Super visa income calculation changed

What changed

IRCC has adjusted how it assesses financial eligibility for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa program. The core income test is unchanged: the Canadian citizen or permanent resident host must still show income at or above Canada's Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) plus 30 percent, based on family size. Effective March 31, 2026, however, IRCC changed the flexibility built into that test in two ways.

First, a host can now qualify using income from either of the two most recent tax years, rather than only the most recently filed return — useful for hosts whose income dipped, or whose latest return is still being assessed. Second, in certain circumstances the income of the visiting parent or grandparent can now be added to the host's income to help meet the threshold, where previously only the host's own household income counted.

The dollar thresholds by family size are published on IRCC's Super Visa page and are updated annually, so applicants should always confirm the current-year figures directly with IRCC rather than relying on a number quoted online from a prior year.

Why it matters

For many families, the income test — not the visa application itself — has been the hardest part of a Super Visa application to clear, particularly for hosts supporting a large household, carrying a mortgage in an expensive city, or working in a field with variable income. A rigid single-year test could disqualify an otherwise stable, well-established family over one weaker earning year.

Letting hosts choose between two tax years, and in some cases count a contribution from the visiting parent or grandparent's own income, gives IRCC a fuller picture of whether the family can support a long visit without needing social assistance. It does not lower the underlying LICO-plus-30-percent bar, and it does not change the mandatory private medical insurance requirement that still applies to every Super Visa holder.

What this means for your application

If your income from the most recent tax year fell short, do not assume you are ineligible — the prior year's Notice of Assessment may now be enough on its own. Gather both years' NOAs and tax returns before deciding which to submit, since choosing the wrong one can add delay if IRCC requests updated documents.

If you are considering counting a parent's or grandparent's own income toward the threshold, keep in mind that the host is still expected to meet a meaningful share of the requirement independently, and the visiting relative's income needs to be documented with the same rigour — stable, verifiable sources such as pension statements or investment or rental income records, rather than one-off amounts.

Because the specific dollar thresholds change every year, and IRCC's guidance on how supplementary income is weighed is still developing, it is worth having a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer review your income documentation against the current-year table before you submit, rather than relying on a figure you saw quoted elsewhere.