Parents Visiting Children Abroad
Your son or daughter is settled abroad and wants you there for a birth, a wedding or just a long stay. Each country handles this differently. Here is what parents in Punjab, Haryana and the Tricity need to know.
One question decides every application
Whichever country it is, the officer is asking: will these parents return to India when the visit ends? A loving invitation from your child explains why you are going. It cannot show why you will come back. Your own papers do that: property, pension, family and responsibilities here.
Canada: visitor visa or Super Visa
For a normal visit of up to six months, parents apply for a visitor visa. IRCC's own guidance says: "If you want to stay for 6 months or less, apply for a visitor visa."
For longer stays there is the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa. It provides multiple entries for up to 10 years and lets parents stay for up to 5 years at a time. It asks for more:
- The child or grandchild must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, 18 or older, living in Canada.
- They must meet a minimum necessary income and send a letter of invitation listing the family members counted.
- Private medical insurance with at least $100,000 emergency coverage, covering health care, hospitalisation and repatriation, valid for at least one year from entry and for each entry, paid in full or in instalments with a deposit. Quotes are not accepted.
- An immigration medical exam.
United Kingdom: Standard Visitor, short or long-term
Parents visit on the Standard Visitor route, normally for up to 6 months per visit. If you visit often, you can apply for a long-term visit visa valid for 2, 5 or 10 years, still with up to 6 months per visit. The Home Office allows a family member in the UK to support the visit, but asks for evidence of what support they give and that they can afford it.
United States: the B-2 visitor visa
Visiting children is a listed B-2 purpose ("visit with friends or relatives"). One point parents often get wrong: the visa's expiry date is not how long you can stay. The officer at the US port of entry decides your stay and records it on your I-94. Check that date after you land.
Australia: the Visitor visa (subclass 600)
Parents apply for the subclass 600 Visitor visa. Stays of up to 12 months can be granted, and parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents have access to longer multiple-entry options that other visitors do not. Our guide to the six subclass 600 streams explains which one fits.
What parents should carry, for every country
- Your ties to India: property papers, pension order, business or farm records, and who looks after home while you are away.
- Your own funds: bank statements that show your normal income.
- The sponsor's papers, if your child pays: their letter, status document and bank statements.
- A clear purpose and dates: a baby due in March, a wedding on a fixed date, a graduation.
- Travel history, if you have travelled before and returned on time.
- Translations of Punjabi or Hindi documents, where the country asks for English.
Health cover matters for parents. Canada's Super Visa makes it compulsory; for other countries it is strongly advised. A hospital bill abroad can cost more than the whole trip.
The mistakes we see most
- Relying on the invitation letter and bringing few papers of your own.
- A sudden transfer from the child a week before applying, with no letter explaining it.
- Asking for a long stay with no clear reason for the length.
- Applying for a Super Visa before the host has checked they meet the income requirement.
- Assuming a 10-year US visa means you can stay for years at a time.
Common questions
Which visa do parents need to visit children in Canada?
For up to 6 months, a visitor visa. For longer stays, the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, which gives multiple entries for up to 10 years and stays of up to 5 years at a time.
What insurance is needed for the Canada Super Visa?
Private medical insurance with at least $100,000 emergency coverage for health care, hospitalisation and repatriation, valid for at least one year from entry and for each entry, paid in full or in instalments with a deposit.
How long can parents stay in the UK on a visitor visa?
Normally up to 6 months per visit. Long-term visit visas valid for 2, 5 or 10 years also allow up to 6 months per visit.
Does a 10-year US visa let parents stay for a long time?
No. The visa's validity is not the length of stay. The officer at the US port of entry decides how long you can stay and records it on your I-94.
Planning a visit to your children?
Bring your papers and your child's invitation. We will check both halves of the file: why you are going, and why you will come back.
Filing from around here? We are a visa agent in Panchkula, and the same desk files for Chandigarh and for Mohali, Kharar and Zirakpur.
This guide is for general information and is not immigration advice. Visa rules, fees and processing times change without notice. Always confirm current details with the official government or consulate website before applying. No agent can guarantee a visa approval: the decision rests solely with the visa officer.