Parents and relatives from India need a visitor visa, which costs $100 plus $85 for biometrics and was refused about 51% of the time in 2025, so buy insurance after approval and before the flight. IRCC asks for no insurance on a visitor visa, but a Canadian hospital bills a non-resident $3,750 to $4,005 a day on a ward and requires payment before treatment. A 65-year-old pays about $337 for a two-month visit with stable pre-existing conditions covered, roughly ₹22,500, derived from PolicyAdvisor’s October 2026 table. The host in Canada should buy it, in dollars.
What are the approval odds, and when should I buy?
About one in two, and after the decision. IRCC’s briefing note to the parliamentary committee, summarized by Go Far Global, put the visitor visa refusal rate at 51% for 2025, 54% for 2024 and 39% for 2023. IRCC does not publish an India-only rate. Buying before the decision saves nothing, because the premium is per day.
| Year | Visitor visas issued to Indian nationals | Overall refusal rate (all countries) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 562,905 | 39% |
| 2024 | 506,080 | 54% |
| 2025 | 303,080 | 51% |
| Jan to Jul 2026 | 220,665 (up 19% on Jan to Jul 2025) | Not yet published |
Source: Go Far Global, citing IRCC data. The sequence that works: apply, wait, book the flight on approval, buy the policy the same day with the effective date set to the arrival date. If you must buy earlier, most carriers refund in full with the IRCC refusal letter before coverage starts; see refunds and cancellation.
Does the visitor visa require insurance?
No. IRCC’s visitor visa page lists a passport, an invitation letter, travel history, an itinerary, bank statements and an employer letter, and does not mention insurance. The super visa is the only visitor category with an insurance condition: $100,000 for one year from a Canadian or OSFI-listed insurer.
| Route | Fee | Insurance required by IRCC | Approval rate | Stay per visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa (TRV) | $100 plus $85 biometrics | No | About 49% in 2025 | Normally up to 6 months |
| Super visa (parents and grandparents only) | $100 plus $85 biometrics | Yes, $100,000 for 1 year | 75 to 81% | Up to 5 years |
The hospital does not read the visa. Niagara Health charges non-residents $3,750 a day on a ward and $4,500 in intensive care, and states that non-residents must pay hospital and physician fees before treatment. Queensway Carleton in Ottawa charges $4,005 and $15,642. An 88-year-old visiting from India ran up $96,311 at Hamilton General in under three weeks.
Can my parents use an Indian travel policy?
IRCC will not object, because it asks for no insurance on a visitor visa; the problems are practical. Canadian hospitals require non-residents to pay up front and have no billing relationship with Indian insurers, so the family pays and claims back in rupees later. None of the Indian companies is on OSFI’s register, so the policy cannot be reused for a super visa.
| Question | Indian overseas travel policy (Tata AIG, Bajaj Allianz, ICICI Lombard, Niva Bupa, Star Health) | Canadian visitor plan |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted by IRCC for a visitor visa? | Not asked for | Not asked for |
| Accepted by IRCC for a super visa? | No; not on OSFI’s register | Yes, if $100,000 for 365 days |
| Pays the Canadian hospital directly? | Confirm with the insurer; typically reimbursement after the family pays | Through the carrier’s 24-hour assistance line |
| Pre-existing conditions | Confirm with the insurer | Stable conditions covered on questionnaire plans; see below |
| Can the start date be moved if the visa is delayed? | Confirm with the insurer | Yes, before coverage begins, at every carrier in our comparison |
If a parent in Ludhiana or Ahmedabad has already bought an Indian policy, do not rely on it as the only cover. The Indian super visa page explains why those policies lead to refusals when the family moves up to a super visa.
What does it cost in rupees?
About ₹22,500 for two months at 65 with stable pre-existing conditions, and about ₹68,500 for six months. Plans are priced per day, so a three-week wedding visit costs a fraction of these figures. A parent under 55 with no conditions pays considerably less.
Estimated premium, $100,000 coverage, derived from PolicyAdvisor’s monthly rates (modified 12 Oct 2026) divided by 30 — verify at quote time. Rupee figures are approximate conversions at 1 CAD = 66.67 INR (OFX, 15 Oct 2026).
| Visitor’s age | 30 days, no pre-existing cover | 60 days, stable pre-existing cover | 183 days, stable pre-existing cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 (sibling) | $101.70 (₹6,800) | about $231 (₹15,400) | about $705 (₹47,000) |
| 55 | $110.70 (₹7,400) | about $259 (₹17,300) | about $791 (₹52,700) |
| 65 | $133.20 (₹8,900) | about $337 (₹22,500) | about $1,028 (₹68,500) |
| 75 | $240.00 (₹16,000) | about $658 (₹43,900) | about $2,006 (₹1.34 lakh) |
| 85 | $405.00 (₹27,000) | about $908 (₹60,500) | about $2,769 (₹1.85 lakh) |
PolicyAdvisor’s carrier tables give monthly rates with stable pre-existing cover by carrier. Secure Travel (iA Financial Group, claims by MSH) is $171 at 65 and $333 at 75; Destination (Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, Canadian Branch) $229 and $442; 21st Century Enhanced (Manulife) $272 and $485. Full tables are on the cost page, with worked examples for a 2-month and a 6-month trip.
Which plan for a parent on blood pressure or diabetes medication?
