Health insurance glossary
Letter of invitation (super visa)
Plain-English definition
A super visa letter of invitation is the letter the host child or grandchild in Canada writes and signs to invite their parent or grandparent. It is not just an invitation: it has to include proof that the host meets the minimum necessary income, the list of family members counted in that calculation, and each person's name and date of birth.
By the HealthRate editorial desk
Where this applies: Super visa (federal).
How it works
IRCC states that the letter, “written and signed by your host child or grandchild, must include” the required items. The host is the author and signatory, not the applicant.
The required contents are the income proof, the list and number of people counted for family size, and the name and date of birth of each of them. A letter that gives a number without the names is incomplete.
Only the host's spouse or common-law partner can co-sign, and only if they are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian.
Why it matters
The letter ties the host's income and family size to the application. Building it from IRCC's list of required contents, rather than writing it freehand, helps keep it from being sent back for a missing item.