The Parents and Grandparents Super Visa has always hinged on one of the more rigid requirements in Canadian immigration: the host (the child or grandchild in Canada) had to prove their income met a minimum threshold, assessed strictly on the single most recent taxation year. Effective March 31, 2026, IRCC loosened that in a way I think genuinely helps real families, not just on paper.
Three ways to meet the income requirement now
- Look back two years, not one. Hosts (and co-signers, if applicable) can now qualify using income from either of the two taxation years immediately before the application, instead of being locked into the single most recent year.
- Blend in the visiting parent or grandparent's income. If the host and co-signer meet a required minimum percentage of the threshold on their own, the remaining gap can now be covered using the income of the parent or grandparent who's actually coming to visit.
- Or stick with the original method. Qualifying on the most recent taxation year alone is still available if that's simply the stronger option for your situation.
From what I've seen handling Super Visa files, the old single-year rule penalized families going through something completely normal, a parental leave, a slow year for a small business, a job transition, in a way that had nothing to do with their actual ability to support a visiting parent. Letting the visiting parent or grandparent's own income, a pension, for example, count toward the threshold is a recognition that financial support in a family doesn't flow in only one direction.
If your Super Visa application was previously borderline or you assumed you didn't qualify under the old rule, it's worth revisiting the numbers. This is covered under our temporary residence services, and we can run the math under all three methods to see which puts you in the strongest position. Book a consultation if you'd like us to take a look at your specific numbers.