Super visa insurance can cover a parent with a cancer history if the cancer has been stable for the insurer’s stability period before the effective date. In October 2026 that was 90 days at Secure Travel to age 69, 120 days at TuGo and Destination from 60 to 69, and 180 days at Manulife, GMS, Allianz (from 60) and 21st Century Enhanced. Active treatment is excluded or declined at every insurer. A finished course of treatment, with no change since, can be stable.
The IRCC rule is unaffected. A parent in remission can buy $100,000 of emergency coverage for a year from entry and satisfy the forms and documents requirement. The question is whether a cancer-related emergency would be paid, and the answer depends on the questionnaire and the stability clause.
What do insurers ask about cancer?
Most questionnaires ask whether the applicant has been diagnosed with or treated for cancer in the last 12 or 24 months. They ask whether treatment is ongoing and whether the applicant takes medication for cancer. They ask whether any further treatment or investigation is planned. Some ask about metastatic disease separately and decline it outright.
| Typical question | What a yes usually means |
|---|---|
| Cancer diagnosed or treated in the last 12/24 months? | Cancer excluded, or further questions |
| Currently receiving chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy? | Decline or exclusion of the cancer |
| Taking ongoing medication for cancer (hormone therapy)? | Often accepted as stable if unchanged; check wording |
| Any treatment or test planned or awaiting results? | Unstable until completed with no change |
| Metastatic or stage 4 cancer? | Decline at most insurers |
| Skin cancer other than melanoma? | Often excepted from the cancer question |
Non-melanoma skin cancers are often carved out of the cancer question and treated as minor. Everything else is assessed on timing. A breast cancer treated three years ago with unchanged tamoxifen since is a very different answer from a prostate cancer diagnosed eight months ago with surgery pending.
Which insurers cover a stable cancer history?
All 8 insurers we compare cover a stable cancer history within their stability periods, subject to the 12-to-24-month questions on their questionnaires. No insurer covers active treatment. The exclusion of the cancer does not stop the policy from issuing.
| Insurer (underwriter) | Stability required at 65 | Stability required at 75 | Typical look-back question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secure Travel/RIMI (iA Financial Group) | 90 days | 180 days | Per questionnaire |
| TuGo (iA Financial Group) | 120 days | 180 days | Per questionnaire; 7-day rider to 79 for one named condition |
| Destination (Zurich, Canadian Branch) | 120 days | 180 days | Per questionnaire |
| Allianz (CUMIS General Insurance) | 180 days | 180 days | Per questionnaire |
| Manulife CoverMe Plan B (Manufacturers Life) | 180 days | 180 days | Per questionnaire |
| GMS (Group Medical Services) | 180 days | 180 days to 79 | Per questionnaire; no questions under 55 |
| 21st Century Enhanced (Manulife) | 180 days | 180 days | Per questionnaire |
| Travelance Premier (Old Republic) | Per policy wording | Per policy wording | Per questionnaire |
Stability periods seen October 2026 — verify in the policy wording; the exact cancer look-back question differs by insurer and is not summarised in the published rate tables. Ask for the questionnaire before you pay. Premiums with stable conditions covered ran from $2,051 to $4,201 at age 65 on the PolicyAdvisor tables.
What does stable mean for cancer specifically?
Stable means no treatment given, changed, started or stopped during the period, no new symptoms, no new diagnosis or recurrence, and no test pending whose result could change treatment. Scheduled surveillance with no change afterwards is stable. A scan ordered for a new symptom is not. Hormone therapy at an unchanged dose is usually stable; starting or stopping it is not.
| Event | Stable? |
|---|---|
| Treatment finished more than the stability period ago, no change since | Yes |
| Scheduled surveillance scan, clear, no change in treatment | Yes |
| Tamoxifen or similar at the same dose for the whole period | Usually yes; confirm in writing |
| Hormone therapy started, stopped or changed | No |
| Chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy ongoing | No |
| Scan result pending at the effective date | No |
| New lump or symptom investigated | No |
| Surgery performed or scheduled | No |
The stability clock starts from the last treatment change, not from the diagnosis. A parent whose chemotherapy ended five months ago, with nothing since, is stable at Secure Travel (90 days to 69) and TuGo (120 days from 60 to 69) but not yet at the 180-day insurers.
What should you document?
Collect the oncologist’s most recent letter stating the diagnosis, stage, treatment dates and current status. Add the date treatment ended and the list of any ongoing medication with dose and start date. Add the most recent scan report and the date of the next scheduled surveillance. Ask the oncologist to confirm in writing that no treatment is planned.
Photograph everything before the questionnaire and keep the completed answers. The THIA Bill of Rights entitles the buyer to a copy of the medical answers before the policy starts. If the cancer is excluded, get the exclusion in writing so there is no dispute at claim time.
If the plan is bought while the parent is still deciding whether to travel, note the refund terms. Every insurer we compare refunds if the visa is refused; cancellation before the effective date otherwise carries a fee of $25 to $250. See refunds. The claims page explains what the insurer will request from the home-country oncology file if an emergency occurs.
Questions people ask
Can my parent get super visa insurance after cancer?
Yes, in most cases, if treatment has finished and the condition has been stable for the insurer's period. Many questionnaires ask about cancer treated in the last 12 or 24 months; a yes leads to an exclusion of the cancer or a decline, not a refusal of the whole policy. The remaining $100,000 of cover still meets IRCC's rule.
Is cancer in remission a pre-existing condition?
Yes. Remission does not remove the diagnosis from the record. It is covered if stable for the period: no treatment, no new symptoms, no pending scan that could change treatment. Hormone therapy such as tamoxifen taken at the same dose is usually treated as stable maintenance; ask the insurer in writing.
Is ongoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy covered?
No. Active treatment is unstable by definition and is excluded or declined at every insurer we compare. The parent can still buy a policy that meets IRCC's rule; any claim related to the cancer or its treatment would be denied. Consider whether travel during treatment is advisable at all.
Does a routine follow-up scan make the cancer unstable?
Not if it is a scheduled surveillance scan with no change in treatment after it. A scan ordered because of a new symptom, or a scan whose result is pending at the effective date, makes the condition unstable at most insurers until the result is in and nothing changes.
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