A parent on an ordinary visitor visa or eTA should carry $100,000 to $150,000 of visitors to Canada insurance for the whole stay, bought before the flight. A 65-year-old pays roughly $133 a month without pre-existing cover or $169 with it, per PolicyAdvisor’s October 2026 table. The visitor route suits a single visit of up to six months. Once the parent will stay longer or come back every year, the super visa is the better file: approved 75 to 81% of the time against about 49% for visitor visas in 2025, and valid for five years per entry.
Does a parent on a visitor visa need insurance?
Not for IRCC; yes for the hospital. IRCC’s visitor visa application lists a passport, invitation letter, bank statements and an itinerary, and does not ask for insurance. A non-resident admitted to an Ontario ward is billed $3,750 a day at Niagara Health and $4,005 at Queensway Carleton, with intensive care at $4,500 to $15,642 a day and physician fees separate.
The CP24 case from April 2025 is the reference point: an 88-year-old visiting mother, under three weeks in Hamilton General, $96,311. The family in Canada is the one the hospital pursues.
| Who pays if an uninsured parent is admitted | Reality |
|---|---|
| OHIP or another provincial plan | No; visitors are not eligible |
| Home-country insurance | Rarely; most exclude Canada or cap age at 70 |
| IRCC or the Canadian government | No |
| The parent | Billed directly, at non-resident rates |
| The host family | In practice, yes |
How much should a parent’s policy be?
$100,000 under 60 with no conditions; $150,000 over 60 or with any condition. The extra for the top $50,000 is small because most claims are far below it, and it is the layer that matters in an intensive-care admission. Detail on the coverage amounts page.
Monthly premium, $100,000 coverage, 30-day policy, PolicyAdvisor, modified 12 Oct 2026 — verify at quote time.
| Parent’s age | Without pre-existing cover | With stable pre-existing cover |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | $110.70 | $129.60 |
| 65 | $133.20 | $168.60 |
| 75 | $240.00 | $328.80 |
| 85 | $405.00 | $453.92 |
A two-month visit for a 65-year-old is therefore about $270 to $340; six months about $800 to $1,000. Worked examples are on the 2-month and 6-month pages. Most parents over 60 take daily medication, so the questionnaire plan with pre-existing cover is the one to buy; see pre-existing conditions.
When should a parent switch to the super visa?
When any of three things is true: the stay will exceed six months, the parent will come back more than once, or the host’s income clears LICO. The super visa is a ten-year multiple-entry visa with five years per entry, per IRCC, and since the PGP pause on 15 July 2026 it is the main long-stay route.
| Question | Visitor visa or eTA | Super visa |
|---|---|---|
| Approval rate | About 49% in 2025 (51% refused, per IRCC’s committee briefing) | 75 to 81% |
| Stay per entry | Normally up to 6 months | Up to 5 years |
| Validity | Up to 10 years (TRV); 5 years (eTA) | Up to 10 years |
| Insurance required by IRCC | No | Yes: $100,000, 1 year from entry, Canadian or OSFI-listed insurer, paid |
| Host income test | None formal | LICO: $38,002 for 2 people, $56,724 for 4 (from 29 Jul 2025) |
| Medical exam | No | Yes |
| Where to apply | Home country | Must be outside Canada |
| First-year insurance, age 65 | About $800 to $1,000 for 6 months | $2,051 to $4,201 for 12 months |
The insurance cost converges once the parent stays six months. A visitor-visa parent who stays six months and returns next year pays two six-month policies plus two visa applications at 49% odds. A super visa parent pays one annual policy and clears the border on a visa they already hold.
What is the right sequence for a parent who starts on a visitor visa?
Visitor visa first, super visa from home afterwards. Many families do this because the visitor visa is faster and needs no insurance in the file. It works if the family treats the first visit as a trial and plans the super visa application for the gap between visits.
| Stage | Action | Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Visitor visa approved | Book the flight | Buy a visitor plan for the full stay before departure; see how to buy |
| 2. In Canada, up to 6 months | Decide whether this will be repeated | Keep the policy running; extend before expiry if the stay lengthens |
| 3. Stay running past 6 months | Apply for a visitor record before status expires | Extend the policy to the new date |
| 4. Parent returns home | Gather LICO proof, book the medical exam | Buy a 365-day $100,000 super visa policy with a movable start date |
| 5. Super visa approved | Book the flight | Set the policy start date to the arrival date; show the certificate at the border |
A super visa cannot be applied for from inside Canada, so a parent at the end of a visitor stay must fly home first. The super visa hub covers the application; the decision guide compares the two routes in full.
