Canada has quietly reshaped its family-reunification landscape for 2026, closing the Parents and Grandparents immigration programme (PGP) and channelling would-be visitors into an expanded Super Visa. Published on 1 February 2026, Ottawa’s guidance means that Swiss citizens – together with relatives across 44 other European states – must now rely on the Super Visa if they want parents or grandparents to spend extended periods in Canada.
Under the revised scheme, the Super Visa allows stays of up to five consecutive years per entry and is valid for a total of ten years. That is a welcome improvement on the previous six-month visitor limit, yet the pathway is far from friction-free. Sponsors resident in Canada must now meet higher Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) thresholds and provide an obligatory letter of invitation. Applicants must also purchase private medical insurance that covers at least CAD 100,000 for health care, hospitalisation and repatriation – a cost that typically starts around CHF 1,200 per year for seniors. Processing times range from 90 to almost 200 days, making early planning essential.
Swiss sponsors who feel daunted by these higher hurdles do not have to go it alone. VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers step-by-step guidance, document review and filing services for Super Visa applications, connecting applicants with reputable insurance providers and helping them avoid the most common paperwork pitfalls—an end-to-end solution that can save both time and money.
![Canada’s tougher Super Visa rules create new hurdles for Swiss families seeking long-term visits]()
For Swiss multinationals and their globally mobile employees, the changes matter on two fronts. First, assignees posted to Canada may find it harder – and costlier – to bring elderly relatives for extended stays, complicating family-support arrangements that often underpin successful long-term assignments. Second, the new rules are fuelling demand for immigration-advisory and travel-insurance products; several Swiss insurers have already reported a spike in enquiries for compliant Super Visa policies.
Travel-management teams should update internal guidance immediately. Employers can help staff by circulating the new financial thresholds, recommending reputable insurance providers and urging families to gather documentation well ahead of travel. Companies with large Canadian workforces may also wish to lobby Ottawa – via business chambers – for processing-time service levels, which currently fluctuate widely between visa offices.
Although Ottawa has hinted the PGP could reopen in 2027, officials have also signalled that intake caps will be lower than pre-pandemic levels. In the meantime, the Super Visa remains the only bridge for Swiss families separated by the Atlantic – a bridge that now demands deeper pockets, meticulous paperwork and considerable patience.
Under the revised scheme, the Super Visa allows stays of up to five consecutive years per entry and is valid for a total of ten years. That is a welcome improvement on the previous six-month visitor limit, yet the pathway is far from friction-free. Sponsors resident in Canada must now meet higher Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) thresholds and provide an obligatory letter of invitation. Applicants must also purchase private medical insurance that covers at least CAD 100,000 for health care, hospitalisation and repatriation – a cost that typically starts around CHF 1,200 per year for seniors. Processing times range from 90 to almost 200 days, making early planning essential.
Swiss sponsors who feel daunted by these higher hurdles do not have to go it alone. VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers step-by-step guidance, document review and filing services for Super Visa applications, connecting applicants with reputable insurance providers and helping them avoid the most common paperwork pitfalls—an end-to-end solution that can save both time and money.
For Swiss multinationals and their globally mobile employees, the changes matter on two fronts. First, assignees posted to Canada may find it harder – and costlier – to bring elderly relatives for extended stays, complicating family-support arrangements that often underpin successful long-term assignments. Second, the new rules are fuelling demand for immigration-advisory and travel-insurance products; several Swiss insurers have already reported a spike in enquiries for compliant Super Visa policies.
Travel-management teams should update internal guidance immediately. Employers can help staff by circulating the new financial thresholds, recommending reputable insurance providers and urging families to gather documentation well ahead of travel. Companies with large Canadian workforces may also wish to lobby Ottawa – via business chambers – for processing-time service levels, which currently fluctuate widely between visa offices.
Although Ottawa has hinted the PGP could reopen in 2027, officials have also signalled that intake caps will be lower than pre-pandemic levels. In the meantime, the Super Visa remains the only bridge for Swiss families separated by the Atlantic – a bridge that now demands deeper pockets, meticulous paperwork and considerable patience.
