10 years | Up to 10 years, or until the passport or biometrics expire; single or multiple entry |
| Health insurance | Mandatory: at least $100,000, valid at least 1 year from entry | Not an IRCC requirement; provincial plans don't cover visitors |
| Income proof | The host must meet IRCC's minimum necessary income | The visitor shows enough money for the stay |
| Invitation letter | Required from the child or grandchild | May be needed |
| Medical exam | Required, with an IRCC panel physician | Generally not needed for stays of 6 months or less |
| Where to apply | From outside Canada | Before travelling; not on arrival |
| IRCC fees per person | $100 visa fee + $85 biometrics | $100 visa fee + $85 biometrics |
| Staying longer | Apply to extend by up to 2 years from inside Canada | Apply to extend ($100) at least 30 days before status ends |
Compiled from the IRCC pages linked in this guide, checked in October 2026. Rules change; confirm them on canada.ca.
How long can parents stay on each visa?
The biggest difference is the length of each visit, not how long the visa is valid.
Super Visa. IRCC says parents and grandparents who applied on or after June 22, 2023 can stay five years at a time. The visa gives multiple entries over a period of up to 10 years. Holders can also apply for an extension of up to two years while in Canada, before their authorized stay ends.
Visitor visa. A visitor visa can be issued for up to 10 years, or until the passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first. The officer decides whether it's single or multiple entry. The date on the visa is the date your parent must arrive by, not the end of their stay.
The border officer sets the stay at entry. Most visitors can stay up to six months, and the officer may allow less or more. If there's no date stamped in the passport, status ends six months after arrival.
Super Visa vs 10-year multiple-entry visa
Both can be valid for up to 10 years, but that is only the window for travelling. Each stay is usually up to six months on a multiple-entry visitor visa, and up to five years on a Super Visa.
A visitor who wants more time must apply to extend. IRCC's Guide 5551 lists the fee at $100 per person. IRCC says to apply at least 30 days before status expires, and each extension is a new decision.
Parents from visa-exempt countries don't need a visitor visa at all. IRCC says they can still get a Super Visa to stay up to five years at a time.
Super Visa vs visitor visa insurance: mandatory vs recommended
On insurance, the two paths are very different.
Super Visa insurance is mandatory. IRCC's Super Visa documents page requires private medical insurance that:
- comes from a Canadian insurance company, or from a foreign insurer authorized by OSFI to provide accident and sickness insurance;
- covers health care, hospitalization and repatriation;
- provides at least $100,000 of emergency coverage;
- is valid for at least one year from the date of entry, and for each entry;
- is paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit. A quote isn't accepted.
Renew it during the stay if it expires before your parent leaves. Our guide to Super Visa insurance requirements and cost covers deductibles, refunds and pre-existing conditions.
Visitor visa insurance is recommended, not required. IRCC's visitor visa eligibility list covers a valid passport, good health, ties to the home country and enough money for the stay. Health insurance isn't on it.
That doesn't make coverage optional in practice. Health Canada's Canada Health Act annual report explains that insured persons are residents of a province or territory, not tourists, transients or visitors. If a parent falls ill on a regular visit, the family pays the hospital bills unless private coverage is in place.
Visitor insurance vs Super Visa insurance
Both are emergency medical plans for people visiting Canada. A Super Visa policy has to meet IRCC's minimums. With visitors insurance for Canada, you choose the amount, the number of days, the deductible and whether stable pre-existing conditions are covered.
So parents on a visitor visa can still buy Super Visa-level cover: $100,000 or more for the whole trip. Our guide to travel insurance and pre-existing conditions explains the stability rules.
Income, invitation and medical exam requirements
For a Super Visa, the host is the child or grandchild in Canada. IRCC asks for a letter of invitation and proof that the host meets the minimum necessary income for their family size.
IRCC changed the income test on March 31, 2026, in a notice dated March 20, 2026. Hosts can now meet it in either of the two tax years before the application, not only the latest one. If a host meets a minimum share of the requirement, the visiting parent's own income can make up the rest.
Every Super Visa applicant also needs an immigration medical exam with a panel physician, whatever their travel history. The application must be made from outside Canada, according to IRCC's how-to-apply page.
For a visitor visa, the parent shows they have ties at home and enough money for the visit. A letter of invitation may be needed. A medical exam generally isn't required for stays of six months or less. For longer stays, it may be needed if the parent spent six or more months in a row in a designated country in the year before coming.
