Nigerians who are permanent residents or citizens of Canada must now meet a minimum income requirement of CAD $30,526 to sponsor their parents or grandparents under the country’s Super Visa programme. This adjustment, which came into effect in late July 2025, represents an increase from $29,380 in 2024, and applies to sponsors in single-person households.
The Super Visa is a popular pathway for many Nigerian families looking to reunite with loved ones in Canada. It allows eligible Canadian residents to bring in their parents or grandparents for extended stays of up to five years at a time, with visa validity lasting up to 10 years.
The new income thresholds, set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), apply to different household sizes as follows:
2 people: $38,002 (up from $36,576)
3 people: $46,720
4 people: $56,724
5 people: $64,336
6 people: $72,560
7 people: $80,784
Each additional person: $8,224
Applicants can combine incomes with a spouse or common-law partner to meet the financial requirements, providing greater flexibility for dual-income households.
The Super Visa is designed for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents. While it does not provide permanent residency status, it offers a long-term visitor option—allowing multiple entries over a decade. However, Super Visa holders cannot work or study in Canada and are usually not eligible for public healthcare, making private insurance mandatory.
One key requirement is calculating the correct household size, which affects the income benchmark. This includes:
The sponsor
Their spouse or common-law partner
All dependent children
The parents or grandparents being sponsored
Any previous Super Visa holders still under the sponsor’s care
Any previous sponsorships still active under a legal undertaking
For example, a divorced Nigerian sponsor with two children, planning to bring both parents to Canada, would have a total household size of five, requiring an annual income of $64,336.
In a more complex case, a married individual already co-sponsoring two in-laws and now planning to bring in their own parent, would require a household income of $72,560 for a six-person household.
To validate eligibility, applicants must submit credible financial documentation, such as:
CRA Notice of Assessment (NOA)
T4 and T1 tax forms
12-month pay stubs
Pension statements
Employment letters (stating job title, income, and duration)
Bank statements and self-employment income confirmations
For those self-employed or on variable income, accountants’ letters outlining annual earnings are acceptable alternatives.
While the Super Visa remains accessible year-round, the Parents and Grandparents Programme (PGP) is highly competitive and only opens once a year, typically through a lottery system. Unlike the Super Visa, PGP grants permanent residency, enabling parents and grandparents to live, work, and access healthcare in Canada.
However, since the 2025 PGP intake remains limited to expressions of interest submitted in 2020, most applicants—including Nigerian families—rely on the Super Visa for family reunification.
Canada continues to be a top migration destination for Nigerians, with over 100,000 Nigerian-born residents currently living in the country. For many, bringing elderly parents over is a cultural and economic priority. But rising income thresholds underscore the growing financial burden placed on sponsors, especially amid inflation and housing costs.
Still, the Super Visa remains a flexible and relatively faster route for family reunification, compared to the increasingly restricted PGP stream.