Of every service I help families with, the Super Visa causes the most anxiety — and the most avoidable refusals. The visa itself is generous: parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents can stay up to five years per entry, on a visa valid for up to ten years. But it comes with a condition that trips people up constantly: qualifying medical insurance.
The insurance requirement is not a formality. An officer will check the policy, and a single missing element is enough for a refusal. Here is precisely what is required in 2026, followed by the mistakes I see most often.
The four requirements, in plain language
| Minimum coverage | At least $100,000 CAD in emergency medical coverage, per person |
|---|---|
| Validity | At least 365 days from the date of entry to Canada |
| Must cover | Health care, hospitalisation and repatriation |
| Insurer | A Canadian insurance company, or an OSFI-authorised foreign insurer |
| Proof | The policy must be paid — a quote is not accepted |
1. At least $100,000 in emergency medical coverage
This is a floor, not a target. You cannot go below it, even slightly. Many families choose $150,000 or higher, and there is a practical reason: a single overnight hospital stay in Canada can run into thousands of dollars for someone without provincial health coverage, and a serious surgery or cardiac event can cost far more. The gap in premium between $100,000 and $150,000 is usually modest relative to that risk.
2. Valid for a full year from the date of entry
The policy must run 365 consecutive days from the day your parent or grandparent arrives — not from the day you buy it, and not for the length of the intended visit. This catches people out. If your mother plans to stay four months, you still need a one-year policy. Buying a six-month plan to save money is one of the most common causes of refusal.
3. It must cover all three: health care, hospitalisation and repatriation
Repatriation is the one people miss. It covers the cost of returning the insured person to their home country if that becomes medically necessary, or in the event of death. Plenty of inexpensive visitor plans exclude it. If repatriation is not in the policy wording, the application does not meet the requirement.
4. From an approved insurer
Historically this meant a Canadian insurer only. The rules have since widened to include foreign insurers authorised by OSFI to operate in Canada. That gives families more options — but it does not mean any overseas policy qualifies. A policy bought from a non-approved insurer in the applicant's home country will not satisfy IRCC.
The policy must be paid for, not merely quoted. If you are using a monthly payment plan, the deposit must be paid and you need documentation showing active, paid coverage. Submitting a quote is treated as no insurance at all.
What Super Visa insurance actually covers — and what it doesn't
It is worth setting expectations honestly with your parents before they arrive. Super Visa insurance is emergency coverage. It is designed for the unexpected:
- Emergency hospitalisation and emergency surgery
- Ambulance transport
- Physician visits connected to an emergency
- Prescription drugs administered during emergency treatment
- Repatriation
It is not a replacement for a provincial health plan. It generally will not cover routine check-ups, vaccinations, dental work, eyeglasses, ongoing management of a chronic condition, or any treatment that could reasonably have been scheduled in advance. If your father needs regular medication refills or a standing specialist appointment, plan for those separately.
Pre-existing conditions: where the real work is
This is the part that deserves the most attention, and where an independent advisor genuinely earns their keep.
Most insurers will cover a pre-existing condition only if it has been stable for a defined period before the policy takes effect — commonly 90 or 180 days depending on the insurer and the applicant's age. "Stable" typically means no new diagnosis, no change in medication or dosage, no new treatment, and no hospitalisation for that condition during the window.
The definitions vary meaningfully between insurers. A medication dosage adjustment might breach one insurer's stability clause but not another's. When a parent has managed hypertension or diabetes — extremely common — matching them to the right insurer is the difference between a claim being paid and a claim being denied. This is not something a comparison website handles well.
Understating a health condition to get a cheaper premium is the fastest way to have a large claim denied later, when it matters most. Disclose everything. It is my job to find an insurer that will cover the situation as it actually is.
Monthly payment plans
A one-year policy paid up front is a significant sum, especially for families supporting parents on a single income. Several insurers now offer monthly Super Visa plans — often working out to roughly the cost of a daily coffee — which spread the cost across the year rather than demanding it all at once.
Two things to know. First, IRCC still requires proof of paid, active coverage, so the deposit must be settled before the application goes in. Second, monthly plans sometimes carry a slightly higher total cost than paying annually. For most families the cash-flow benefit outweighs that, but you should see both numbers before deciding.
What happens if the visa is refused
Most Super Visa policies refund the premium, less a modest administrative fee, if the visa application is denied and coverage has not yet started. The terms are not identical across insurers, so this is worth confirming before you buy rather than after. I always point clients toward the plans with the most reasonable refund terms, precisely because refusals do happen.
The four mistakes I see most often
- Buying a six-month policy. The 365-day rule is absolute, regardless of how long the visit is intended to be.
- Choosing a plan without repatriation. Cheap visitor plans routinely exclude it, and it is a hard requirement.
- Submitting a quote instead of a paid policy. An unpaid quote is treated as no coverage.
- Glossing over a pre-existing condition. It saves a little on premium and risks the entire claim.
A sensible sequence
If you are starting from scratch, work in this order: confirm your own eligibility as a host (including the minimum necessary income), get quotes and compare the pre-existing condition wording, buy and pay for the policy, then submit the application with proof of paid coverage attached. Getting the insurance right before you apply avoids the most common reason for a refusal, and it means your parents arrive genuinely protected — which, after all, is the actual point.