After approval, IRCC sends a letter with instructions to submit the passport to a visa application centre so the visa can be printed, and it cannot be printed in Canada, per IRCC’s after you apply page. Then move the insurance start date to the actual entry date, book the flight, and pack the passport, the application documents and the paid insurance certificate in hand luggage. The CBSA officer may ask for all three and will authorize a stay of five years.
Allow one to three weeks for the passport round trip, then the time to the flight. The insurance change takes minutes but must be done before the original start date.
What do you need before the parent travels?
The passport with the visa inside, the insurance certificate showing a start date on or before the landing date, and the application documents. For visa-exempt parents, the IRCC letter for the border officer and an eTA if flying, per the eligibility page.
| Item | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Passport with printed super visa | Entry document; visa validity ends with the passport | IRCC how to apply |
| Insurance certificate, paid, 1 year from entry date | Officer may ask; required on each entry | IRCC forms and documents |
| Super visa application documents | Officer may ask; keep out of checked luggage | IRCC after you apply |
| Letter for the border officer (visa-exempt) | Replaces the printed visa | IRCC eligibility |
| eTA (visa-exempt, flying) | Linked to the passport used to apply | IRCC eligibility |
| Host’s address and contact | Officer may ask where the parent will stay | IRCC after you apply |
What are the steps from approval to arrival?
- Read the approval letter. It names the visa application centre and how to submit the passport. Check the passport has enough validity for the intended stay; the visa cannot outlast it.
- Submit the passport. Deliver or courier it to the named centre with the letter. Keep the tracking number.
- Collect the passport. Check the visa’s name, date of birth, passport number and expiry against the passport the moment it is back.
- Book the flight. Choose the entry date with the insurance in mind: the policy must cover a full year from that date.
- Move the insurance start date. Contact the carrier or us before the original start date and set it to the landing date. Confirm the change in writing and download the updated certificate. See port of entry for what the certificate must show.
- Set the renewal reminder. The policy must stay valid for the whole stay; put the expiry date and a 60-day-before reminder in the host’s calendar. See renewals.
- Pack the documents in hand luggage. Passport, certificate, application documents, host’s address. IRCC says not to put them in checked bags.
- Arrive and clear primary inspection. At the ten major airports a kiosk checks fingerprints automatically; the officer then checks identity and may ask for the documents.
- Answer the officer’s questions. Purpose of the visit, where the parent will stay, how long, and who supports them. The officer must be satisfied the parent will leave at the end of the authorized stay.
- Note the authorized stay. Five years from entry for anyone entering on or after 22 June 2023, stamp or no stamp, per IRCC’s length of stay page.
What happens at the port of entry?
An identity check, questions, and possibly a document review. IRCC’s after you apply page says a CBSA officer greets the parent, asks for the passport and may ask for the super visa application documents, and that the parent will not be admitted if they provide false or incomplete information. A valid super visa does not guarantee entry.
| Officer may check | Standard | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity and passport | Match to the application; fingerprints at kiosk or secondary | IRCC after you apply |
| Health insurance | Paid, at least one year from the date of entry | IRCC after you apply |
| Purpose and intent | Genuine visitor who will leave at the end of the stay | IRCC after you apply |
| Application documents | May be requested; carry them | IRCC after you apply |
Why does the insurance start date matter so much?
Because IRCC measures the year from the date of entry, not from purchase. A policy bought in March with a March start date, for a parent who lands in September, has only six months left on arrival, and an officer satisfied that coverage lasts a full year on each entry is what the officer instructions require. Carriers allow the start date to be moved before the policy begins; after it begins, the fix is a new policy or an extension, and the switching insurers page covers the options.
What about trips out of Canada during the stay?
Each re-entry needs proof of insurance valid for a year from that date, per IRCC’s forms and documents page. A parent flying home for a month in year two returns needing a year left on the policy, which usually means renewing before the return flight. Coverage abroad also varies by carrier; see side trips and the 5-year stay explained.
What if something goes wrong?
If the passport is not returned within the time the letter gives, contact the visa application centre with the tracking number. If the visa has an error, contact IRCC through the web form before travelling. If the insurance start date cannot be changed because the policy has already begun, buy a second policy or an extension so that a full year is shown on the entry date. If the officer refuses entry, the parent is returned and the policy may be refundable before its start date; see refunds. If the parent will live in a province with a waiting period after becoming a permanent resident later, the waiting period page covers that gap.
SuperVisaDirect is operated by Super Visa Direct Insurance Services, an independent Ontario life and accident-and-sickness insurance agency licensed by FSRA (licence [FSRA-LICENCE]), serving Ontario residents; British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are planned for 2028. Designated licensed agent: Cameron Hayes. We arrange the insurance and do not give immigration advice. Email [email protected] or request a callback, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm Eastern Time.
Questions people ask
What happens after a super visa is approved?
IRCC sends a letter with instructions to submit the passport to a visa application centre so the visa can be printed. Visa-exempt parents receive a letter to show the border officer instead, and may need an eTA to fly. Once the passport is back with the visa, the parent books travel and prepares the entry documents.
When should the insurance policy start?
On the date the parent lands in Canada. IRCC requires the policy to be valid for at least one year from the date of entry, so a policy that started on the purchase date months earlier may fall short. Most carriers allow the start date to be changed before the policy begins; do it as soon as the flight is booked.
What must my parent show at the Canadian border?
The passport with the visa, the documents used for the super visa application, and proof of paid health insurance covering at least one year from the entry date. IRCC says to keep these out of checked luggage. A valid super visa does not guarantee entry; the officer must be satisfied the parent is eligible and will leave at the end of the stay.
How long will the border officer allow my parent to stay?
Five years at a time for anyone who entered on or after 22 June 2023, even if the passport is not stamped. The visa itself is valid for up to ten years or until the passport expires. The parent must keep health insurance and the passport valid for the whole stay, and renew the policy before it expires.
Does the insurance need to be shown every time my parent enters Canada?
Yes. IRCC's forms and documents page says proof of coverage is required on each entry and must be valid for one year from that entry. A parent going home for a visit mid-stay needs a policy with a full year left on the return date, or a renewal timed to it.
What if the passport expires before the visa does?
The visa is valid only until the passport expires. The parent should renew the passport before travel if it has less than the intended stay remaining, and will need to apply for a new super visa to be printed in the new passport. Check the passport expiry before sending it for the visa.
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