Each parent needs their own $100,000 of coverage, because IRCC’s officer instructions require “a minimum of $100,000 emergency coverage per applicant.” That can be two separate policies or one certificate naming both parents with $100,000 each. Separate policies are the better choice whenever the parents arrive on different dates, suit different insurers, or might leave at different times.
The question comes up because the super visa lets a host invite a parent and that parent’s spouse or common-law partner. Both are applicants. Both file, both upload a certificate, and both count in the family size for the host’s income test.
What does IRCC actually require for two applicants?
Two sets of documents, two certificates showing $100,000 each, and one letter of invitation listing both. The forms page requires the policy to be valid for one year from the date of entry, so each parent’s policy term runs from their own entry.
| Requirement | One joint certificate | Two separate policies |
|---|---|---|
| $100,000 per applicant | Must show $100,000 for each named insured | Automatic |
| One year from date of entry | Only works if both enter on the same day | Each starts on its own entry date |
| Insurer named | One underwriter for both | Can differ |
| Paid or deposit paid | One receipt | Two receipts |
| Uploaded to each application | Same PDF uploaded twice | Each certificate to its own application |
| Shown at the border | One document for both | Each parent carries their own |
When are separate policies clearly better?
Whenever anything about the two parents differs: arrival date, age band, health, insurer fit, or likely departure date. A joint certificate ties both to one insurer, one start date and one cancellation.
| Situation | Recommendation | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Different arrival dates | Separate | Each needs a full year from their own entry |
| One parent has a pre-existing condition | Separate, possibly different insurers | Place each where the wording covers them; see pre-existing conditions |
| Ages in different bands | Separate or joint; compare insurers for each | The cheaper insurer at 65 may not be cheaper at 70 |
| One parent may go home early | Separate | A pro-rata refund on one policy is cleaner than a partial cancellation on a joint one |
| One parent is near an insurer’s maximum age | Separate | GMS stops at 79; Secure Travel issues to 90 |
| Same date, same health, same insurer, leaving together | Either | Joint is marginally less paperwork |
What does a couple pay?
About the sum of two individual premiums. The published tables show a couple aged 60 and 61 at about $2,657 per year, or $221 per month on an instalment plan, per PolicyAdvisor and BestQuote. Annual premium, $100,000 coverage, $0 deductible, stable pre-existing conditions covered, rates seen Oct 2026 — verify at quote time.
| Insurer (underwriter) | Parent at 65 | Parent at 70 | Two parents, 65 and 70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secure Travel/RIMI (iA Financial Group) | $2,051 | $3,380 | $5,431 |
| Destination (Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, Canadian Branch) | $2,624 | $4,179 | $6,803 |
| GMS (Group Medical Services) | $2,405 | $4,296 | $6,701 |
| TuGo (iA Financial Group) | $2,986 | $3,985 | $6,971 |
| Manulife CoverMe Plan B (Manufacturers Life) | $2,874 | $4,181 | $7,055 |
| 21st Century Enhanced (Manulife) | $3,095 | $4,683 | $7,778 |
The two-parent column is the simple sum of the two individual rates. Mixing insurers can beat any single row: Secure Travel at 65 plus TuGo at 70 would be $6,036 on these figures, if each parent’s conditions fit the respective wording. The couples page shows more age combinations and the cost page the full grid.
What about the host’s income test?
A second applicant adds one person to the family size. On the LICO table in force from 29 July 2025, that moves a household of four from $56,724 to $64,336 for five, and six to $72,560. Check the income before buying the second policy. The requirements page has the table and the March 2026 co-signer rules.
What are the practical steps?
Buy each parent’s policy as if the other did not exist, then file each certificate with the right application. The second parent how-to walks through adding a spouse after the first policy is already bought.
- Run each parent’s medical questionnaire separately, with that parent present.
- Quote each parent at their own age at every insurer; note where each is cheapest and where each is covered.
- Decide joint or separate using the table above.
- Set each effective date to that parent’s planned arrival.
- Upload each certificate to that parent’s IRCC application.
- Diarize both expiry dates; renew each on its own schedule.
Monthly instalment plans are available for either structure; the monthly page lists the deposit and fee at each insurer.
Questions people ask
Can one $100,000 policy cover both parents?
No. IRCC's officer instructions require a minimum of $100,000 emergency coverage per applicant. A policy with a single $100,000 limit shared between two people does not meet it. A joint certificate is acceptable only if it shows $100,000 for each named insured.
Is a joint policy cheaper?
Rarely by much. Premiums are set per person by age band, and the published October 2026 comparison tables show a couple aged 60 and 61 at about $2,657 a year combined, roughly the sum of two individual rates. Ask at quote time whether a given insurer offers any couple pricing; do not expect it.
What if my parents are different ages?
Each is priced at their own age, whether on a joint certificate or separately. A father of 70 and a mother of 65 at Secure Travel paid $3,380 and $2,051 respectively on October 2026 rates. The age gap is also a reason to consider different insurers, because the cheaper insurer at 65 is not always cheaper at 70.
What if one parent has a health condition and the other does not?
Separate policies, and possibly separate insurers. The healthy parent can take a plan with a shorter stability period or lower price. The parent with a condition should be placed where the condition is stable under the wording. A joint certificate forces both onto one insurer's terms.
What if the parents arrive on different dates?
Separate policies, each with its own effective date. IRCC requires each applicant's policy to be valid for one year from their own date of entry. A joint certificate started on the first parent's arrival would leave the second parent short of a year at their entry.
Does each parent upload their own certificate?
Yes. Each applicant has their own IRCC application and their own document checklist with a proof of insurance line. If a joint certificate is used, upload the same PDF to both applications and make sure both names and both $100,000 limits are visible on it.
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