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Getting Super Visa insurance for medical coverage is a mandatory step on the way to spending long periods in Canada with loved ones.

Canada’s popular Super Visa program allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to visit for up to two years at a time, allowing multiple entries over 10 years. The Super Visa has been a successful program for families who want to stay close to their loved ones without permanently living in or immigrating to Canada.

In contrast to the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP), there is no annual quota for Super Visa applications, and applications are processed relatively quickly. However, because approved Super Visa holders are not permanent residents of Canada (as approved PGP applicants are), Super Visa applicants need specialised private medical coverage in order to be accepted. This coverage is commonly known as Super Visa insurance.

What is Super Visa Insurance?

In order to be eligible for the Super Visa, the child(ren) or grandchild(ren) of the applicant must provide a letter of invitation and meet minimum income requirements — more on that below. Applicants then submit this letter along with proof they have obtained requisite levels of medical insurance. Super Visa insurance must meet minimum requirements and must cover at least one year from the date of entry to Canada.

Emergency health insurance for visitors to Canada is a necessary part of travelling on a Super Visa, and it can be expensive depending on the age of the traveler and whether they need coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. However, it could end up being even more costly if you need to make an insurance claim in Canada, only to find you purchased the wrong policy. If you don’t use a skilled advisor, who is knowledgeable about insurance for visitors to Canada, to shop around and help you select appropriate coverage, you may miss an important detail in the fine print, or simply pay more than you have to.

We recommend working with BestQuote Travel Insurance Agency for your Super Visa insurance. Not only are they a skilled insurance agency that specialises in travel insurance for visitors to Canada, but they allow you to compare many different insurance providers so you can ensure you’re getting the best policy available! You can check out BestQuote here.

What are the minimum required levels of coverage for Super Visa insurance?

You must purchase Super Visa insurance from a Canadian insurance company or “an insurance company outside Canada that is approved by the minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship”.

Your policy must cover health care, repatriation, and hospitalisation. It must have a minimum coverage level of CAD $100,000 and be valid for each time the parent or grandparent enters Canada.

Upon entry, the parent or grandparent must be able to present proof of their Canadian Super Visa insurance to an officer at the port of entry.

Which Insurance Companies can provide Super Visa insurance coverage?

You can purchase Super Visa insurance form any Canadian insurance company or from approved foreign providers.

Approved providers appear on the OSFI’s list of federally regulated financial institutions. 

For your ease, here is a list of accepted foreign providers although we recommend that you consult the OSFI list before making your purchase as this may change.