Total cost for a 6-month and a 2-year stay
Here's a worked example for one parent, aged 65 at the start of the visit. The insurance figures are Instasure estimates for an example profile ($100,000 of coverage, $0 deductible, no pre-existing condition coverage, 12-month policy), as of October 2026. IRCC fees come from the IRCC fee list. The medical exam has its own cost, which isn't included.
A six-month visit
| Cost item | Super Visa | Visitor visa |
|---|---|---|
| IRCC visa and biometrics fees | $185 | $185 |
| Medical insurance | Required: 12-month policy, about $2,000 (range $1,600 to $2,480) | Optional: you choose the plan and the number of days |
| Medical exam | Required (cost not included) | Generally not needed |
| Total before the exam | About $2,185 | $185, plus any insurance you buy |
Instasure estimate for an example profile (65-year-old visitor, $100,000 coverage, $0 deductible, no pre-existing coverage, 12 months), as of October 2026. Not a quote.
Even for a six-month visit, the Super Visa policy must be valid for at least a year from entry. Ask whether the insurer refunds unused months if your parent leaves early without a claim; terms vary.
Instasure's estimate engine doesn't price short visitor plans yet, so the visitor column has no insurance figure. The price depends mostly on your parent's age, the number of days, the coverage amount, the deductible and the pre-existing condition option.
A two-year stay
| Cost item | Super Visa | Visitor visa |
|---|---|---|
| IRCC fees | $185 | $185, plus $100 per extension |
| Medical insurance | Required: $2,000 in year 1 (age 65) and $2,140 in year 2 (age 66), about $4,140 in all | Optional: you choose the plan, amount and length |
| Extensions | Not needed: up to 5 years per entry | Needed after each authorized stay, and approval isn't certain |
| Total before the exam | About $4,325 | $185, plus $100 per extension and any insurance you buy |
Instasure estimates for an example profile (visitor aged 65 in year 1 and 66 in year 2, $100,000 coverage, $0 deductible, no pre-existing coverage, two 12-month policies), as of October 2026. The two-year insurance range is $3,310 to $5,130.
On a visitor visa, each extension is a new IRCC decision, so a two-year stay can't be planned with certainty. The Super Visa is the path built for long visits.
How choices change the two-year insurance estimate
| Choice (two 12-month policies) | Year 1 | Year 2 | Two-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example: age 65, $100,000, $0 deductible | $2,000 | $2,140 | $4,140 |
| Same, with a $1,000 deductible | $1,640 | $1,750 | $3,390 |
| Same, with stable pre-existing conditions covered | $2,700 | $2,890 | $5,590 |
| Parent aged 70 at the start, $100,000, $0 deductible | $2,800 | $2,990 | $5,790 |
Instasure estimates (typical figures), as of October 2026. Not quotes; insurers price after their own health questions.
Super Visa insurance in Ontario and the GTA
In Instasure's model, the estimate depends on the visitor's age and the cover you choose, not the province where you live. Families in Ontario can start from our super visa insurance Ontario page. There are also local pages for super visa insurance Toronto and super visa insurance Brampton.
Which option fits which family?
- One visit a year, six months or less. A visitor visa usually fits. Buy visitors insurance for the full trip.
- Long stays, such as helping with a new baby. The Super Visa, with stays of up to five years per entry.
- Parents hoping for permanent residence. On July 15, 2026, IRCC paused new applications to the Parents and Grandparents Program. It said parents and grandparents can still visit through the Super Visa.
- Host income below the requirement. Check the March 2026 options; if they don't help, a visitor visa.
- Parents with health conditions. Either way, the pre-existing condition wording matters more than the price. Our Super Visa insurance comparison checklist shows what to check.
- A parent already here as a visitor. There's no switching from inside Canada. Extend as a visitor, or apply for a Super Visa from abroad.
Michael's take
As a planner, I'd look at the cost per month of the visit, not the price of the visa. The government fees are the same for both. What changes is the insurance, and the Super Visa makes you buy a full year of it. For one short visit, that means paying for months you may not use. Over a long stay, it spreads into a monthly cost you can plan for.
My rule of thumb is simple: never host an older parent without medical coverage, whatever the visa says. Provincial plans don't cover visitors, and one hospital stay could set back your own savings. Put the premium in your household budget like any other fixed bill. If your parent has a health condition, pay for stable pre-existing coverage rather than hoping nothing happens.
Next steps
Get an instant Super Visa insurance estimate with your parent's age, coverage amount and deductible. Compare plans on our Super Visa insurance page, or talk to our Super Visa desk about policy wording and monthly payments. For shorter trips, see visitors to Canada insurance, part of our travel insurance range. Advisor service isn't available in Quebec yet, so the information here is general for Quebec families.
