If your income falls short of the super visa minimum, you now have three legitimate ways to close the gap. Since March 31, 2026, IRCC lets you (1) use whichever of the two previous tax years is stronger, (2) add your spouse or common-law partner as a co-signer, and (3) if you reach at least 75% of the minimum, add your parent's or grandparent's own income to cover the rest.

Quick answer

• The dollar amounts did not change. IRCC's table is still the one labelled "Updated July 29, 2025" (for example, $56,724 for a family of 4).
• What changed is how income is assessed, not how much you need.
• Option 1: Meet 100% of the minimum in either of the 2 tax years before you apply.
• Option 2: Meet at least 75% in the year before you apply, then add the visitor's income to reach 100%.
• Only a spouse or common-law partner can co-sign and add income to yours.
• Pending applications are assessed under the new rules too.

At a glance

How the Super Visa Income Requirement Works

The super visa is a multiple-entry temporary resident visa for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians. To invite someone, the host (the child or grandchild) must be at least 18, live in Canada, hold status as a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, and meet or exceed the minimum necessary income (MNI) for their family size. Review the full Super Visa eligibility requirements alongside the income assessment.

The MNI is before-tax annual income. IRCC takes it from the LICO publication and adjusts it for the number of people you must support.

Minimum necessary income by family size, with the 75% line. For background on the thresholds, see our guide to Super Visa income requirements and LICO table.

The 100% figures are IRCC's published numbers (family of 1: $30,526, which cannot apply to a super visa because the invited parent is always counted). The 75% and 25% columns are our calculations from those figures.

If you have previously supported an application through family sponsorship in Canada, check whether the undertaking remains in effect

Count your family size correctly first

Most income shortfalls start with a wrong headcount. IRCC counts:

• The visiting parent(s) or grandparent(s) applying, including a spouse applying with them
• You, the host
• Your spouse or common-law partner (including a separated spouse in some cases)
• Dependent children of you and your spouse, regardless of custody or child-support arrangements
• Previously approved super visa holders still covered by an applicable letter of invitation you or your spouse signed, even if they are not currently in Canada
• People you or your co-signer sponsored where the undertaking is still in effect

Example: You, a spouse, one dependent child, and two parents you are inviting = 5 ($64,336). If you also co-signed a sponsorship for your spouse's two parents that is still in effect, the count becomes 7 ($80,784).

Option 1: Meet 100% Using Either of the Last Two Tax Years

Before March 31, 2026, officers looked at one year. Now the host (plus any co-signer) can meet the full MNI in either of the two tax years immediately before the application is submitted.

Why it matters: a job change, parental leave, a business dip or a temporary layoff in one year no longer sinks the whole application if the other year is strong.

• Filing in 2026: use 2024 or 2025.
• Filing in early 2027: the window shifts to 2025 and 2026. Confirm your 2026 notice of assessment (NOA) is available before relying on it.
• Preferred proof: your CRA Notice of Assessment. You do not have to use the same year for every part of the file, but the income you rely on must come from one qualifying year.

Add a Spouse or Common-Law Partner as Co-Signer

Your income can be combined with your spouse's or common-law partner's income if they co-sign the letter of invitation.

Co-signer rules (2026 Ministerial Instructions):

1. Must be your spouse or common-law partner. Siblings, in-laws, friends and other relatives cannot add income.
2. Must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, at least 18, and residing in Canada.
3. Their income is calculated the same way as yours and added to the host's income.
4. Provide the co-signer's own NOA (or the backup documents listed below).

Co-signing also works inside Option 2: your combined household income must reach at least 75% before the visitor's income can be added.

Option 2: Reach 75%, Then Add Your Parent's or Grandparent's Income

This is the biggest change for families who are close but not quite there.

How it works:

1. The host (plus any co-signer) shows total income in the year before the application of at least 75% of the MNI. Officers may also accept documents showing Canadian income for the most recent 12-month period.
2. The visiting parent or grandparent shows their own income from the 12 months before filing.
3. The combined amount must meet or exceed the MNI.
4. The visitor must prove the income will continue while they are in Canada, and the document must show the currency.

