Your parents in Quetzaltenango want to meet the new baby in Toronto, or your grandmother in Guatemala City wants to spend a winter with you in Montreal. Before anyone books a flight, one fact decides everything: Guatemala is on Canada’s visa-required list, so a Guatemalan relative needs a Canadian visa issued before travel. The exception on the same IRCC page is a relative who is a US lawful permanent resident: IRCC lists US permanent residents among the travellers who need neither a visa nor an eTA, and asks for the passport and the green card when they fly. This page sets out the two routes IRCC offers, what each costs on IRCC’s own fee pages, and the paperwork that falls on you as the host in Canada.
Quick summary: Guatemalans need a visitor visa for Canada, by air or land, with no eTA option. The visa is CAN$100 per person plus CAN$85 biometrics (IRCC says some applicants may be exempt from some or all fees). For parents and grandparents only, the super visa allows stays of 5 years at a time (multiple entries for up to 10 years) for the same CAN$100 + CAN$85, but the host must meet IRCC’s minimum income (CAN$38,002 for a host inviting one parent with no other family) and the relative needs 1 year of Canadian-accepted health insurance with at least CAN$100,000 of coverage plus an immigration medical exam.
Which route fits your relative
| Your relative | Route | Stay per entry | Government fees (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent or grandparent, visit of 6 months or less | Visitor visa | IRCC’s general rule is up to 6 months; the border officer can set a shorter or longer date | $100 + $85 biometrics |
| Parent or grandparent, longer visits | Super visa | 5 years at a time (applications from June 22, 2023 on) | $100 + $85 biometrics |
| Brother, sister, aunt, cousin, friend | Visitor visa only | Up to 6 months as the general rule | $100 + $85 biometrics |
| Family of 5 or more applying at the same time and place (visitor visa) | Visitor visa, family fee | As above | $500 maximum visa fee (children must qualify as dependants); $170 maximum biometrics for a family of 2 or more (spouse or common-law partner, dependent children and their dependent children) |
IRCC’s super visa eligibility page also points applicants who want to stay 6 months or less, or who do not meet the super visa requirements, back to the ordinary visitor visa.
Why there is no shortcut for Guatemalans
IRCC’s entry-requirements page lists Guatemala among the countries whose citizens “need a valid visitor visa and a valid passport to visit or transit through Canada.” That includes a connection at a Canadian airport on the way somewhere else. The same page lets citizens of 17 visa-required countries, including Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama, apply for an eTA instead when they fly. Guatemala is not on that list, and IRCC adds that the visa is needed by any method of travel: air, car, train, bus or boat.
IRCC says that in most cases the applicant also gives fingerprints and a photo (biometrics) after applying. IRCC says a visitor visa can be valid for up to 10 years, or until the passport or the biometrics expire, whichever comes first, and that the officer decides whether it is single or multiple entry.
The visitor visa: what your relative submits
IRCC asks every applicant for a copy of a passport that should be valid for at least 6 months from the planned travel date, and says to renew the passport before applying if needed. For a Guatemalan relative whose passport is close to expiry, that means a trip to the passport office first; see renewing a Guatemalan passport.
For a family visit, IRCC’s instructions ask for:
- a letter from the person inviting them to Canada (you), and
- proof of the relationship, such as a birth certificate, a marriage certificate or an official document naming the applicant as a parent.
IRCC then lists documents it recommends: travel history (earlier visas and entry stamps from the last 10 years), an itinerary (flights, accommodation), a bank statement with at least 6 months of account details including balances, and a letter from the employer on letterhead. When applying online, the portal produces a personalized checklist, and IRCC says the local visa office can ask for more.
On the super visa forms page, IRCC says documents not in English or French need a translation, and the translation must come with an affidavit from the translator unless the translator is a Canadian certified translator. An uncertified translator must be fluent in both languages and cannot be the applicant or a close relative: IRCC’s list excludes the applicant’s parent, sibling, spouse or partner, grandparent, child, aunt or uncle. In other words, you, the host child, cannot translate your parents’ documents yourself unless you are certified.
The super visa for parents and grandparents
What the host (you) must show
IRCC lists five host requirements: you are the applicant’s biological or adopted child or grandchild; you are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian; you are at least 18 and live in Canada; you meet the minimum necessary income; and you write and sign a letter of invitation. The letter has to include proof of your income and the list of people you counted in your family size, with each person’s name and date of birth. Your spouse or common-law partner can co-sign if they are a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian; IRCC says siblings cannot.
The minimum-income table
IRCC counts the invited parents or grandparents, you, your spouse or partner, your dependent children, plus anyone you or your spouse are still hosting on a super visa or still sponsoring. The figures below are IRCC’s table, updated July 29, 2025:
| Family size | Minimum income of the host (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $30,526 |
| 2 | $38,002 |
| 3 | $46,720 |
| 4 | $56,724 |
| 5 | $64,336 |
| 6 | $72,560 |
| 7 | $80,784 |
| Each extra person | add $8,224 |
IRCC’s own examples: a single host with no children inviting one parent is a family of 2; a host with a spouse and 2 dependent children inviting both parents is a family of 6.
You can prove the income in one of two ways. Either your income (with a co-signer’s, if any) met the minimum in either of the 2 tax years before the application, shown by your CRA notice of assessment. Or it was at least 75% of the minimum in the year before the application, and the applicant’s own income makes up the difference. If the notice of assessment is unavailable, IRCC accepts other proof such as a T4 or T1, 12 months of pay stubs, or an employer letter.
