Visitor & Super Visa
Insurance Canada.

The two products overlap, so it helps to start with who is being covered and why. In almost every case the answer is clear once you know whether a Super Visa application is involved.

• Applying for a Super Visa for your parents or grandparents? You need Super Visa insurance — a policy that meets IRCC's specific rules. Standard visitor insurance will not satisfy the visa officer.
• Hosting parents, in-laws or relatives on a regular visitor visa or eTA? Visitor insurance is the right fit. It is not mandatory, but it protects them — and you — from emergency medical bills that provincial health plans will not cover.
• A new permanent resident or returning Canadian waiting out the provincial health-plan waiting period? Visitor insurance bridges that gap, which can run up to three months in some provinces.
• An international student's visiting family, or a guest coming for a wedding or birth? Visitor insurance, sized to the length of the trip.

If you are not sure which applies, that is exactly the kind of question an advisor answers in a two-minute call. We will never sell a Super Visa policy to someone who only needs short visitor coverage, or leave a Super Visa applicant with a policy that fails to qualify. Getting this first decision right saves money and avoids the single most common reason Super Visa insurance has to be re-purchased.

What's typically covered

Visitor and Super Visa policies are emergency medical insurance — they exist to handle sudden, unexpected illness and injury during a visit to Canada. They are designed to get a visitor through a crisis and stabilize them, not to manage long-term or routine health needs. Within that scope, most plans cover:

• Emergency hospitalization and physician care
• Ambulance and emergency transportation
• Prescription drugs related to an emergency
• Diagnostic tests, lab work and X-rays
• Emergency dental for accidental injury
• Repatriation and, in the worst case, return of remains — a requirement for Super Visa policies

What's usually excluded

These plans are not a substitute for ongoing health care. They generally do not cover routine check-ups, elective procedures, or treatment for a condition that was not stable before the policy began. Pregnancy and childbirth are limited or excluded on most plans, and claims can be denied if a pre-existing condition was not disclosed honestly. Reading the policy wording — or having an advisor read it with you — is the single best way to avoid a surprise at claim time.

What affects the price

There is no single "rate." The premium for a visitor or Super Visa policy depends on a handful of factors, and understanding them is where comparing carriers pays off:

• Age of the visitor — the biggest single factor; premiums rise in steps as applicants move through age brackets.
• Coverage amount — $100,000 is the Super Visa minimum, but $150,000 or $300,000 costs more and offers more protection.
• Deductible — choosing a higher deductible (the amount paid out of pocket before coverage begins) lowers the premium, but raises your exposure in an emergency.
• Pre-existing conditions — adding stable-condition coverage increases the premium, sometimes substantially, but is often worth it for older parents.
• Length of coverage — Super Visa policies must run a full 365 days; visitor policies can be sized to the trip.

Because every carrier weighs these factors differently, two quotes for the same visitor can differ by hundreds of dollars. That is the entire reason to compare rather than buy the first plan you find. For exact figures, request a free quote online and we will line up the options side by side.

Paying for it — and getting refunds

For Super Visa applications, IRCC accepts monthly installment plans as well as paying the full year upfront, as long as the policy is documented for the complete 365-day term and the initial deposit is paid. Monthly plans make compliant coverage far easier to put in place quickly. And if the visa is refused, most reputable carriers refund the premium in full, provided the request is made before the policy start date and the IRCC refusal letter is supplied. We confirm the refund terms in writing before you commit, so there is never a nasty surprise if plans change.

A Super Visa application can be refused over an insurance detail that takes thirty seconds to check. After helping hundreds of families, these are the errors we see most often — and prevent before a dollar changes hands:

• Buying less than $100,000 in coverage. The minimum is non-negotiable. "Close enough" is refused.
• A policy shorter than 365 days. A six- or nine-month policy will not qualify, even if every other detail is perfect.
• Using an ineligible insurer. Coverage must come from a Canadian insurer or, since January 28, 2025, an OSFI-approved foreign insurer listed on OSFI's register. Always confirm eligibility before paying.
• Submitting a quote instead of proof of payment. IRCC requires evidence the policy is paid — in full or via an approved monthly installment plan with the deposit paid. A quote alone is rejected.
• Not disclosing a pre-existing condition. This rarely blocks the visa, but it can void a claim later, leaving the family with the full hospital bill. Honest, complete disclosure protects the coverage.

We verify every one of these before you pay, so the policy you submit with the application is one IRCC will accept. The full checklist — including how monthly payments must be documented — is in our complete Super Visa insurance guide.