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A super visa lets parents and grandparents in Pakistan stay in Canada for up to 5 years at a time. It needs a medical exam at an IRCC panel physician, one year of paid health insurance, and a host child or grandchild in Canada who meets the minimum income.
Written by NextMovePath editorial teamLast updated:
| IRCC processing time from Pakistan | 92 days (Super visa (parents and grandparents))IRCC's current estimate, as of September 28, 2026. Source: IRCC processing times |
|---|---|
| Medical exam in Pakistan | IRCC panel physicians at IOM Migration Health Assessment Centres in Islamabad, Lahore and KarachiSource: IRCC: Find a panel physician |
| Biometrics | VACs in Islamabad, Lahore and KarachiSource: IRCC: Find a visa application centre |
| Government fees | CAD 100 + CAD 85 biometrics per person (about PKR 36,200)Source: IRCC: Fee list |
| Stay length | Up to 5 years at a time for applications made on or after 22 June 2023Source: IRCC: Super visa, how long you can stay |
| Insurance minimum | CAD 100,000 emergency cover, valid 1 year from entry, paid in full or by instalments with a depositSource: IRCC: Super visa, forms and documents |
Parents and grandparents of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is 18 or older and lives in Canada. The parent must apply from outside Canada, pass a medical exam, buy private health insurance and show a letter of invitation from the child or grandchild, who must meet a minimum income.
Only with an IRCC panel physician. IRCC’s list for Pakistan shows IOM Migration Health Assessment Centres in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. A medical from any other doctor or hospital is not accepted. Check the list before booking, because it changes.
Usually not from a Pakistani company. The policy must come from a Canadian insurance company, or from a foreign insurer authorized by Canada’s OSFI that issued the policy while doing business in Canada. Brokers are not insurers. Quotes are not accepted; the policy must be paid.
IRCC accepts the host’s birth certificate or another official document naming you as the parent or grandparent. For Pakistani families, a birth certificate registered by the union council is the usual proof. Many applicants also add a NADRA Family Registration Certificate (FRC) listing family members.
IRCC’s Islamabad instructions warn that for Pakistani nationals, affidavits are not accepted to prove civil status, and a birth certificate is acceptable only if the birth was registered shortly after it happened. Late-registered certificates may need extra supporting documents.
The host must meet the minimum necessary income for their family size, which IRCC publishes and updates each year. The parents being invited count in the family size. The host’s spouse can co-sign to combine incomes; siblings cannot.
These are the grounds IRCC officers most often write in refusal letters for this kind of application. They are typical grounds, not statistics. Fix them before you apply, not after.
Tell us where you are in the process. A member of our team will tell you what is missing or weak in your Pakistan application, before IRCC does.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules, fees and document lists change often. Confirm current requirements on canada.ca or with a licensed Canadian immigration representative (RCIC or lawyer) before you apply.