Super visa income for self-employed hosts is judged the same way as a salary. IRCC looks at the total income on your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) notice of assessment, the tax summary CRA sends after you file. It compares that number with a table. For a family of 6, the minimum is $72,560, according to the IRCC table updated July 29, 2025, checked on October 11, 2026.
That sounds simple, but two things trip up business owners. Your total income is what is left after expenses, so strong sales can still fall short. And the family size you count is often bigger than you think.
If you are new to the program, start with our Super Visa Canada guide. This post is about one thing: getting the income part right when you work for yourself.
How does IRCC count super visa income for self-employed hosts?
IRCC has no separate rule for self-employed hosts. Its proof of financial support page asks for a notice of assessment first. The number that matters is your Total Income (Line 15000) for the tax year. For a sole proprietor, this figure already reflects your net business income after deducting eligible business expenses, rather than your gross sales.
Here is an example: a contractor bills $110,000 in a year and claims $60,000 in expenses. The return shows about $50,000 of business income. IRCC sees $50,000, not $110,000.
Claiming every expense lowers your tax bill. It also lowers the number IRCC checks against the table. If you plan to invite a parent next year, raise that trade-off with your accountant before you file.
What is the minimum super visa income in 2026?
The minimum necessary income depends on how many people are in your family. IRCC’s table, updated July 29, 2025, starts at $30,526 for one person and rises to $80,784 for seven. Each person above seven adds $8,224. We checked the IRCC page on October 11, 2026, and it was still current.
| Family size | Minimum necessary income (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $30,526 |
| 2 | $38,002 |
| 3 | $46,720 |
| 4 | $56,724 |
| 5 | $64,336 |
| 6 | $72,560 |
| 7 | $80,784 |
| Each person above 7 | Add $8,224 |
You can run your own numbers in our Super Visa income calculator.
Who counts in your family size?
Family size is usually larger than hosts expect. IRCC counts the parents or grandparents you are inviting, you, your spouse or common-law partner, and your dependent children. A separated spouse still counts, and so do your partner’s dependent children, whatever the custody or support arrangement is.
Two more groups catch people out. Anyone already approved for a super visa under a letter of invitation that still applies counts. So does anyone you sponsored whose undertaking is still in effect.
Take a simple case. You are self-employed, married, with two children, and you invite both parents. That is 6 people, so your target is $72,560.
Can a spouse or the parents add income?
Yes, in two ways. Your spouse or common-law partner can co-sign the letter of invitation if they are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian. Their income then counts with yours. Under IRCC’s Option 2, the parents can also add their own income to close a gap.
Other relatives cannot co-sign. IRCC says so plainly: siblings cannot. A brother or an adult child who shares the rent does not add to the income, even if they pay half the bills.
Option 1 or Option 2: which suits super visa income for self-employed families?
- Option 1 (Host Meets 100%): Best for hosts with at least one strong recent tax year. You must meet the full minimum income threshold in either of the two tax years immediately preceding your application, proven by a Notice of Assessment.
- Option 2 (The 75/25 Split): Best for self-employed hosts experiencing a temporary dip in income. The host and co-signer must reach at least 75% of the minimum income threshold, and the visiting parents can use their own verifiable income (like foreign pensions or rental income) to cover the remaining gap.
Run the numbers for the family of 6. 75 percent of $72,560 is $54,420. If you and your spouse reported exactly $54,420, the parents would need to show income that covers the remaining $18,140.
The parents prove their income with pay stubs for the last 12 months, an employer letter, bank statements or pension statements. They must also show the income will continue while they are in Canada, and in what currency they are paid.
We explain how these two options work for salaried hosts in our post on super visa income requirements in 2026.
What documents prove self-employed income for a super visa?
A CRA notice of assessment is the preferred proof, and IRCC lists it first for both options. If you cannot get one under Option 2, IRCC accepts a T4 or T1 for the last tax year, bank statements showing regular deposits, or other proof such as rental lease contracts or pension statements.
For a self-employed host, the T1 and the notice of assessment carry the most weight. Pay stubs and an employer letter do not exist for most sole proprietors, so do not invent them. If you pay yourself through your own corporation, the salary or dividends on your personal return are what count.
File your taxes on time. A late return means a late notice of assessment, and that is the document IRCC wants to see.
What are the most common income mistakes on self-employed super visa files?
Most income problems come from a gap between what the host thinks they earn and what the notice of assessment shows. The usual causes are quoting sales instead of income, leaving people out of the family size, and counting a relative who cannot co-sign. Each one can be fixed before you apply.
- Using Gross Revenue: Quoting total business revenue instead of the net “Total Income” from the Notice of Assessment.
- Miscalculating Family Size: Forgetting to include a separated spouse, a partner’s dependent child, or previous super visa invitees whose letters of invitation are still active.
- Ignoring Active Undertakings: Leaving out individuals you previously sponsored for permanent residence whose financial undertaking is still in effect.
- Including Ineligible Co-signers: Expecting a sibling, adult child, or roommate’s income to count (only a spouse or common-law partner can co-sign).
- Timing NOA Availability: Applying before this year’s Notice of Assessment arrives, particularly when last year’s income was too weak to qualify under Option 1.
Super visa income for self-employed: frequently asked questions
These are the questions business owners ask us most about super visa income for self-employed hosts. Each answer is based on IRCC’s super visa pages as they read on October 11, 2026. If your file has an unusual feature, such as income from a corporation or from another country, get it checked before you apply.
Does IRCC use gross or net self-employment income?
IRCC uses the total income on your notice of assessment. For a self-employed person, that total already counts business income after expenses, not gross sales. If your expenses are high, your qualifying income may be much lower than your revenue suggests.
Can I use business bank statements instead of a notice of assessment?
Only under Option 2, and only when a notice of assessment is not available. IRCC prefers the notice of assessment, and bank statements must cover the last calendar year and show regular deposits. Business account deposits show sales before expenses, so they can overstate what you earned and invite questions.
How long can parents stay on a super visa?
A super visa lets parents and grandparents stay in Canada for up to 5 years at a time, according to IRCC’s eligibility page. They also need private health insurance from a Canadian insurer, or an approved foreign insurer, valid for at least 1 year from the date they enter Canada.
Can I apply for a super visa while a sponsorship file is open?
Yes, a pending parents and grandparents sponsorship file does not stop you from inviting the same parents on a super visa. The income test and the family size rules above still apply. We walk through it in can you apply for a super visa while your PGP file is pending.
Self-employed income is the hardest kind to present cleanly. If your numbers sit close to the line, Book Your Strategy Consultation and we will check them against the table before you file.
Figures in this post come from IRCC’s super visa proof of financial support page and the 2026 super visa ministerial instructions, in effect since March 31, 2026, checked October 11, 2026.
