Is there ever a strategic reason to choose a regular visitor visa over a super visa for a parent's visit?

Yes — a regular visitor visa, or an eTA depending on the parent's citizenship, can genuinely be the better choice for a shorter or occasional visit, and a super visa is not automatically the "upgrade" option for every family. The super visa's main advantages are its longer validity and the possibility of an extended stay with in-Canada extensions, but getting it means meeting specific requirements around the host's income and private medical insurance, which a standard visitor visa does not impose.

If a family just wants a parent to visit for a single, relatively short trip, and does not expect to need the super visa's longer stay features, going through the extra income and insurance documentation may not be worth the added complexity. A standard visitor visa can also make sense if the family's income would not currently meet the super visa's income test, or if arranging qualifying insurance is difficult. On the other hand, families expecting a longer, ongoing pattern of visits, or wanting to avoid repeated applications, often find the super visa's structure worthwhile despite the extra requirements. Since the right choice depends on the trip, the family's finances, and how often visits are planned, it is worth discussing the options with an immigration lawyer or reviewing IRCC's current guidance before deciding.