If your parents or grandparents are visiting Canada for an extended stay, Super Visa insurance is not optional — it is a federal requirement. Here is what that means in plain language.
Canada’s Super Visa allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to stay in Canada for up to five years at a time, with the ability to re-enter multiple times over a ten-year period. It is a generous visa. But it comes with one firm condition: the applicant must carry private Canadian health insurance for the full duration of each visit, with a minimum coverage amount of $100,000.
That requirement exists because provincial health plans do not cover visitors. If your mother arrives in Toronto and needs emergency surgery, the bill falls on her — or on you — unless a valid insurance policy is in place.
What the policy must cover
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) specifies that Super Visa insurance must:
- Provide a minimum of $100,000 in emergency medical coverage
- Be valid for a minimum of one year from the date of entry
- Come from a Canadian insurance company
- Be available for review by the border services officer at the point of entry
Many families make the mistake of purchasing travel insurance through a foreign provider or a credit card benefit. Neither satisfies the Super Visa requirement. The policy must be issued by a licensed Canadian insurer.
Monthly billing vs. annual billing
One of the most common questions we receive: do I have to pay the full year upfront?
Not necessarily. Several Canadian carriers now offer monthly billing on Super Visa policies. This matters because the visa is issued for ten years, but each visit is insured separately. If your parent’s plans change — if they decide to return home early, or if the visit is cut short for any reason — a monthly policy can be cancelled without forfeiting the remainder of a lump-sum premium.
The tradeoff is cost. Monthly billing typically adds five to ten per cent to the total annual premium. For many families, that flexibility is worth the difference.
Pre-existing conditions
This is where Super Visa insurance gets complicated, and where working with an independent advisor matters most.
Carriers treat pre-existing conditions differently. Some exclude them entirely. Some cover them if the applicant has been stable — meaning no new symptoms, no new prescriptions, no hospitalizations — for ninety days prior to the effective date. Others use a 180-day or 365-day stability window.
A parent with controlled hypertension and a parent with recent cardiac stenting are not the same risk, but they may look identical on a basic application form. The right carrier for one is not necessarily the right carrier for the other.
We review the full medical history before recommending a policy. It takes an extra fifteen minutes. It prevents a claim from being denied on a technicality three years later.
What to have ready when you apply
The application process is straightforward. You will need:
- The applicant’s date of birth and country of origin
- A list of current medications and diagnoses
- The intended arrival and departure dates (approximate is fine)
- The applicant’s address in Canada during the visit
We can typically turn around a quote within one business day. For most straightforward applications, the policy is issued the same afternoon.
A note on timing
Apply before the visa is issued, not after. Immigration officers want to see proof of insurance as part of the visa application package. The policy does not need to be in force yet — a letter of coverage confirming the policy will be activated on the date of entry is sufficient. But the coverage needs to be arranged.
If you are reading this and your parents’ departure is in six weeks, you have time. If it is in six days, call us today.