Super Visa Insurance: Requirements & Cost (2026)

If you’re sponsoring a parent or grandparent for a Super Visa, insurance is not optional. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires proof of a qualifying medical insurance policy before it will approve the visa, and border officers can ask to see it again on arrival.

The rules themselves are short. What trips people up is the buying: choosing a deductible, understanding how pre-existing conditions are handled, knowing what happens to the premium if the visa is refused, and finding a price that makes sense for a policy you must buy for a full year. This guide covers all of it.

It’s for Ontario families sponsoring parents or grandparents, and for the parents themselves who want to understand what they’re covered for while they’re here.

Super Visa insurance requirements (what IRCC actually asks for)

The Super Visa lets parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents visit for extended periods, with stays of up to five years at a time. As part of the application, IRCC requires proof of medical insurance that meets all of the following:

• Minimum coverage of $100,000 for emergency medical care
• Valid for at least one year from the date the applicant enters Canada
• Covers health care, hospitalization and repatriation (returning the applicant to their home country if medically necessary or in the event of death)
• Issued by a Canadian insurance company, or by a foreign insurer on IRCC’s approved list (a change introduced in recent years; the list is maintained by IRCC)
• Paid in full or in instalments, with proof of payment, not just a quote. A policy with a deferred start date is acceptable as long as it is in force on the day of entry.

The applicant must be able to show proof of insurance to a border services officer at the port of entry, and coverage must remain in place for the entire stay. If your parents stay beyond the first year, the policy needs to be renewed. Letting it lapse can affect future applications and, more practically, leaves them uninsured.

Because OHIP does not cover visitors, and Ontario provides no health coverage to Super Visa holders, this policy is the only thing standing between your family and a Canadian hospital bill. Our article on whether OHIP covers travel explains how expensive uninsured care can be, and the same logic applies to visitors.

What Super Visa insurance plans cover

A Super Visa policy is a visitors-to-Canada emergency medical plan that meets IRCC’s minimums. Coverage varies by insurer, but a typical plan includes:

Benefit	What it typically covers
Emergency hospital and physician care	Treatment for a sudden illness or injury, up to the policy limit ($100,000, $150,000, $200,000 or higher)
Diagnostics	X-rays, lab tests, scans ordered during the emergency
Prescription drugs	Medication prescribed for the emergency, usually with a supply limit
Emergency dental	Relief of acute pain or injury to natural teeth, with a modest limit
Ambulance	Ground ambulance to hospital; air ambulance where medically necessary
Repatriation	Return to home country for continuing care, or return of remains
Follow-up visits	Limited follow-up after the emergency, subject to the policy terms
24/7 emergency assistance	The line to call before or as soon as possible after treatment begins

What these plans do not cover: routine checkups, ongoing management of a known condition, elective procedures, pregnancy-related care in most cases, and anything that isn’t a sudden and unforeseen emergency. A Super Visa policy is not health insurance in the everyday sense; it’s emergency protection.

Many insurers require you (or your parent) to call the assistance line before treatment where possible. Skipping that call can reduce the payout on a claim. It’s worth writing the number on a card that lives in your parent’s wallet.

Pre-existing conditions and stability clauses

This is the most important section of the article for anyone sponsoring a parent over 65.

Most Super Visa policies cover pre-existing medical conditions only if the condition has been stable for a set period before the policy’s effective date. Common stability periods are 90, 120 or 180 days, and some insurers offer longer periods, or exclude pre-existing conditions altogether, on lower-cost plans.

“Stable” generally means no new diagnosis, no change in medication or dosage, no new symptoms, no new treatment, and no pending tests or referrals. A blood pressure medication adjusted two months before departure can mean that condition isn’t covered, even if the plan otherwise includes pre-existing conditions.

Practical guidance:

• Get a copy of your parent’s medication list and recent medical history before shopping for a plan.
• Choose a stability period your parent can genuinely meet on the effective date, not one that looks good on paper.
• Some plans offer coverage for pre-existing conditions only up to a certain age (often 69, 74 or 79) or with an added premium. Past those ages, options narrow.
• If a condition can’t be covered, it’s often still worth buying a plan that covers everything else, rather than going without.

Our snowbird travel insurance guide explains stability periods in more detail; the same rules apply here, in reverse.

