Travelance vs 21st Century super visa insurance: side by side

Travelance Premier (Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada) was the lower of the two at 55 and 65 on 18 October 2026; 21st Century Enhanced (Manulife) was lower at 75. Both sell monthly plans with a two-month deposit, Travelance's with a $60 to $100 fee and 21st Century's with $50. Travelance refunds a refused applicant with no fee but excludes heart, brain and lung conditions from 70; 21st Century offers a two-year rate lock.

Rules and prices checked October 18, 2026. Written by a licensed advisor at SuperVisaDirect, FSRA licence [FSRA-LICENCE].

Travelance Premier was the lower of the two at 55 ($1,716 against $1,891) and 65 ($3,030 against $3,095) on 18 October 2026; 21st Century Enhanced was lower at 75 ($5,712 against $6,161). Both are monthly-plan carriers with a two-month deposit. Travelance refunds a refused applicant with no fee and pays $10,000 for prescriptions, but excludes heart, brain and lung conditions from 70. 21st Century has a $50 fee, a two-year rate lock and cover to 85.

Both qualify under the IRCC rule at $100,000 for a year. Full reviews: Travelance and 21st Century.

Who is the insurer behind each plan?

Both are Ontario managing general agents selling through brokers, and neither is the insurer. Travelance’s plans are underwritten by Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada; 21st Century’s by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company. Travelance runs its own assistance centre; 21st Century’s runs through Manulife’s Active Care Management.

Item Travelance 21st Century
Underwriter named on certificate Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company
Plan designer Travelance Inc., Ontario 21st Century Travel Insurance Limited, Cobourg, ON (SIB Corp. since May 2026)
Assistance line 1-888-526-0111, 24/7 multilingual 1-877-882-2957; +1-519-251-7856 collect, 24/7
Claims filing Old Republic eClaims portal Travel Claims portal, TravelAid app, mail or email
Penalty for not calling within 24 hours 20% of eligible expenses 20% co-insurance

Sources: Travelance brochure, 21st Century brochure and HelloSafe. See underwriters explained.

What does each cost by age?

Travelance was lower at 55 and 65, and 21st Century at 75, where Travelance was the second-most expensive of eight carriers. BestQuote did not publish Travelance at 60 or 70. On deductibles, Travelance’s discount runs to 45 percent and 21st Century’s to 40.

Annual premium, $100,000 coverage, $0 deductible, stable pre-existing conditions covered, rates seen 18 Oct 2026 — verify at quote time.

Age Travelance Premier ($/yr) 21st Century Enhanced ($/yr) Lower of the two Difference ($/yr)
55 $1,716 $1,891 Travelance $175
60 Not published $2,741 21st Century (only published rate) —
65 $3,030 $3,095 Travelance $65
70 Not published $4,683 21st Century (only published rate) —
75 $6,161 $5,712 21st Century $449

Sources: BestQuote and PolicyAdvisor. Without pre-existing cover, 21st Century Basic was $1,387 at 55, $1,807 at 65 and $3,347 at 75; Travelance Essential rates were not published. A Travelance family pays twice the eldest person’s premium; 21st Century gives 5 percent per companion. See the cost page.

How do the monthly plans compare?

Both collect two months’ premium at application. Travelance adds a $60 to $100 non-refundable billing fee but treats the deposit as refundable and applies it to the last two payments; 21st Century adds a $50 non-refundable policy fee and keeps the deposit once the parent has arrived. 21st Century also sells a 730-day policy that locks the rate for two years.

Monthly plan term Travelance 21st Century
Deposit 2 months’ premium, refundable, applied to last two payments 2 months’ premium; non-refundable after arrival
Fee $60 (PolicyAdvisor) to $100 (fact sheet), non-refundable $50, non-refundable, paid once
Minimum coverage $100,000 $100,000
Minimum term 90 days 365 or 730 days
Lapse rule Two consecutive missed payments end cover Missed instalment lapses cover
Refund of unused months Partial, less $50 early-return fee Full months only, $25 per refund
Two-year rate lock No (558-day maximum policy) Yes, 730-day policy

Sources: PolicyAdvisor monthly plans, PolicyAdvisor Travelance review and HelloSafe. IRCC accepts instalments with a deposit paid; a lapse leaves the parent uninsured at the border. See monthly plans.

How do the age and stability rules compare?

Both use 180 days’ stability. The difference is above 70: Travelance excludes any heart, brain or lung condition present in the prior 180 days from 70 to 79, caps cover at $100,000 from 70 and excludes all pre-existing conditions from 80. 21st Century Enhanced covers stable conditions to 85 with a questionnaire from 55.

Rule Travelance Premier 21st Century Enhanced
Maximum age 85 85 (Basic: none)
Stability period 180 days 180 days
Heart, brain, lung conditions, 70 to 79 Excluded if present in prior 180 days Covered if stable 180 days
Pre-existing cover, 80 and over None Covered if stable, to 85
Questionnaire None described; disqualifier list on application Ages 55 to 85
Coverage ceiling, 70 and over $100,000 $200,000
Waiting period if bought after arrival Per policy 72 hours within 30 days; 7 days after; 15 days over 85

Sources: PolicyAdvisor Travelance review and PolicyAdvisor 21st Century review. The Travelance carve-out catches most hypertension and cardiac cases at 70 and over; see pre-existing conditions.

