The short answer
Super visa insurance is private medical cover that a parent or grandparent must hold to apply for a super visa to visit family in Canada. The federal government sets what the policy must include, such as the kind of insurer, the minimum amount of cover and how long it must be valid. Beyond that, plans differ on deductibles, stability clauses, payment and refunds. A licensed broker compares plans that meet the official requirement.
- Canadian citizens and permanent residents inviting parents or grandparents for long stays
- Parents and grandparents preparing their own super visa application from abroad
- Families whose super visa was approved and who now need to extend or renew the insurance
- Hosts comparing a super visa plan with an ordinary visitor plan
No broker in the network handles this yet. You can still prepare and save the request now. It is kept, and requests like it show us which brokers to find next.
Outside Alberta, Canada you can prepare and save a request today; sending opens place by place. Brokers answer with their own quotes. Broker.insure does not quote, advise or take commission.
01 / What it covers
The parts worth understanding
The government requirement
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada sets the rules: who may provide the insurance, the minimum amount of cover and the period it must be valid from entry. Check the official super visa page on canada.ca before buying, since the rules can change.
Emergency medical care
Hospital stays, physician care, diagnostic tests and prescriptions needed because of an unexpected illness or injury during the stay. Routine check-ups and ongoing treatment are generally outside it.
Stability clauses
Many plans cover a condition that existed before the trip only if it has been stable for a defined period before cover starts. Each insurer defines stable in its own words, so ask the broker for the wording itself.
Deductibles
Choosing a higher deductible usually lowers the cost of the plan but means the family pays more of each claim. Some deductibles apply per claim and others per policy period, which is worth asking about.
Refunds and cancellation
If the visa is refused, many plans refund the cost once proof of the refusal is provided. Leaving Canada early may bring a partial refund if no claim was made. Each plan sets its own conditions and any fees.
Payment options
Some plans can be paid up front and others in monthly instalments. Ask the broker whether the form of payment you choose produces the proof that the official requirement asks for.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- Full names, dates of birth and passport details for each visiting parent or grandparent
- The planned date of entry to Canada and the expected length of stay
- The host's proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence, and their address in Canada
- The super visa application stage: not yet applied, submitted, approved or already in Canada
- A printout of the current requirements from the official super visa page on canada.ca
- Whether both visitors want to be on one plan or on separate plans
- Your preference for paying the full cost up front or in monthly instalments
- Any earlier super visa or visitor policy, with its dates and claim history
A broker will ask
- How many people are coming, and what are their dates of birth?
- When will they arrive in Canada, and where will they stay?
- Has the super visa application been submitted, approved or refused before?
- Will they travel outside Canada during the stay, including trips to the United States?
- What deductible would the family be comfortable paying on a single claim?
- Would you like to pay in full or by monthly instalments?
- Who will be the contact in Canada if a claim has to be made?
- Is this a first policy or a renewal of an existing super visa plan?
Not sure of an answer? Leave it. "Not known yet" is a fine answer, and a broker will help you fill it in.
03 / Build your request
Answer a few questions. Get your own list.
Pick what fits. Your answers shape the list beside them, and they are saved to your request as plain facts a broker can read. "Not sure yet" is always a fine answer.
04 / Three situations
See which one sounds like yours
Parents applying from abroad for the first time
A software engineer in Calgary wants her parents, both in their mid sixties, to stay with her family for a long visit after the birth of a grandchild. They have not yet applied and need proof of insurance for the application.
First steps. Print the current requirements from the official super visa page and gather both parents' passport details and the planned arrival date. Ask the broker for plans that meet the requirement, how the refund works if the visa is refused, and what the stability clause wording says. The parents will answer any health questions themselves, privately, with the insurer.
A grandfather already in Canada whose plan is ending
A grandfather has been living with his son's family in Airdrie on a super visa and his year of insurance is nearly over. The family wants him to stay longer and is unsure whether the old plan simply renews.
First steps. Find the current policy, its end date and the record of any claims during the year. Ask the broker whether the plan can be renewed or replaced without a gap, how any change in conditions during the year may affect the next plan, and what proof is needed for an extension.
A family weighing monthly payment
A couple sponsoring both of their mothers on separate super visa applications is concerned about paying for two full years of cover up front while they wait for decisions.
First steps. Ask the broker which plans allow monthly instalments, and check the official page for how proof of payment must be shown. Compare how each plan handles a refusal for one mother but not the other, and what happens to payments already made if a visitor leaves early.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Super visa
- A visa that lets parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents visit for extended stays, with conditions that include proof of private medical insurance.
- Stability clause
- A condition saying a health issue that existed before cover starts is covered only if it stayed stable, as the policy defines it, for a set time beforehand.
- Proof of insurance
- The document from the insurer showing the policy details, dates and amount, submitted with the super visa application. The official page describes what it must show.
- Refund on refusal
- A plan feature returning what was paid if the super visa is refused, usually once the refusal letter is provided and before the policy has started.
- Policy period
- The dates the plan is in force, from its start to its end. For a super visa it must meet the minimum length the government sets.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Relying on a summary from a forum or a friend instead of the official super visa requirements page.
- Buying an ordinary visitor plan that does not meet the super visa requirement.
- Not reading how the stability clause defines a stable condition before the start date.
- Choosing a high deductible to lower the cost without discussing who will pay it at the hospital.
- Missing the refund deadline after a refusal because the refusal letter was not sent in on time.
- Letting the plan lapse during a long stay and discovering it cannot simply be restarted.
Ready when you are
Turn this into one clear request.
Save it, add what you know, and choose when to send it. A licensed broker who handles super visa insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
What insurance is required for a super visa?
The federal government requires private medical insurance that meets its conditions, including the kind of insurer that can provide it, the minimum amount of cover and how long it must remain valid after entry. The exact rules are on the super visa page of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website. A broker can show plans that meet them.
Can super visa insurance be paid monthly?
Some plans allow monthly payments, while others are paid in full at the start. Whether a monthly plan provides acceptable proof for the application depends on the current official requirement, so check the government page and ask the broker to confirm. Read what happens to future instalments if the visitor leaves early or makes a claim.
What happens to my super visa insurance if the visa is refused?
Many plans refund the cost if the application is refused, provided you send proof of the refusal within a set time and the policy has not started. Some charge an administration fee. Because conditions differ, ask the broker for the refund wording of each plan before buying, and keep the refusal letter safe.
How are pre-existing conditions treated in super visa insurance?
Many plans include a stability clause: a condition that existed before cover starts may be covered only if it has stayed stable for a defined period. Some plans offer a choice of cover with or without that protection. Health questions are answered privately on the insurer's application, not here, and the insurer decides what applies.
How does the deductible work on super visa insurance?
The deductible is the part of a covered claim the visitor or family pays before the insurer pays the rest. Higher deductibles reduce the cost of the plan. Ask whether the deductible applies to each claim or once per policy period, and whether a hospital may ask for that amount at the time of treatment.
Is super visa insurance the same as visitor to Canada insurance?
They are related but not the same. A super visa plan must meet the government's specific conditions for amount, provider and length, while an ordinary visitor plan may have shorter terms and lower limits. A visitor plan that suits a short holiday may not be accepted for a super visa application.
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General information, not insurance advice. Broker.insure is a directory and request service: it is not an insurer and does not quote, bind or advise. Policy terms, availability and what is required where you live depend on your situation and on licensed professionals. Updated 2026-10-31.