Inviting Parents from India to Canada: Visa Guide

The rules here are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For every other Canada visa route from India, see our Canada visa guide for Indians.

Visitor visa or super visa: which fits your parents' trip?

India is on IRCC's visa-required list, so parents need a visa before they fly, even to transit. Both options below are temporary resident visas applied for online and decided by the visa office in New Delhi. The difference is how long your parents want to stay and how much paperwork you, the host, can provide.

A short trip for a birth, a convocation or a holiday usually fits the visitor visa. A long stay with grandchildren is what the super visa was built for, because it avoids repeated exits after six months.

Who can invite parents on a super visa?

The host must be the applicant's child or grandchild, aged 18 or over, living in Canada, and a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian.

The host signs a letter of invitation. It must include proof that the host meets or exceeds the minimum necessary income and list the people counted in the host's family size. A spouse or common-law partner may co-sign to add their income. Parents also show proof of relationship, such as the host's birth certificate naming them, and proof of the host's status in Canada.

The income table itself is not held in our record. Check the current figure for your family size on IRCC's super visa eligibility page before you gather salary documents.

What insurance and medical exam do parents need?

For the super visa, IRCC sets four conditions on the insurance:

• Private health insurance from a Canadian insurance company, or a foreign insurer authorised by OSFI.
• Valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry.
• Covers health care, hospitalisation and repatriation, with at least CAN$100,000 of emergency coverage.
• Paid in full or by instalments. A quote is not accepted.

Parents also need an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician. Book it only with a physician on IRCC's approved panel; a report from a regular hospital is not the same thing.

For a regular visitor visa, IRCC's pages do not list travel insurance as a requirement. Whether to buy a policy for elderly parents is your own decision.

How do parents apply from India?

1. Apply online on the IRCC Portal. Paper is only for those who cannot apply online, for example for disability reasons. The portal generates a personalised document checklist.
2. Pay the fees online. CAN$100 for the visa and CAN$85 for biometrics per parent; a family of 2 or more applying at the same time pays at most CAN$170 for biometrics.
3. Wait for the biometrics instruction letter. Since 24 February 2026, VFS appointments need this letter uploaded. Booking a biometrics appointment is free.
4. Give fingerprints and a photo at a VAC. VFS Global runs ten centres in India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune.
5. Submit the passport if approved. The visa is not electronic. Passport submission at a VAC needs a prior appointment, and parents cannot travel until IRCC places the visa in the passport.

How long does it take, and what does it cost?

IRCC's processing-times data for India, last updated 14 October 2026, shows 29 days for a visitor visa and 77 days for a super visa. IRCC told a parliamentary committee in April 2026 that posted times look backwards and do not reflect actual processing times, and applications needing more information take longer.

The government charges are paid in Canadian dollars; IRCC publishes no rupee amount. Optional VFS charges are paid in rupees at the VAC by cash or UPI and are non-refundable: one-way passport courier INR 858, two-way courier INR 1,716, Premium Lounge INR 4,767 and SMS alerts INR 179. VFS says new service charges start on 1 November 2026, with amounts not published as of 15 October 2026.

For context, IRCC's committee notes give a global visitor visa refusal rate of 51% for 2025, across all nationalities. No India-only figure is published.

What should parents avoid?

• Sending an insurance quote. The super visa needs a paid policy, in full or by instalments.
• Using an unauthorised insurer. It must be Canadian or OSFI-authorised.
• A short passport. The passport should be valid at least 6 months from the planned travel date, and visa validity cannot run past it.
• Booking non-refundable flights early. The passport has to go back to IRCC for the visa first.
• Skipping the invitation. It is only 'recommended' for a visitor visa, but it explains who hosts your parents and for how long.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). A clear itinerary helps parents explain their plans. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Can grandparents in India apply for the Canada super visa?

Yes. The super visa is for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents or registered Indians. The grandchild hosting them must be 18 or over and living in Canada.

Do Indian parents with a US green card need a Canada visa?

No. Indians who are US lawful permanent residents can fly to Canada with a valid passport and valid US green card, and they have been exempt from the eTA since April 26, 2022.

Can both parents give biometrics on one fee?

Biometrics cost CAN$85 per person, but a family of 2 or more applying at the same time pays a maximum of CAN$170. Each parent still pays the CAN$100 visa fee.

Where can parents collect the passport after a decision?

Decision envelopes can be collected at the VAC on a walk-in basis, Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:00, or returned by courier for a fee. A one-way courier currently costs INR 858.