What are the benefit limits?

Travelance Premier pays more almost everywhere: $10,000 for prescriptions against $1,500, $16,000 for repatriation of remains, $100,000 AD&D and 45-day side trips. 21st Century offers a higher $200,000 ceiling and adds $50,000 of injury cover on the $100,000 option.

Benefit Travelance Premier 21st Century Enhanced
Maximum sum insured $150,000 to 69; $100,000 from 70 $200,000 (+$50,000 injury on $100,000 option)
Prescription drugs (30 days) $10,000 $1,500
Emergency dental, injury $5,000 $4,000
Follow-up visits 3 visits, $5,000 Until the emergency ends
Repatriation of remains $16,000 plus $6,000 cremation or burial Included; cap not published
Hospital allowance $800 Not stated
AD&D Up to $100,000 $25,000
Side trips 45 days per trip; more than 50% of days in Canada 30 days total; 51% in Canada
Deductible discount, maximum 45% at $10,000 40% at $10,000

Sources: PolicyAdvisor Travelance review and 21st Century brochure.

How do refunds compare?

Travelance has the most generous refusal refund of the carriers we track: unused premium, no fee, proof within 30 days. 21st Century refunds the deposit less $50. Outside refusal both charge $250 to cancel before the start; Travelance charges $50 for an early return and 21st Century $25 per refund of unused months.

Situation Travelance 21st Century
Visa refused, proof within 30 days Unused premium, no fee Deposit less $50 fee
10-day free look, not started Full Per policy; THIA 10-day right
Cancelled before start, other reason Less $250 fee $250 fee
Early return, no claims Less $50 fee Unused full months, $25 per refund
Claim withdrawn to obtain refund Less payments and $250 file fee Not stated
Claim made Generally none Partial even after a claim on monthly plan, per HelloSafe

Sources as above. The full fee table is on cancellation fees by insurer. Claim steps: 21st Century.

Which profile does each plan fit?

Travelance fits a parent 55 to 69 with stable conditions on a monthly plan, a family that wants the no-fee refusal refund, and a parent on costly prescriptions. 21st Century fits a parent 70 to 85, a two-year stay, and anyone with a cardiac, neurological or respiratory history over 70.

Profile Lower or better fit on 18 Oct 2026 Why
Parent 55 to 59, stable conditions Travelance, by $175 Lower price, higher benefit limits
Parent 65 Travelance, by $65 Marginal; check deductible options
Parent 70 to 79 with hypertension or heart history 21st Century Travelance excludes heart, brain, lung conditions
Parent 75, any profile 21st Century, by $449 Travelance second-most expensive at 75
Parent 80 to 85 with conditions 21st Century only Travelance excludes pre-existing conditions from 80
Visa outcome uncertain Travelance No-fee refund on refusal
Two-year stay 21st Century 730-day rate lock
Monthly plan, lowest set-up fee 21st Century $50 against $60 to $100

Neither plan is sold on SuperVisaDirect; the plan we sell is TuGo, and the 2026 comparison shows all three side by side. For 21st Century against its own underwriter’s retail brand, read 21st Century vs Manulife CoverMe.

Questions people ask

Is Travelance or 21st Century lower in price?

Travelance Premier at 55 ($1,716 against $1,891) and 65 ($3,030 against $3,095); 21st Century Enhanced at 75 ($5,712 against $6,161), all at $100,000 with stable conditions on 18 October 2026. BestQuote did not publish Travelance at 60 or 70. Both were mid-table among the eight carriers we track.

Who underwrites Travelance and 21st Century?

Travelance Inc., an Ontario administrator, sells plans underwritten by Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada. 21st Century Travel Insurance Limited of Cobourg, Ontario, sells plans underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company. Both underwriters are Canadian insurers, so both certificates satisfy IRCC.

Which monthly plan is cheaper to run?

21st Century's fee is lower at $50 against Travelance's $60 to $100, but Travelance's two-month deposit is refundable and applied to the last two payments, while 21st Century keeps its deposit once the parent has arrived. Travelance ends cover after two consecutive missed payments; 21st Century lapses on a missed instalment.

Which is better for a parent over 70?

21st Century. Travelance Premier excludes any heart, brain or lung condition present in the 180 days before the start date for ages 70 to 79, caps cover at $100,000 from 70 and excludes all pre-existing conditions from 80. 21st Century Enhanced covers stable conditions to 85 and was $449 lower at 75.

What happens if the super visa is refused?

Travelance returns the unused premium with no administration fee when you send proof within 30 days. 21st Century refunds the deposit less the $50 policy fee, also with proof within 30 days. Both require the request before the policy activates and neither refunds once a claim exists.

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Sources