Deductibles and how they affect the price

Every Super Visa plan carries a deductible: the amount your family pays before the insurer pays a claim. Typical options range from $0 up to $5,000 or $10,000, and the deductible is the easiest lever for adjusting the premium.

As a general pattern:

• $0 deductible: highest premium, no out-of-pocket on a claim
• $500–$1,000 deductible: a meaningful premium reduction, and an amount most families can cover
• $2,500–$5,000+ deductible: a larger reduction, suited to families who want protection against the catastrophic bill and are comfortable absorbing smaller ones

Some insurers apply the deductible per claim, others per policy period. Check which, since a per-claim deductible costs more over a year with two separate ER visits. A $1,000 deductible is a common middle ground.

Indicative Super Visa insurance costs by age (2026)

The table below shows indicative annual premiums for a one-year policy with $100,000 coverage and a mid-range deductible, for an applicant with no significant pre-existing conditions. These are illustrative ranges based on the Canadian visitors-to-Canada market, not quotes. Actual premiums depend on age, health, deductible, coverage amount, stability period and insurer.

Applicant age	Indicative annual premium ($100,000, mid-range deductible)
55–59	roughly $1,100–$1,800
60–64	roughly $1,300–$2,100
65–69	roughly $1,600–$2,600
70–74	roughly $2,000–$3,400
75–79	roughly $2,800–$4,800
80–84	roughly $3,800–$6,500
85+	roughly $5,000–$8,500+

Increasing coverage to $150,000 or $200,000 adds a moderate amount; adding pre-existing-condition coverage past 70 adds more. Couples are priced individually, so two parents in their mid-70s might pay a combined $5,000–$7,000 for the year. That’s a real number, and it’s why deductible choice and insurer comparison matter.

Monthly payment options

Because IRCC requires a full year of coverage, the upfront cost can be significant. Several Canadian insurers now offer monthly payment plans for Super Visa policies, typically with a larger first payment followed by monthly instalments and a small financing charge. IRCC accepts these policies for the application as long as the coverage itself is valid for the full year.

Two cautions: not every insurer offers monthly payment, and if instalments stop, coverage stops. If cash flow is the constraint, monthly payment is a good tool; if it’s not, paying annually is usually a little cheaper.

Refunds: visa denied, early departure, or change of plans

Buying a year of insurance before you know whether the visa is approved sounds risky. In practice, the refund rules make it manageable.

• Visa refused: most Canadian insurers refund the full premium on receipt of IRCC’s refusal letter, provided the policy hasn’t started.
• Early departure: if your parent returns home before the policy ends, most insurers provide a pro-rated refund for the unused portion, as long as no claims were made. Some deduct an administration fee, and some require a minimum unused period.
• Cancellation before the effective date: generally a full refund, sometimes less a small fee.
• Change of travel dates: many insurers will move the effective date without charge if you ask before the original start date.

Get the refund terms in writing before you buy. They vary more between insurers than the coverage does.

How to buy Super Visa insurance through a broker

You can buy Super Visa insurance directly from an insurer or through a broker. Working with a broker costs nothing extra (insurers pay us), and it solves the two hardest parts: finding a plan whose stability period fits your parent’s health, and comparing prices across insurers for the same coverage.

Here’s what the process looks like with us:

1. Tell us the basics: your parent’s age, country of residence, planned arrival date, and any medical conditions and medications.
2. We compare plans from Canada’s major visitors-to-Canada insurers, matching coverage amount, deductible and stability period to the situation.
3. You choose and pay, annually or monthly where available.
4. We send the policy documents and the confirmation letter formatted for the IRCC application.
5. If the visa is refused or dates change, we handle the refund or date change with the insurer.

Once your parents are in Canada, if they decide to stay beyond the first year, we’ll set up the renewal before the policy lapses.

How Hayes can help

Super Visa applications are stressful enough without guessing at insurance. We help Ottawa and Ontario families choose a compliant policy from Canada’s travel insurance providers, explain the pre-existing-condition terms in plain language, and make sure the paperwork matches what IRCC expects.

Sponsoring a parent or grandparent? Get a free Super Visa insurance quote or contact us and we’ll have options to you quickly, usually the same day.