Name of Foreign Insurance Company (FIC)Name under which FIC is authorized to carry on its insurance business in Canada,
Aetna Life Insurance CompanyAetna Life Insurance Company Colleen Anne Sexsmith Chief Agent 330 EAGLE STREET NEWMARKET, Ontario L3Y 1K1
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North AmericaAllianz Life Insurance Company of North America Carol Lyons Chief Agent 1600-130 ADELAIDE ST WEST TORONTO, Ontario M5H 3P5
American Bankers Life Assurance Company of FloridaAmerican Bankers Life Assurance Company of Florida Paul Cosgrove Chief Agent 2000-5000 YONGE ST TORONTO, Ontario M2N 7E9
American Health and Life Insurance CompanyAmerican Health and Life Insurance Company David Torrence Chief Agent 380 WELLINGTON STREET SUITE 1420 LONDON, Ontario N6A 5B5
American Income Life Insurance CompanyAmerican Income Life Insurance Company Laurie LaPalme Chief Agent 77 KING STREET WEST SUITE 400 TORONTO, Ontario M5K 0A1
AWP Health & Life SAAWP Health & Life SA Chris Hebb Chief Agent 130 ADELAIDE STREET WEST SUITE 1600 TORONTO, Ontario M5H 3P5
British Insurance Company of CaymanBritish Insurance Company of Cayman Amhlaoibh Lynch Chief Agent 700 - 184 FRONT ST E TORONTO, Ontario M5A 4N3
Combined Insurance Company of AmericaCombined Insurance Company of America Vincent Iozzo Chief Agent SUITE 700 150, COMMERCE VALLEY DRIVE W. MARKHAM, Ontario L3T 7Z3
Connecticut General Life Insurance CompanyConnecticut General Life Insurance Company Fong Liang Tsaur Chief Agent 100 CONSILIUM PLACE SUITE 301 SCARBOROUGH, Ontario M1H 3E3
Employers Reassurance CorporationEmployers Reassurance Corporation Laurie Lapalme Chief Agent 6100 SPRINT PARKWAY SUITE 3400 OVERLAND PARK, JOHNSON, Kansas 66211-1150
General Re Life CorporationGeneral Re Life Corporation Stuart McAlister Chief Agent for Canada 5705-1 FIRST CANADIAN PL PO BOX 471 TORONTO, Ontario M5X 1E4
Hannover Re (Ireland) Designated Activity CompanyHannover Re (Ireland) DAC Laurie LaPalme Chief Agent 400-220 BAY ST TORONTO, Ontario M5J 2W4
Jackson National Life Insurance CompanyJackson National Life Insurance Company Gordon Goodman Chief Agent 2100-40 KING ST W TORONTO, Ontario M5H 3C2
Life Insurance Company of North AmericaLife Insurance Company of North America Gordon P. Goodman Chief Agent 40 KING ST. W. SUITE 2100, SCOTIA PLAZA TORONTO, Ontario M5H 3C2
Metropolitan Life Insurance CompanyMetropolitan Life Insurance Company Colleen Anne Sexsmith Chief Agent 330 EAGLE STREET NEWMARKET, Ontario L3Y 1K1
Munich Reinsurance CompanyMunich Reinsurance Company Bernard Naumann Chief Agent 24TH FLOOR 390 BAY ST, MUNICH RE CTR TORONTO, Ontario M5H 2Y2
New York Life Insurance CompanyNew York Life Insurance Company Gordon P Goodman Chief Agent 2100-40 KING ST W SCOTIA PLAZA TORONTO, Ontario M5H 3C2
Pacific Life Re International LimitedPacific Life Re International Limited Sarah Cheng Chief Agent SUITE 3500 40 KING STREET WEST TORONTO, Ontario M5H 3Y2
Pavonia Life Insurance Company of MichiganPavonia Life Insurance Company of Michigan Colleen Anne Sexsmith Chief Agent 330 EAGLE STREET NEWMARKET, Ontario L3Y 1K1
ReliaStar Life Insurance CompanyReliaStar Life Insurance Company George Edward Viteri Chief Agent 400 APPLEWOOD CRESCENT SUITE 100 VAUGHAN, Ontario L4K 0C3
SCOR SESCOR SE Robert Mackenzie Head of Life & Health Canada 1 Place Ville Marie Suite 2010 Montreal, Quebec H3B 2C4
Swiss Reinsurance Company LtdSwiss Reinsurance Company Ltd (Life Branch) Jolee Crosby Branch Management - CEO & Chief Agent of the Canadian Branch 150 KING STREET WEST SUITE 1000 TORONTO, Ontario M5H 1J9

 

We recommend BestQuote for this coverage. BestQuote is a full service broker offering a wide selection of travel insurance plans for Canada.

It offers coverage for up to 24 months, and serve customers with pre-existing medical conditions. Plans can be purchased at home or while traveling.

How much does Super Visa medical insurance cost?

Super Visa insurance costs and coverage options may vary depending upon your destination province or territory. You can get Super Visa insurance for one parent or grandparent, or a couple. A couple travelling together may save some money over purchasing single Super Visa insurance policies individually.

Super Visa insurance monthly payment will typically cost between CAD$100 and $200 per month, or potentially more. The exact cost of Super Visa insurance will vary depending on your provider and your plan.

super visa insurance
Your family can spend summers by the water with the Super Visa program. / Photo by Benjamin Elliott

Are there alternatives to Super Visa Insurance?

Super Visa insurance is designed to cover parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are travelling to Canada and plan to stay for up to two years. If you or your relative don’t fit the qualifications for a Super Visa, you may have other options for visitor visas and insurance for travellers. Many people travel to Canada for temporary stays of less than six months using visitor visas or simply using their passports if they come from a visa-exempt country.

Those interested in sponsoring their parents or grandparents to live in Canada permanently may also be interested in the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program (PGP). This program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents to become Canadian permanent residents. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will accept a record-high 30,000 applications through the PGP in 2021.

Canada has a clear commitment to keeping families together. Whether you want to spend a holiday together as a family, or whether your parents want to be close by to watch their grandchildren grow up, Canada’s super visa program could be the solution you’ve been looking for.

Get your super visa insurance quote

About the author

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Hugo O'Doherty

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Canadian Immigration & Integration Specialist
Hugo O’Doherty has over a decade of experience and research in Canadian immigration, establishing him as a recognized authority on immigrant integration and adaptation. His personal and professional experiences with immigration have made him an expert on the practical aspects of successfully moving to and settling in Canada.
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Citation "Super Visa Insurance For Visiting Family In Canada." Moving2Canada. . Copy for Citation