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India to Canada · Updated October 2026

Super Visa for parents from India: the documents, the steps in India and the insurance

The application is online, but three steps happen in India in person: the medical exam, biometrics and the passport.

Parents in Punjab, Gujarat, Delhi or anywhere else in India follow the same IRCC rules as applicants from every other country. The practical steps in India have their own order, though: a panel physician's clinic, a VFS Global visa application centre, and a Canadian insurance policy bought from Canada before the application is filed.

By Pankaj Bhatia, CHS, PFA Updated
See the steps Document checklist

In short

Your parents apply online to IRCC from outside Canada, with your letter of invitation and proof of income, proof of your status and relationship, a medical exam by an IRCC panel physician in India, and private insurance from a Canadian insurer: at least $100,000, valid one year from entry, paid in full or by instalments with a deposit. The fee is $100 per person plus $85 for biometrics, given at a VFS Global centre by appointment; parents 80 or older don't give biometrics. After approval the passport goes to the centre for the visa. Check IRCC's own processing-time tool for India rather than relying on anyone's estimate.

The Super Visa from India in eight steps

Steps 1, 2 and 4 happen in Canada. The rest happen in India or online.

  1. 1. Check your income (in Canada)You, the child or grandchild, must be 18 or older, live in Canada, be a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, and meet the minimum income for your family size.
  2. 2. Write the letter of invitation (in Canada)List everyone in your family size with names and dates of birth, and include proof that you meet the minimum income. A spouse or common-law partner can co-sign; brothers and sisters can't.
  3. 3. Medical exam with a panel physician (in India)Your parents can do it upfront, before applying, and include the confirmation. Or they wait for IRCC to send instructions after the application.
  4. 4. Buy the insurance (from Canada)A policy from a Canadian insurer, at least $100,000, valid one year from the date of entry, paid in full or in instalments with a deposit. IRCC does not accept a quote.
  5. 5. Apply online (from India)Through the IRCC portal, choosing "To visit my children or grandchildren for more than 6 months (super visa)". Upload the documents and pay $100 per person plus $85 for biometrics.
  6. 6. Biometrics at a VFS Global centre (in India)Book the appointment when the biometric instruction letter arrives. Parents 80 or older are exempt.
  7. 7. Passport for the visa (in India)After approval, IRCC sends a letter asking for the passport. Submission at a Canada visa application centre needs an appointment.
  8. 8. Fly, with the insurance in handAt the Canadian airport a border officer checks identity and documents, including proof of paid insurance, and can allow a stay of up to 5 years.

Document checklist

From IRCC's Super Visa forms and documents page. Your parents' online checklist may ask for more; follow it.

The medical exam in India

Every Super Visa applicant needs an immigration medical exam. In India it must be done by a doctor on IRCC's panel physician list; the family doctor cannot do it. Search the list by country and city and book directly with the clinic.

What to bring: the passport, glasses or contact lenses if used, any reports or test results for existing conditions, and a list of current medicines. If the exam is not upfront, bring the form IRCC sent.

Cost: paid at the clinic, and it varies by clinic and by any extra tests. IRCC does not refund it if the application is refused.

Validity: results are valid for 12 months. If your parents do not arrive within that time, they may need another exam.

The full detail, including how the exam relates to the insurance medical questions, is on our Super Visa medical exam page.

Fees and limits

IRCC fee
$100 per person
Biometrics
$85 per person; not needed at 80+
Insurance
$100,000+, Canadian insurer, 1 year from entry
Medical
Paid at the clinic; valid 12 months
Stay
Up to 5 years per entry
Visa
Multiple entries, up to 10 years
IRCC, checked October 2026.

Insurance for parents coming from India

It must be Canadian. IRCC accepts insurance from a Canadian insurance company, or from a company outside Canada that the minister has approved. A health policy your parents hold in India does not meet the rule on its own.

The medical questions decide the claim. Diabetes and high blood pressure are common, and they are usually covered if stable for the plan's stability period. Ask the pharmacy in India for a printout of the last 12 months of prescriptions before answering. See diabetes and heart conditions.

Match the start date to the flight. The policy must run one year from the date of entry. If the flight date moves, ask the insurer to change the start date before the policy begins. Buying before your parents leave India also avoids the waiting period that applies to policies bought after arrival.

Monthly payments are accepted. IRCC takes a policy paid in instalments with a deposit. See monthly payment plans.

Processing times: use IRCC's processing-time tool and choose India. It does not include the time to give biometrics.

Buy online from leading insurers

Press Buy online to go to the insurer's secure page, or compare them all in one quote first.

Visa approved but your parents travel more than a year after the medical? Read Super Visa medical expired before travel.

Questions about the Super Visa for parents from India

Can my parents apply for the Super Visa while visiting Canada?

No. IRCC says applicants must be outside Canada when they apply, and the visa must be printed by a visa office outside Canada.

Parents in India apply online from India. If they are already in Canada on a visitor visa, they would need to return home to apply.

How much does the Super Visa cost in government fees?

The IRCC fee is $100 per person, plus $85 per person for biometrics if required.

Fees are paid online at the end of the application. The panel physician's fee is extra and paid at the clinic, and the insurance premium is extra. See Super Visa insurance cost by age.

Where do parents in India give biometrics?

At a Canada visa application centre run by VFS Global, after IRCC sends the biometric instruction letter. An appointment is required.

Applicants 80 or older don't give biometrics. IRCC cannot issue a Super Visa valid for longer than the biometrics, so if earlier biometrics are close to expiring, expect to give them again.

Where do parents do the medical exam in India?

With an IRCC-approved panel physician in India; your parents' own doctor cannot do it. Use IRCC's panel physician search to find a clinic.

They can have it done before applying (upfront) or wait for IRCC's instructions. Results are valid for 12 months. More on the Super Visa medical exam page.

Can we buy Super Visa insurance from an Indian insurance company?

Only if the insurer outside Canada has been approved by the minister. In practice families buy from a Canadian insurer.

The policy must give at least $100,000 of emergency cover for health care, hospital care and repatriation, valid one year from entry and for each entry.

When should we buy the insurance?

Before the application, because IRCC needs proof of a paid policy with it. Set the start date for the planned arrival.

If the visa is refused, most insurers refund the premium when the refusal letter arrives before the start date. If the flight moves, ask the insurer to change the start date before it begins. See refunds.

How long does a Super Visa from India take?

Check IRCC's processing-time tool for India; it changes often and does not include the time for biometrics.

Plan extra time for booking the medical, biometrics and the passport appointment at the visa application centre.

How long can my parents stay?

Up to 5 years per entry, and the visa can allow multiple entries for up to 10 years.

They need valid insurance for each entry. Super Visa holders can also apply to extend from inside Canada by up to 2 years at a time.

Pankaj Bhatia, CHS, PFA

Written by Pankaj Bhatia, CHS, PFA

Insure In Canada Inc. · Licensed in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

Pankaj has helped families bring parents to Canada on Super Visas for 11 years. He often goes through the medical questions on a video call with parents in India, so they hear each question themselves.

Call 647-640-2222 · WhatsApp · About Pankaj

Sources and related pages

General information, not immigration or legal advice. IRCC rules, fees and forms change; confirm on canada.ca before applying. Pankaj Bhatia is an insurance advisor, not an immigration consultant. Insurance coverage is subject to each policy's terms, conditions and exclusions.