Which carriers suit a parent on a visitor visa?
Any of the eight in our comparison, chosen by the parent’s age and health; the one sold on SuperVisaDirect is TuGo’s plan, underwritten by iA Financial Group. The three filters are the maximum age for pre-existing cover, the stability period the parent has met, and whether the family may need to extend.
| Parent | Carriers to shortlist | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under 60, healthy, fixed dates | Any; GMS (Group Medical Services) and Secure Travel (iA Financial Group, claims by MSH) are typically lowest | No questionnaire under 55 at GMS |
| 60 to 79, stable conditions | Secure Travel (90 days to 69), Destination (Zurich, Canadian Branch; 120 days 60 to 69), TuGo (iA Financial Group), Manulife CoverMe (Manufacturers Life; 180 days) | Match the stability period already met |
| 80 and over | Allianz Global Assistance (CUMIS General Insurance; to 89), Manulife and 21st Century Enhanced (Manulife; to 85), Secure Travel (to 84 with conditions) | GMS, Destination and Travelance exclude pre-existing at 80+ |
| Stay may lengthen | GMS, Manulife, Travelance (Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada), 21st Century | Allianz treats later extensions as new policies |
| Six months or more, paying monthly | Travelance (90-day minimum), Destination (180-day minimum) | See monthly payments |
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
My parents got a visitor visa. Do they need insurance?
IRCC does not require it, but the hospital bills non-residents directly: $3,750 to $4,005 a day on an Ontario ward, with intensive care and physician fees extra. A family that paid $100 for the visa and skipped a $300 policy can face a five-figure bill after one admission. Buy before the flight to avoid a waiting period.
How much coverage should parents have?
$100,000 for a parent under 60 with no conditions; $150,000 for a parent over 60 or anyone on daily medication. The step from $100,000 to $150,000 is cheap because the top layer is rarely used, and a three-week ICU stay in Ontario can pass $100,000. The coverage amounts page sets out the hospital rates.
When does a super visa make more sense than a visitor visa?
When the parent will stay longer than six months, come back more than once, or your household income clears LICO ($38,002 for two people from 29 July 2025). The super visa is approved 75 to 81% of the time against about 49% for visitor visas in 2025, lasts up to ten years and allows five years per entry. It requires a paid $100,000 one-year policy.
Can my parent switch to a super visa while they are here?
No. The super visa application must be made from outside Canada, with the medical exam and the insurance in the file. The sequence is: finish the visitor stay, fly home, buy a 365-day $100,000 policy with a movable start date, apply, and return. The decision guide explains the timing.
Both parents are coming. Is a couple policy cheaper?
Sometimes, and simpler always. Each parent is rated on their own age and answers their own questionnaire. 21st Century gives 5% off per travelling companion; Travelance charges a family rate of twice the eldest person's premium; TuGo's Family and Friends rate applies only to adults 59 and under. Ask for both individual and couple quotes.
My parent is already here on a visitor visa and uninsured. What now?
Buy today. Illness is not covered for the first 48 hours to 7 days depending on the carrier and days since arrival; injuries are covered from the effective date. Any symptom that has already appeared is excluded as pre-existing. The after-arrival page lists each carrier's waiting period and the ones still open.
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Sources
- IRCC – Visitor record: about the document (most visitors up to 6 months)
- IRCC – Super visa eligibility (apply from outside Canada; LICO; 5 years per entry)
- IRCC – Super visa: get the right documents (insurance condition)
- IRCC – Responsibly managing the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP pause, 15 Jul 2026)
- Go Far Global – Visitor visa approval rate data (51% refusal in 2025; IRCC CIMM package)
- PolicyAdvisor – Visitor insurance Canada (monthly premiums by age, Oct 2026)
- PolicyAdvisor – Super visa and visitor cost tables (annual premiums, Oct 2026)
- Niagara Health – 2026-27 non-resident rate schedule
- Queensway Carleton Hospital – Fees without health insurance
- CP24 – $96,311 Hamilton hospital bill for visiting mother (Apr 2025)