Yes. A parent can buy super visa insurance online from their home country, or the host in Canada can buy it on the parent’s behalf. The parent is the insured; the payer can be anyone. Most Canadian insurers accept foreign credit cards, billed in Canadian dollars. The one thing that cannot be bought abroad is a policy from a home-country insurer: a foreign insurer counts only if it is on OSFI’s list and issued the policy in the course of its business in Canada.
In practice almost every super visa policy is bought while the parent is abroad. IRCC’s eligibility page requires the applicant to “be outside Canada when you submit your application,” and the forms and documents page requires the paid policy, not a quote, with that application.
Who should buy: the parent or the host?
Either. The certificate must name the parent as the insured, with the name spelled as in the passport. The payer, the contact email and the mailing address can belong to the host. Most families have the host buy, because the host holds the Canadian card, the Canadian address and the IRCC account where the certificate is uploaded.
| Question | Parent buys | Host buys |
|---|---|---|
| Name on the certificate | Parent | Parent |
| Who answers the medical questionnaire | Parent | Parent, with the host reading each question; see how to fill the questionnaire |
| Payment card | Parent’s, foreign | Host’s, Canadian |
| Contact address | Home-country or host’s; insurers usually ask for a Canadian contact address, confirm at quote time | Host’s |
| Currency charged | Canadian dollars, converted by the card issuer | Canadian dollars |
| Refund destination | Parent’s card | Host’s card |
Refunds go back to the card that paid. If the visa is refused and the parent paid, the refund lands in the home-country account; see how to get a refund if refused. Whichever route you take, the parent must be present for the questionnaire. A host answering alone is the most common cause of a voided policy; see misrepresentation and voided policies.
Do Canadian insurers accept foreign credit cards?
Most do, for international Visa and Mastercard. The premium is charged in Canadian dollars; the card issuer converts it at its rate and may add a foreign-transaction fee of a few per cent. Some home-country banks block large foreign online transactions by default, and a declined payment delays the certificate.
| Payment method | Works for an annual premium | Works for instalments | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Host’s Canadian credit card | Yes | Yes | None; simplest route |
| Parent’s foreign Visa or Mastercard | Usually; confirm with the insurer at quote time | Risky | Bank blocks, FX fees, declined renewals |
| Bank transfer from abroad | Rarely offered online | No | Delays; the policy is not issued until funds clear |
| Cash or cheque | Not online | No | SuperVisaDirect and the insurers we compare sell online only |
For instalment plans, use a Canadian card. 21st Century, Travelance, Secure Travel and Destination charge the same card monthly, and a single failed charge lapses the cover. The deposits and fees are on the monthly plans page.
Can the policy come from an insurer in the parent’s country?
Only if that insurer meets IRCC’s foreign-insurer test, and no mainstream home-country retail product does. IRCC’s notice of 28 January 2025 allows a policy “issued by a foreign insurance company authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI)” for accident and sickness insurance, which must “appear on OSFI’s list of federally regulated financial institutions” and “be issued under the company’s insurance business in Canada.”
| Test | What it means | Home-country travel policy |
|---|---|---|
| Authorized by OSFI for accident and sickness | The company holds a federal order to insure risks in Canada | Domestic insurers in India, Pakistan and the Philippines do not |
| On OSFI’s public list | Searchable by name on OSFI’s register | Tata AIG, Bajaj Allianz, ICICI Lombard, Niva Bupa and Star Health are not listed |
| Issued in the course of its business in Canada | Written by the Canadian branch, not the home office | A policy sold in Mumbai or Manila is not |
| Statement on the policy | The document says it was issued while the company was doing insurance business in Canada | Absent |
The officer instructions add that “all policies that are issued or made by or on behalf of a foreign insurance company in Canada must include a statement” to that effect. A policy that lacks it is refused, and the refusal costs months. There is no IRCC-approved list; agents who claim one are describing OSFI’s register, and brokers and claims administrators never appear on it. The underwriters explained page shows which Canadian company stands behind each brand.
How does buying from abroad work, step by step?
The same as buying from Canada. The quote, the questionnaire, the payment and the certificate are all online, and the certificate arrives by email within minutes at most insurers. The country pages for India, Pakistan and the Philippines cover the local details, including time zones and bank blocks.
- The host or parent gets quotes with the parent’s date of birth, planned arrival date, $100,000 or more, and 365 days.
- The parent answers the medical questionnaire, by video if abroad, with the medication list in hand.
- The payer enters the card; the premium is charged in Canadian dollars.
- The insurer emails the certificate, naming the parent and the underwriter.
- The parent uploads the certificate to the IRCC application; see how to upload proof.
- When the visa is issued, move the effective date to the real arrival date if it has changed.
Processing took 70 days from India and 92 from Pakistan in September 2026, and 265 from Iran, so the start date usually moves at least once. Every insurer we compare allows the change at no charge before the policy begins. The full purchase route is on how to buy.
What if the parent is already in Canada?
Then this page does not apply, but insurance still can. A parent in Canada on a visitor visa can buy a visitor policy after arrival, usually with a waiting period for sickness, and a super visa application for that parent must still be made from outside Canada. See how to buy for a parent already in Canada.
Super Visa Direct Insurance Services arranges policies for Ontario hosts online, by email at [email protected] or by callback, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm Eastern Time. We do not hold a walk-in office, and the parent does not need to be in any particular country to be insured.
Questions people ask
Does my parent have to be in Canada to buy super visa insurance?
No. The policy must be bought before the application is submitted, and the applicant must be outside Canada when applying, so almost every super visa policy is bought while the parent is abroad. The application is online, the certificate is emailed as a PDF, and the parent uploads it to the IRCC portal.
Should the parent buy it, or should I buy it for them?
Either works. The parent's name must be on the certificate as the insured; the payer can be the host. Most families have the host buy, because the host has a Canadian card, a Canadian address and the IRCC account. The medical questionnaire must still be answered by or with the parent.
Can I pay with an Indian, Pakistani or Philippine credit card?
Usually, yes. Canadian insurers bill in Canadian dollars and most accept international Visa and Mastercard; the card issuer converts the amount and may add a foreign-transaction fee. Some home-country banks block large foreign online payments. Confirm with the insurer at quote time and keep the host's card as a backup.
Can I buy from an insurer in my parent's home country?
Only if that insurer is on OSFI's register as authorized for accident and sickness insurance in Canada and issued the policy in the course of its business in Canada, with that statement on the policy. Tata AIG, Bajaj Allianz, ICICI Lombard, Niva Bupa and Star Health are not on the list. Their policies lead to refusals.
Is there an IRCC-approved list of foreign insurers?
No. IRCC's January 2025 notice points to OSFI's list of federally regulated financial institutions. A company on that list with an accident and sickness authorization qualifies; a company not on it does not. Brokers and claims administrators are not insurers and never appear on it, whatever their website says.
Can I use monthly instalments from a foreign card?
Insurers that offer instalments charge the same card each month. A foreign card that fails one month lapses the policy. Use the host's Canadian card for instalment plans, or pay the premium in full from the foreign card. Monthly plans are available at 21st Century, Travelance, Secure Travel and Destination.
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