What can count as the visitor's income (IRCC document list): pay stubs, an employer letter with title and salary, bank statements showing regular pension or employment deposits or investment income, pension statements, and rental ownership and lease documents.

Important limits:

• Savings are not income. A large bank balance on its own does not fill the gap. Regular deposits or documented investment income can.
• If two applicants apply together, both of their incomes can be counted toward the remaining 25%.
• Super visa holders cannot work in Canada, so continuing income should come from abroad (for example, a pension or rental income).

Worked Examples: Who Qualifies and Who Doesn't

All examples assume an application submitted in October 2026 and use IRCC's July 29, 2025 table.

Example A: The earlier year saves the file (qualifies)

A couple wants to invite the wife's two parents (family of 4, MNI $56,724). In 2025 their combined income dropped to $52,800 after a job change. In 2024 it was $61,200. Under Option 1 they can rely on 2024, which clears the minimum by $4,476. Under the old single-year approach, this file would have failed.

Example B: A co-signer closes the gap (qualifies)

A host earning $36,000 is only 63.5% of the $56,724 minimum on their own. Their spouse earned $27,500. With the spouse co-signing the letter of invitation and both NOAs attached, the household total is $63,500, which exceeds the minimum by $6,776.

Example C: Parent's pension completes the file (qualifies)

A single host inviting one parent needs $38,002. The host's 2025 income was $30,000, which is 78.9% (above the $28,501.50 floor). The shortfall is $8,002. The parent receives a documented pension of $9,600 a year that will continue abroad. Combined income is $39,600, which clears the minimum by $1,598.

Example D: Below the 75% floor (does not qualify)

A single host inviting two parents needs $46,720, so the 75% floor is $35,040. The host earned $33,000 (70.6%). Even though the parents have $22,000 in pensions and the combined total would exceed the minimum, Option 2 is not available because the host did not reach 75% first.

What to try next: add a spouse as co-signer if you have one, wait for a stronger tax year, or consider whether inviting one parent first changes the math (see the note below).

Example E: The parents' income is real but not enough (does not qualify)

A couple earns $45,000 (79.3% of $56,724), so they reach the 75% floor of $42,543. The shortfall is $11,724. The two parents can document only $6,000 in combined ongoing income, bringing the total to $51,000, which is $5,724 short.

Example F: A wrong headcount raises the bar (does not qualify at 100%)

A host with a spouse and one child invites two parents and calculates a family of 5 ($64,336). Their income is $66,000, which looks safe. But the host also co-signed a sponsorship for the spouse's two parents that is still in effect, making the true count 7 ($80,784). At 81.7% they are short by $14,784. They could still qualify under Option 2 if the visiting parents can document at least that much ongoing income.

Staggering note: Inviting one parent first lowers the family count for that application. But a previously approved super visa applicant stays in your family count while the letter of invitation is still applicable, so the second parent's later application faces the larger number again. Plan for the total, not just the first filing.

Which Route Fits You?

Documents Checklist

The income documents are only one piece. Every super visa application also needs a letter of invitation with a promise of financial support, proof of relationship, proof of the host's status, an immigration medical exam, and valid Canadian or IRCC-approved health insurance (at least $100,000 emergency coverage, valid for at least one year).

Common Mistakes That Cause Income Refusals

Our guide to visitor visa refusal reasons and reapplication steps provides broader guidance on reviewing refusal concerns; address the Super Visa income issues separately.

1. Wrong family size. Missing dependent children, a still-applicable prior letter of invitation or an active sponsorship undertaking.
2. Counting savings as income. IRCC assesses income, not account balances.
3. Using the visitor's income without reaching 75% first.
4. No proof the visitor's income continues or documents missing the currency.
5. A non-spouse relative as co-signer. Only a spouse or common-law partner counts.
6. Mixing figures from different years without a clear NOA to support the claim.
7. Relying on an outdated table. Always compare against IRCC's current page before filing.

Next Step

Income calculations are where most super visa files succeed or fail. If you are close to the line, a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant can check your family size, compare both tax years and tell you whether Option 2 is realistic before you file.

Book a consultation with K7 Immigration Services (Brampton, Ontario).