Surrey hosts need the same super visa insurance as everyone else in Canada: at least $100,000 of emergency medical cover for one year from a Canadian insurer, priced from about $1,577 a year at 55 and $4,000 at 75 with stable conditions covered (lowest of eight insurers compared in October 2026). SuperVisaDirect serves Ontario residents today; coverage for British Columbia residents is coming in 2028, so this page is informational.
Who in Surrey is buying super visa insurance?
Surrey’s 568,322 residents were 37.8 percent South Asian in the 2021 Census, with Punjabi the mother tongue of 22.7 percent (Statistics Canada Census Profile, via Wikipedia). Only Brampton has a higher South Asian share, and Surrey’s Southeast Asian (9.7 percent) and East Asian (10.9 percent) communities add Filipino and Chinese demand.
Most applicants are parents from Punjab in their 60s and 70s. They apply from India, complete the immigration medical with a panel physician there, and face processing that ran 70 days in September 2026 but 208 days in March, so the policy start date must be movable.
What does IRCC require from a Surrey host?
The IRCC rules are national: at least $100,000 per applicant covering health care, hospitalisation and repatriation, valid for one year from the date of entry and on each entry, from a Canadian insurer or a foreign insurer authorised by OSFI on its public register. Payment may be in full or by instalments with a deposit; a quote is not accepted.
| IRCC requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum coverage | $100,000 per applicant |
| Must cover | Health care, hospitalisation, repatriation |
| Validity | At least 1 year from date of entry, on each entry |
| Insurer | Canadian, or OSFI-authorised foreign insurer issuing in Canada |
| Proof | Certificate naming the underwriter, uploaded with application, shown to CBSA |
| Not accepted | Quotes, broker letters, Indian or Filipino domestic insurers |
Read the full guide at super visa insurance.
How does buying work, and when can Surrey use SuperVisaDirect?
Buying is online with any licensed agent: enter the parent’s age, entry date and health answers, compare prices, pay, and download the certificate. SuperVisaDirect’s quoter is open to Ontario residents now. BC residents will be able to use it from 2028; until then, use the comparisons here to buy from a BC-licensed source.
The site is in English, with Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and Tagalog pages planned before the BC launch.
What does a BC hospital charge an uninsured parent?
BC’s Provincial Health Services Authority publishes non-resident rates of $9,270 a day for a standard ward bed and $18,105 a day in intensive care, effective 1 November 2025, at BC Women’s Hospital. Fraser Health, which runs Surrey Memorial, reported $43 million in receivables in 2022-23 per CTV News.
| Item | PHSA non-resident rate, Nov 2025 ($) |
|---|---|
| Standard ward, per day | 9,270 |
| Intensive care, per day | 18,105 |
CTV’s example of a heart attack with three or four days in intensive care came to about $50,000. BC also has a three-month MSP wait for new residents, which does not apply to visitors but matters if a parent later lands as a permanent resident.
What will it cost a Surrey family?
Annual premium, $100,000 coverage, $0 deductible, stable pre-existing covered, rates seen Oct 2026 — verify at quote time.
| Parent’s age | Lowest of 8 insurers ($/yr) | Highest ($/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | 1,577 | 2,373 |
| 65 | 2,051 | 4,201 |
| 75 | 4,000 | 9,910 |
Source: BestQuote. TuGo, headquartered in Richmond, is reviewed on our TuGo page. Insurer figures are on the cost page, instalments on monthly plans, stability rules on pre-existing conditions, and the neighbouring market on our Vancouver page.
Questions people ask
Can I buy super visa insurance from SuperVisaDirect if I live in Surrey?
Not yet. Super Visa Direct Insurance Services is licensed in Ontario and serves Ontario residents now. Coverage for British Columbia residents is coming in 2028. Until then, this page explains the IRCC rules, the insurers and the prices so you can buy correctly from a BC-licensed agent or an insurer directly.
Does BC's MSP waiting period affect my parents on a super visa?
Not directly. Super visa holders are visitors and never qualify for MSP, so the three-month wait is irrelevant to them; they need private insurance for the whole stay. The wait matters if your parents later become permanent residents in BC, when a visitor policy bridges the gap until MSP starts.
Which insurers sell super visa insurance to BC hosts?
All eight carriers we track are sold in BC: TuGo (iA Financial Group, based in Richmond), 21st Century and Manulife CoverMe (Manulife), Secure Travel (iA, claims by MSH), GMS, Destination (Zurich Canadian Branch), Allianz (CUMIS) and Travelance (Old Republic). None of the province exclusions we found applies to BC.
Can my parents use Indian insurance for the super visa in Surrey?
No. IRCC accepts only Canadian insurers or foreign insurers on OSFI's public register that issue in Canada. Tata AIG, Bajaj Allianz, ICICI Lombard, Niva Bupa and Star Health are not registered, and applications relying on them are refused. The rule is national and does not vary by province.
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Sources
- Statistics Canada, Census Profile 2021, Surrey (City)
- Wikipedia, Surrey, British Columbia (2021 census demographics, citing Statistics Canada)
- IRCC, Super visa: documents and insurance requirement
- OSFI, Canadian and foreign insurance companies
- BC Women's Hospital, patient rate list (November 2025)
- CTV News BC, growing number of unpaid medical bills at Metro Vancouver hospitals
- BestQuote, Super Visa Insurance rates