What the Guatemalan applicant must show
The parent or grandparent must be outside Canada when the application goes in, have the visa printed by a visa office outside Canada, take an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician, and hold private health insurance. IRCC’s forms page sets the insurance terms:
| Policy term | IRCC requirement |
|---|---|
| Length | At least 1 year from the date of entry, valid for each entry |
| Minimum emergency coverage | CAN$100,000 |
| What it covers | Health care, hospitalization and repatriation |
| Payment | Paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit; quotes are not accepted |
| Insurer | A Canadian insurance company, or a foreign insurer authorized by OSFI, on OSFI’s public list, that issued the policy while doing insurance business in Canada |
IRCC adds that insurance brokers and claims administrators are not insurance companies and will not appear on the OSFI list, so check the name of the insurer (the underwriter) on the policy, not the seller’s.
Proof of relationship is the host’s birth or baptismal certificate, or another official document naming the applicant as the parent or grandparent. A Guatemalan birth certificate in Spanish needs the translation described above.
Fees and the stay
IRCC’s super visa fee table shows CAN$100 per person (a multiple-entry visa) plus CAN$85 biometrics. For anyone who applied on or after June 22, 2023, IRCC says the stay is 5 years at a time, even if the border officer does not stamp the passport.
Two side benefits of a Canadian visa
Mexico. The Mexican Embassy in Guatemala says (page read 24 September 2026) that a holder of a valid Canadian visa does not need a Mexican visa to enter Mexico as a tourist for under 180 days. A relative routing through Mexico City can use this.
Direct flights. From 1 December 2026, Air Canada adds a weekly Toronto–Guatemala City nonstop; see direct flights to Guatemala for the schedule.
Before you apply
- Check that the relative’s Guatemalan passport has at least 6 months left after the travel date.
- Decide the route by the length of stay and the relationship: anything other than a parent or grandparent goes through the visitor visa.
- For a super visa, run your family count and compare it with the income table before paying anything.
- For the super visa, IRCC requires proof of a health insurance policy from an insurer that meets the OSFI rule, paid in full or in instalments with a deposit; IRCC does not accept quotes.
- Remember the visa decision considers whether the visitor will leave at the end of the visit, their ties to Guatemala, the purpose of the visit and their family and finances; those are the general conditions IRCC lists for every visitor.
Related
- Canada to Guatemala hub: taxes, health cover, money transfers
- Visa-free countries for a Guatemalan passport: where your relative can travel without a visa, and where a visa or travel authorisation is required
- Snowbird stays in Guatemala for Canadians: the trip in the other direction
Sources, read on 8 October 2026: IRCC pages on entry requirements by country, the visitor visa document (page dated 2026-05-26), how to apply for a visitor visa, the IRCC fee list, and the super visa pages for eligibility (dated 2026-07-06), forms and documents (dated 2026-07-30), proof of financial support (income table updated July 29, 2025), fees and length of stay. Mexican Embassy in Guatemala visa page read 24 September 2026. Fees and income figures change; check IRCC’s pages before you pay. General information, not immigration advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Guatemalans need a visa to visit Canada?
Yes. Guatemala is on IRCC’s list of visa-required countries, so a Guatemalan citizen needs a valid visitor visa and a valid passport to visit or to transit through Canada. Guatemala is not on IRCC’s short list of visa-required countries whose citizens can use an eTA instead when flying, so there is no eTA shortcut.
How much does a Canadian visitor visa cost for a Guatemalan relative?
IRCC’s fee list (read 8 October 2026) shows CAN$100 per person for a visitor visa, single or multiple entry, with a CAN$500 maximum for a family of 5 or more applying at the same time and place, provided the children qualify as dependants. Biometrics are CAN$85 per person, or CAN$170 maximum for a family of 2 or more applying at the same time; IRCC lists the eligible family members as a spouse or common-law partner, dependent children and their dependent children. IRCC adds that some applicants may be exempt from some or all fees.
Can I bring my Guatemalan parents to Canada for longer than six months?
Yes, through the parent and grandparent super visa. IRCC says super visa holders who applied on or after June 22, 2023 are eligible to stay for 5 years at a time, and the visa itself can give multiple entries for up to 10 years. The host must be their child or grandchild, a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, at least 18, living in Canada, and above IRCC’s minimum necessary income.
What health insurance does a super visa need?
IRCC’s forms page lists the policy terms: valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry, at least CAN$100,000 of emergency coverage, covering health care, hospitalization and repatriation, paid in full or in instalments with a deposit (a quote is not accepted), and valid for each entry. The insurer must be a Canadian insurance company or a foreign company authorized by OSFI that appears on OSFI’s list and issued the policy while doing insurance business in Canada.
How much do I need to earn to invite my parents on a super visa?
IRCC’s table (updated July 29, 2025) starts at CAN$30,526 for a family of 1 and rises to CAN$80,784 for a family of 7, plus CAN$8,224 for each additional person. The family count includes the invited parents or grandparents, the host, the host’s spouse or partner and dependent children, plus anyone the host is still hosting or sponsoring. A host child inviting one parent, with no spouse or children, is a family of 2: CAN$38,002.
Can a Guatemalan brother or sister get a super visa?
No. The super visa host must be the applicant’s biological or adopted child or grandchild, so it only covers parents and grandparents. Siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins apply for the ordinary visitor visa, where IRCC’s family-visit instructions ask for a letter from the person inviting them and proof of the relationship.
