How to Bring Your Parents and Grandparents to Canada After the PGP Was Suspended: A Guide for Latin American Residents

If there's one thing that's truly rewarding for Latinos living in Canada, it's having our parents and grandparents with us. Especially when you consider that the older they get, the more we need to be together to take care of them.

Here, for years, many Latinos were able to take advantage of the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program (PGP), which allowed them to bring their loved ones to the United States to become permanent residents.

But demand quickly exceeded capacity, and the system crashed. As a result, the PGP was no longer viable. 

On July 15, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it “will not accept new sponsorship applications (PGP) or invite potential sponsors to submit applications until further notice.”

Given this situation, many people are asking: What options are available for bringing parents and grandparents to Canada? 

The most reliable and effective solution right now is the Super Visa. This program allows you to bring them into the country for up to 5 consecutive years each time they enter.

This is a huge relief, and it's worth learning how it works. 

Read along with me until the end and take note of the details regarding the closure of the PGP, as well as the requirements and recommendations for applying for this exclusive tourist visa that will help you reunite with your family.

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The Super Visa: Relief from Family Separation

The Super Visa is, in essence, a tourist visa with special features. It is a faster, legal route to planning for long-term family reunification without having to rely on the PGP lottery. 

Unlike a standard tourist visa, which only allows stays of up to 6 months, the Super Visa allows your parents and grandparents to stay for up to 5 consecutive years from the moment they arrive in Canada.

It is a multiple-entry visa that is typically granted for a period of up to 10 years, or until the passport expires. However, it does not allow the holder to work or study while under this status.

In order for this super visa to be approved, you must purchase private health insurance from an insurance company (preferably a Canadian one) that offers comprehensive coverage for the duration of your stay. This is mandatory!

You (a child or grandchild who is a permanent resident or citizen of Canada) must demonstrate that you meet the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) to cover the expenses incurred by your family members during their visit.

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Simplified Procedures for Applying for the Super Visa

Recently, IRCC made it easier to apply through this pathway by modifying the income and health insurance requirements. 

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These are updates regarding the Income Assessment, which is the process by which the government evaluates the financial capacity of a child or grandchild based on the LICO and their annual income.

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What are LICO and Revenue?

To understand the new criteria, it is necessary to be familiar with the following concepts:

• LICO (Low Income Cut-Off): This is the table that sets the minimum financial eligibility you must demonstrate to bring your parent or grandparent to the U.S.
• Income/Revenue: This refers to the annual gross income (salary or business profits) that you report on your Canadian taxes. It is not money that needs to sit in a savings account, but rather a reflection of what you earn each year.
• Income Assessment (Income Assessment): This is the analytical process conducted by an immigration officer to verify whether the money you earn is sufficient to support your family members. It is not just a matter of “seeing how much you earn,” but rather of validating the source and stability of that income through official documents such as the Notice of Assessment ( NOA).
• The Notice of Assessment (NOA) is the official document confirming that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has processed yourtax return for a specific year.

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The New Solvency Criteria

Previously, the income assessment (Income Assessment) was quite rigid: the sponsor had to meet the LICO requirement based solely on their Canadian income from the previous tax year. 

If the amount was insufficient, the application was rejected regardless of the invited family member's financial resources.

However, as of March 31, 2026, the new criteria stipulate:

1. Semiannual tax assessment: You can now use your tax returns from the past two years to demonstrate that you meet the LICO requirement.
2. Inclusion of a visiting family member's income: This is the most significant change. Now, the income (certified pensions or annuities) of your father or grandfather can be included to meet the required financial eligibility threshold.

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Minimum Income Threshold (LICO) Table - Super Visa 2026

Number of family members

Minimum Required Income (CAD)

1 person ( Host only) $30,526

2 people $38.002

3 people $46,720

4 people $56,724

5 people $64,336

6 people $72,560

7 people $80,784

$8,224 for each additional member

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Important note: Remember that this amount is not verified through a savings account, but rather through your Revenue (annual income) and the salary you earn and report in Canada.

For more information, please see the official press release. 

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IMPORTANT! This visa has restrictions. Click this link for more information: https://www.immilandcanada.com/tipos-de-visa/supervisa

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Recommendations: How to File Your Application from Home?

Before you begin filling out the official form, you and your family should get organized and keep the following in mind:

• In addition to requesting their Notices of Assessment (NOA) for the last two tax years, children and grandchildren should ask their parents or grandparents—or help them—to gather official documentation of their pensions, annuities, or current income. 

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IMPORTANT! Any document that is not in English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation into the required language and properly legalized.

• Look into minimum health insurance coverage of 100,000 CAD with approved insurers. This step should be planned well in advance. 

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• For the Medical Examination (IME), identify the doctors authorized by the IRCC panel in your parents' country of origin. 

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By following these steps, you'll be one step closer to being reunited with your loved ones.

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Do you need help applying for the Super Visa? To get started, you can request a Free Assessment or Schedule a Consultation.

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Remember: With the GPP suspended, the most reliable and effective way to reunite with your parents and grandparents in Canada is the Super Visa.

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Thank you for joining us on this journey. See you in our next blog post, where we will continue to build your Canadian dream with professionalism and empathy!

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With love,

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Immiland Canada