Switching super visa insurance insurers

You can switch super visa insurance insurers at any time. At renewal it costs nothing: buy the new policy to start the day the old one expires. Mid-term, the old insurer refunds the unused days pro-rata if no claim was made, less a cancellation fee of $25 to $250 depending on the insurer. The new policy must start before the old one ends, give $100,000 of cover and run a full year.

The IRCC rule does not name an insurer, so switching does not affect the visa. What it affects is the parent’s coverage during the handover and the stability test at the new insurer.

When does switching make sense?

Switching makes sense at renewal when another insurer’s terms fit better, or when the parent has crossed an age band that another insurer prices more favourably. It is required when the current insurer has stopped issuing at the parent’s age. It is sensible when the current insurer’s claims service has failed. It rarely makes sense mid-term for price alone.

The 2026 comparison lists each insurer’s maximum age and stability period, which are the two terms that most often force a switch.

How do you switch without a gap?

Buy the new policy first, with an effective date on or before the date the old policy will be cancelled. Confirm the new certificate shows $100,000, the underwriter and a 365-day term. Then cancel the old policy in writing, asking for cancellation effective the day before the new policy starts. Keep both confirmations.

Inside Canada, nobody checks the policy day to day. The gap matters at two moments: a hospital admission, and the next entry at the border, where CBSA checks for a full year of cover per the officer instructions. See port of entry.

What does the old insurer refund?

The unused days, pro-rata, if no claim was made or is pending, less the cancellation fee. TuGo and 21st Century charge $250, Travelance $250 or $50 for early return, Destination $150, Manulife a $25 minimum, and GMS and Secure Travel an administration fee. Monthly set-up fees are never refunded.

Figures are illustrative, $100,000 coverage, $0 deductible, stable pre-existing conditions covered — verify at quote time. A claim of any size during the term usually removes the pro-rata refund entirely. The refunds page has every insurer’s terms.

What does the new insurer re-check?

Everything. A new insurer means a new questionnaire and a new stability test as at the new effective date. A condition that was stable when the original policy started may be unstable now if a dose changed in Canada. A claim under the old policy must be disclosed if asked. The THIA Bill of Rights entitles you to a copy of the new answers before the policy starts.

This is the real cost of switching. A 68-year-old whose blood pressure tablet changed four months ago is covered for hypertension at Secure Travel (90 days to 69) but not at Manulife (180 days). Switching from Secure Travel to Manulife for a lower price would exclude the condition. Compare stability periods on the pre-existing conditions page before you move.

When is switching not worth it?

When the saving is less than the fee plus the pro-rata loss, or when a claim is pending. When the parent’s health changed during the current term. When the switch is driven by a price seen for a younger age band. At renewal most of these objections fall away, which is why the anniversary is the right time to re-shop.

Re-shop every year at the 60-day mark before expiry. Compare on terms first and price second. If the current insurer still fits, renew with it and keep the stability clock running; see renewals. If it does not, switch at the anniversary with no fee and no gap.