Visitor insurance and super visa insurance are the same emergency medical products, sold by the same insurers, on the same rate tables. The difference is the rule set. A super visa policy must give at least $100,000 of emergency coverage per applicant, run for one year from the date of entry, cover health care, hospitalization and repatriation, and come from a Canadian insurer or an OSFI-authorized foreign one. An ordinary visitor can buy any amount for any length.
The rules come from IRCC’s forms and documents page. A policy that meets them is “super visa insurance.” A policy that does not is still visitor insurance, and still pays hospital bills; it just will not get the visa.
Is super visa insurance a different product?
No. Every insurer we compare sells one visitors-to-Canada emergency medical plan. The same plan becomes a super visa policy when the amount, term and payment satisfy IRCC. The certificate looks identical; the officer reads the figures on it, not the product name.
Some insurers print “Super Visa” on the certificate or offer a super visa option in the quote form. That option simply pre-sets $100,000 and 365 days. It does not change the wording, the exclusions or the stability clause. The sample certificate page shows the fields the officer reads.
What does IRCC require that ordinary visitor insurance does not?
Six conditions, all on the forms and documents page. Each one rules out a common visitor-insurance choice. The table maps the condition to what a visitor could otherwise buy.
| IRCC condition for the super visa | What an ordinary visitor may buy instead |
|---|---|
| Minimum $100,000 emergency coverage per applicant | $25,000, $50,000 or any amount |
| Valid at least 1 year from the date of entry, and on each entry | Any term, from a few days up |
| Covers health care, hospitalization and repatriation | Plans without repatriation exist for short trips |
| Issued by a Canadian insurance company, or a foreign company authorized by OSFI, on OSFI’s list, issuing in the course of its business in Canada, with that statement on the policy | Home-country travel policy of any origin |
| Paid in full, or by instalments with a deposit; quotes not accepted | Pay however the insurer allows |
| Proof uploaded with the application and shown to CBSA at entry on request | No proof required by IRCC |
IRCC’s officer instructions add that the officer should be satisfied the applicant has the policy “for a full year on each entry,” regardless of payment method. The foreign-insurer option dates from IRCC’s 28 January 2025 notice. There is no IRCC-approved list of insurers; the test is OSFI’s register, and brokers and claims administrators are not insurers.
Which one does your parent need?
It depends on the status your parent is travelling on, not on their age or health. A super visa applicant needs the IRCC-compliant version. Everyone else chooses the amount and term that fits the trip and the hospital-bill risk.
| Parent’s situation | Insurance needed | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Applying for a super visa | $100,000 or more, 365 days from entry, IRCC-compliant | Required for approval and at the border |
| Super visa holder re-entering after a trip home | A policy with a full year left on the re-entry date | The one-year test applies on each entry |
| Visiting on a visitor visa or eTA | Any amount and term; $100,000 recommended for a parent over 60 | Not required by IRCC; required by the hospital bill |
| In Canada on a visitor record extension | Visitor policy for the extended period | No IRCC insurance rule; coverage gap otherwise |
| Switching from visitor visa to a super visa application | IRCC-compliant policy dated from the planned entry | The application is made from outside Canada |
The super visa vs visitor visa page compares the visas themselves. The visitors-to-Canada insurance hub covers the shorter and smaller policies.
Does super visa insurance cost more?
Not for the same parent, amount and term. The rate table is one table. The super visa looks more expensive because it forces the largest common amount and the longest common term. In October 2026 a one-year $100,000 policy with $0 deductible and stable pre-existing conditions covered ran from $2,051 at Secure Travel to $4,201 at Allianz for a 65-year-old, per the PolicyAdvisor tables — verify at quote time.
| Lever | Super visa | Ordinary visitor |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage amount | $100,000 minimum | Any; lower amounts cost less |
| Term | 365 days minimum | Days to a year; shorter costs less |
| Deductible | Allowed; $500 cuts roughly 15% at Manulife | Same |
| Pre-existing cover | Optional; no-pre-existing plans are cheaper | Same |
| Monthly instalments | Allowed with a deposit | Varies by insurer |
The cost page has the full grid by age. A visitor who wants more than the minimum, or a super visa holder asking whether $100,000 is enough, should read is $100,000 enough.
Can an ordinary visitor policy be used for the application?
Yes, if it passes all six conditions. Check the certificate against the list before uploading. The three usual failures are a term shorter than a year from the planned entry, an amount under $100,000, and a certificate that names a broker or claims administrator but not the underwriter.
A quote is never accepted. The policy must be bought, with the premium or the deposit paid, before the application is submitted. If the visa takes longer than expected, every insurer we compare moves the start date at no charge before it begins; see how to change the start date.
What about the odds of approval?
The super visa is approved far more often. IRCC approved 75 to 81 per cent of super visa applications in recent years, against about 50 per cent of ordinary visitor visas in 2025, when roughly 1.05 million visitor visas were issued. The insurance and income requirements are the price of that difference.
A parent who already holds a visitor visa does not need insurance for IRCC, but does need it for the hospital. Ontario’s OHIP page states that visitors do not qualify. Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa billed non-residents $4,005 a day for a ward bed and $15,642 a day for intensive care from April 2026. The visitor insurance for parents page covers that case, and the requirements page covers the super visa route in full.
Questions people ask
Is super visa insurance a separate product from visitor insurance?
No. Every insurer we compare sells one visitors-to-Canada emergency medical plan and issues it for super visa applicants when the amount, term and payment meet IRCC's conditions. The certificate is the same document. What changes is the minimum you must buy: $100,000 for 365 days, paid or on instalments with a deposit.
Can I use an ordinary visitor policy for a super visa application?
Yes, if it meets every IRCC condition: at least $100,000 emergency coverage, valid one year from the date of entry, covering health care, hospitalization and repatriation, issued by a Canadian insurer or an OSFI-authorized foreign one, and paid in full or by instalments with a deposit. A $50,000 or six-month visitor policy fails.
Does super visa insurance cost more than visitor insurance?
For the same parent, amount and term, no. The premium is the same rate table. It looks dearer because the super visa forces $100,000 and 365 days, while a visitor can buy $25,000 for 60 days. At 65 with stable conditions covered, a one-year $100,000 policy ran from $2,051 at Secure Travel in October 2026.
Does the super visa need insurance from a specific list of insurers?
No. There is no IRCC-approved list. The test is that the insurer is a Canadian insurance company, or a foreign company authorized by OSFI for accident and sickness insurance and shown on OSFI's public register, issuing in the course of its business in Canada. Brokers and claims administrators do not count.
Which visa is easier to get?
The super visa. IRCC approves 75 to 81 per cent of super visa applications against roughly 50 per cent of ordinary visitor visas in 2025. The trade-off is the insurance and income requirements, which a visitor visa does not have. The super visa also allows stays of up to five years per entry.
My parent already holds a visitor visa. Do they still need insurance?
IRCC does not require it, but a hospital bill does. Visitors do not qualify for provincial health plans; Ontario's OHIP page says so directly. Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa billed non-residents $4,005 a day for a ward bed in April 2026. Visitor insurance for any amount and length is available from the same insurers.
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Sources
- IRCC — Super visa: forms and documents (insurance requirements)
- IRCC — Super visa: officer instructions
- IRCC — Change to health insurance requirement (28 January 2025)
- OSFI — Canadian and foreign insurance companies and fraternal benefit societies
- Ontario — Apply for OHIP (visitors do not qualify)
- Queensway Carleton Hospital — Fees for patients without Canadian health insurance (April 2026)
- PolicyAdvisor — Super visa insurance cost tables