Super Visa Insurance Canada: Costs & Rules

Reviewed September 8, 2026 | Canada

Your parent is preparing to visit Canada on a Super Visa. You find two insurance options that both show $100,000 in coverage, but one costs much more than the other. At first glance, the cheaper policy looks like the obvious choice.

Then you look closer. The deductibles differ. One policy treats your parent’s existing medical condition differently. The refund terms do not match. The policies may even use different rules for medical stability or emergency assistance.

That is why comparing Super Visa insurance in Canada requires more than checking the premium and the $100,000 limit.

Current IRCC Requirements

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada sets several requirements for Super Visa health insurance. The $100,000 minimum represents only one part of the rule.

IRCC also requires the policy documents to identify the insurance company that provides the coverage.

You can check the current requirements directly through IRCC’s Super Visa document requirements.

Canadian Insurers Only?

No. That rule changed on January 28, 2025.

Applicants can still buy qualifying insurance from a Canadian insurance company. They can also use an insurance company outside Canada when that insurer meets IRCC’s requirements.

For a foreign insurer, IRCC requires the company to hold authorization from the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions to provide accident and sickness insurance, appear on OSFI’s public list of federally regulated financial institutions and issue the policy while conducting insurance business in Canada.

OSFI maintains information about Canadian and foreign insurance companies.

Can You Pay Monthly?

Yes, under the current IRCC rule, a qualifying policy can use instalments when the applicant pays a deposit.

IRCC states that the policy must be paid in full or through instalments with a deposit. A price quote alone does not satisfy the insurance requirement.

What Does It Cost?

No single Super Visa insurance price applies across Canada. Age, health history, coverage amount, deductible, policy duration and insurer pricing can all change the premium.

Recent Canadian comparison data gives us a useful benchmark without pretending that every applicant will pay the same amount.

Source: Rates.ca shopper data. The figures represent averages of the lowest quotes from participating carriers during the stated period. The dataset may include different medical circumstances, so these figures provide context rather than guaranteed prices.

Why Quotes Differ

Two policies can both satisfy IRCC’s $100,000 minimum and still differ substantially.

This distinction matters. A $100,000 policy with a $1,000 deductible does not automatically match every other $100,000 policy with a $1,000 deductible.

Check Pre-Existing Conditions

This section deserves more attention than almost any other part of the policy when a parent or grandparent already manages a medical condition.

Canadian travel insurance policies do not all treat pre-existing conditions the same way. Some policies exclude them. Others cover certain conditions when the applicant meets the insurer’s definition of medical stability.

Insurers can use different stability periods and different definitions of what counts as a change in health.

The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association also tells travel insurance buyers to review pre-existing-condition restrictions carefully and answer medical questions truthfully and completely.

Does Deductible Matter?

Yes. The deductible tells you how much of an eligible expense you may need to pay before or alongside the insurer’s payment, depending on the contract.

Some insurers reduce the premium when you select a higher deductible. That can lower the upfront insurance cost while increasing what the insured person may need to pay during a covered medical emergency.

Compare the premium difference against the additional out-of-pocket risk instead of choosing the largest deductible automatically.

Is $100,000 Enough?

IRCC requires at least $100,000 in emergency coverage. That rule creates a minimum for Super Visa eligibility, not a recommendation that every family should stop at exactly $100,000.

Some insurers offer higher limits. A higher limit can increase the premium, but the value of that additional coverage depends on the applicant, policy terms, available limits and household risk tolerance.

Check Refund Rules

Refund terms can matter long before anyone files a medical claim.

For example, a family may need to change plans because IRCC refuses the Super Visa application, the applicant delays the trip, or the visitor returns home earlier than expected.

Insurers handle these situations differently. Current insurer contracts show different cancellation fees, deadlines, documentation requirements and rules once a policyholder starts or reports a claim.

Read Emergency Instructions

Do not wait for an emergency to learn how the policy works.

Some visitor insurance contracts tell policyholders to contact the insurer’s emergency assistance centre before receiving treatment when circumstances allow. A policy may reduce reimbursement when the insured person ignores this requirement.

Save the assistance number, policy number and insurance certificate somewhere the visitor and their Canadian family can access quickly.

2026 Super Visa Update

Canada also changed the Super Visa income calculation on March 31, 2026. That change affects the financial-support test, not the $100,000 insurance minimum.

IRCC now gives hosts more flexibility when proving the minimum necessary income. A host can use qualifying income from either of the two taxation years before the application. Under another route, the host can meet at least 75% of the required amount and add qualifying income from the visiting parent or grandparent to cover the remainder.

You can review the 2026 Super Visa income changes separately from the insurance requirements.

Compare Policies Properly

A useful Super Visa insurance comparison should answer more than “Which premium costs less?”

Broker or Direct?

Families can buy qualifying coverage through different distribution channels, depending on the insurer and product.

A direct insurer offers its own product. A licensed broker may have access to several insurers, although the exact number depends on the broker’s insurer relationships.

The channel alone does not tell you which option costs less or provides better coverage. Our separate comparison of car insurance broker vs direct explains the basic difference between those distribution models.

How BMI Fits

Beat My Insurance does not sell, arrange or recommend Super Visa insurance.

BMI operates as a privacy-first marketplace. Buyers post their insurance needs, brokers can respond competitively, and buyer contact details stay private until the buyer accepts a bid.

That structure can help when you want to review broker responses before opening direct contact. Our article on how to compare insurance quotes in Canada with privacy explains the buyer process in more detail.

If you want a shorter explanation of the marketplace flow, see how buyers can get an insurance quote online while keeping control of their contact information.

Before You Buy

The cheapest premium can still provide the right fit. The highest premium can still provide the right fit. You cannot tell from price alone. Read the policy underneath the number.