A questionnaire plan that covers stable pre-existing conditions, from a carrier whose stability period the parent has already met. Hypertension and type 2 diabetes are the two most common conditions in the 60 to 75 group, and a no-questionnaire plan excludes both. The Hamilton claim was first denied on exactly that basis.
| Parent | Carriers whose stability test is met |
|---|---|
| 62, same medication for a year | All carriers on the panel |
| 68, dose changed 5 months ago | Secure Travel (90 days); Destination and TuGo (120 days) |
| 74, condition unchanged 7 months | All carriers with pre-existing cover to 79 or beyond |
| 82, condition unchanged 1 year | Allianz, Manulife, 21st Century Enhanced, Secure Travel |
Answer the questionnaire with the parent on the phone and the pharmacy record open. The pre-existing conditions page lists every carrier’s stability period and age limit.
Should we apply for a super visa instead?
If the parent will come back more than once, wants to stay beyond six months, or has been refused a visitor visa, and the host’s income clears the LICO table, yes. The super visa is approved 75 to 81% of the time, allows five years per entry over a ten-year visa, and took about 70 days from India on 22 September 2026, per Immigration.ca.
| Factor | Visitor visa plus visitor plan | Super visa plus super visa policy |
|---|---|---|
| Approval rate | About 49% (2025) | 75 to 81% |
| Processing from India | Check IRCC’s processing-time tool | About 70 days (Sep 2026) |
| Insurance | Optional; any length | Mandatory; $100,000 for 365 days, paid before applying |
| Insurance cost at 65, stable conditions | About $1,028 for 6 months | $2,051 to $3,095 for the year |
| Host income test | None | LICO table for household size |
| Medical exam | None | IRCC panel physician |
| Where to apply | Online, from India | From outside Canada |
The application must be made from outside Canada, so a parent at the end of a visitor stay flies home first. Buy the super visa policy with a movable start date the same week. The decision guide sets the two routes side by side, and the parents on a visitor visa page covers the first visit.
Share this with your son or daughter in Canada. They should buy the policy in Canadian dollars after the visa is approved, set the start date to the flight, and email you the certificate to carry with the passport. Ask them to get a quote before anyone pays an Indian insurer in rupees.
SuperVisaDirect is operated by Super Visa Direct Insurance Services, an independent Ontario life and accident-and-sickness insurance agency licensed by FSRA (licence [FSRA-LICENCE]). We serve Ontario residents; other provinces are planned for 2028. Email [email protected] or request a callback, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm Eastern Time.
Questions people ask
Does IRCC require insurance for a visitor visa from India?
No. The visitor visa application asks for a passport, an invitation letter, travel history, bank statements and an employer letter, not insurance. Only the super visa has an insurance condition. The hospital does not read the visa, though: a non-resident on an Ontario ward is billed $3,750 to $4,005 a day, so the family in Canada should buy a visitor plan.
Can my parents use a Tata AIG, Bajaj Allianz or ICICI Lombard travel policy?
For a plain visitor visa IRCC will not object, because it asks for no insurance at all. The practical issues are different: Canadian hospitals require non-residents to pay before treatment and do not bill Indian insurers directly, and none of those companies is on OSFI's register, so the policy is useless if the family later applies for a super visa. A Canadian visitor plan pays the hospital through its assistance line.
What are the approval odds for an Indian visitor visa?
IRCC does not publish an India-only rate. Its briefing note to the parliamentary committee put the overall visitor visa refusal rate at 51% for 2025, 54% for 2024 and 39% for 2023. Visitor visas issued to Indian nationals fell from 562,905 in 2023 to 303,080 in 2025, then rose 19% in the first seven months of 2026. The super visa is approved 75 to 81% of the time.
When should I buy the insurance?
After the visa is approved and before the flight. The premium is per day, so buying early saves nothing, and a refusal would mean cancelling. If you do buy before the decision, most carriers refund in full with the IRCC refusal letter, provided coverage has not started. Set the effective date to the arrival date; every carrier lets you move it before coverage begins.
How much does it cost in rupees?
For $100,000 with stable pre-existing cover, a 65-year-old pays about $337 for 60 days and $1,028 for six months, roughly ₹22,500 and ₹68,500 at 66.67 rupees to the dollar. A 75-year-old pays about $658 and $2,006, roughly ₹43,900 and ₹1.34 lakh. These are market averages; the quoter prices the named carrier in Canadian dollars.
Should we apply for a super visa instead?
If your parent will come back repeatedly or wants to stay beyond six months, and your income clears the LICO table, yes. The super visa was approved 75 to 81% of the time against roughly 49% for the visitor visa, allows five years per entry, and took about 70 days from India in September 2026. It requires a $100,000 Canadian policy for a full year and an immigration medical exam.
Who should buy the policy, my parents in India or me in Canada?
You, in Canada. Your parent is the named insured, but the purchaser and payer can be the host child. You pay in Canadian dollars, avoid foreign-card declines and rupee conversion charges, and hold the refund paperwork. Email the certificate PDF to your parent to carry with the passport.
Get the policy IRCC requires, in minutes
Three questions, one price, one button. The certificate your parent needs is emailed the same day.
Sources
- IRCC – Entry requirements by country (India visa-required)
- IRCC – Apply for a visitor visa (fees $100 and $85; documents; no insurance requirement)
- Go Far Global – Visitor visa approval rate data (IRCC CIMM briefing note; India issuance 2023-2026)
- IRCC – Super visa: get the right documents (insurance condition)
- OSFI – Foreign insurance companies list
- Immigration.ca – Super visa processing times by country (22 Sep 2026)
- PolicyAdvisor – Visitor insurance Canada (monthly premiums by age, modified 12 Oct 2026)
- PolicyAdvisor – Super visa and visitor insurance cost tables (carrier monthly rates)
- Niagara Health – 2026-27 non-resident rate schedule (payment before treatment)
- Queensway Carleton Hospital – Fees without health insurance
- CP24 – $96,311 Hamilton hospital bill for visiting mother from India (Apr 2025)
- OFX – CAD to INR rate (15 Oct 2026: 1 CAD = 66.67 INR)