To compare Super Visa insurance well, line up the policy wording, not just the premium. Two plans can both meet IRCC's $100,000 minimum and still treat your parent's health history, deductible and refund very differently. This guide gives you a 12-point checklist, the red flags to watch for and a worked example that shows why the least expensive option isn't always the right fit.
How do you compare Super Visa insurance quotes?
Put every quote on the same coverage amount, deductible and pre-existing condition option. Then check three things after price. Does the policy meet IRCC's current rules? Does it cover your parent's stable pre-existing conditions in writing? And how do its deductible and refund terms work? Price only means something once those match.
Super Visa insurance is a kind of travel insurance for visiting parents and grandparents, so the same careful reading applies. The difference is that IRCC sets a minimum, and a policy that misses it can't support the application. Our guide to Super Visa insurance requirements covers the rules and typical cost by age in more detail.
Why Super Visa quotes differ for the same parent
Each insurer writes its own wording and sets its own rates. So Super Visa insurance quotes for the same parent can be far apart, and the lower one may be buying a narrower plan. These are the main reasons:
- Plan level. One insurer may sell several visitor plans. Manulife, for example, describes three levels on its website. Its Basic plan excludes pre-existing conditions. Its Standard plan excludes conditions present in the 180 days before the effective date. Its Enhanced plan covers conditions that have been stable for at least 180 days.
- Pre-existing condition option. In Instasure's model, covering stable pre-existing conditions raises the estimate by about 35%.
- Deductible. In the same model, a $1,000 deductible lowers the estimate by about 18% compared with $0. Insurers also differ on whether the deductible applies once or to each claim.
- Age. Age moves the price more than anything else. For $100,000 of coverage with no deductible, Instasure's typical estimate is about $2,000 a year at 65 and $3,900 a year at 75 (example profiles, October 2026).
- Medical questions. A plan that covers pre-existing conditions may ask health questions, and the answers decide what is covered.
That's why a Super Visa insurance comparison on price alone can mislead. Three quotes from one company can cover three different things.
The 12-point Super Visa insurance checklist
Use these checks on every quote. Ask the insurer or a licensed advisor to show you the clause that answers each one.
- IRCC compliance. IRCC's Super Visa eligibility page requires at least $100,000 of emergency coverage for health care, hospitalization and repatriation. The policy must be valid for at least one year from the date of entry, and valid for each entry. It must come from a Canadian insurance company or a foreign insurer that meets IRCC's conditions.
- Stability period. How long must a condition be stable before it's covered? And which date does that window count back from: the purchase date, the effective date or the arrival date?
- Pre-existing condition definition. Ask what counts as a change: a new symptom, a new medication, a dosage change, a new test or a referral. The Government of Canada's travel insurance advice suggests getting written confirmation that a condition is covered. It also warns that leaving details off the medical questionnaire can lead an insurer to refuse to pay.
- Deductible basis. Is the deductible paid once per policy, or for each claim or incident? With a per-claim deductible, two separate emergencies mean paying it twice.
- Refund terms. What comes back if the visa is refused, if your parent never travels or if they go home early? Ask about administration fees and whether a past claim cancels the refund.
- Side trips. Does the plan cover trips outside Canada during the policy? GMS's visitor plan, for example, says it covers trips of up to 30 days, excluding the country of origin, to countries without a Government of Canada travel advisory.
- Direct billing. In an emergency, will the insurer's assistance team pay the hospital directly? Or will your family pay first and claim later?
- Claims and emergency line. Is there a 24-hour emergency number, and must you call it before treatment? The Government of Canada's advice also says to check for a worldwide 24-hour emergency line. Ask what happens to a claim if nobody could call first.
- Payment plan. IRCC accepts a policy paid in full, or paid in instalments with a deposit. It does not accept a quote. Compare the deposit, the total cost of paying monthly and what happens if a payment fails.
- Renewal and extensions. A Super Visa stay can outlast a one-year policy. IRCC notes that holders may need to renew their insurance during their stay if it expires before they leave. Ask whether you can extend from inside Canada, and whether new medical questions or a waiting period would apply.
- Age limits. Check the oldest age the insurer will cover. Ask whether options such as pre-existing coverage or higher limits narrow at older ages, and how the price changes when your parent moves into a new age band.
- Complaint route. Ask whether the insurer takes part in the OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance (OLHI). You complain to the insurer first. OLHI can step in once you have the insurer's final position letter, or if the insurer hasn't responded within 90 days.
Printable Super Visa insurance checklist
Print this page and tick each check for every quote you collect.
| Check | Quote 1 | Quote 2 | Quote 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Meets IRCC rules | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 2. Stability period and start date | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 3. Pre-existing definition in writing | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 4. Deductible: per policy or per claim | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 5. Refund terms | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 6. Side trips | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 7. Direct billing | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 8. 24-hour claims line | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 9. Payment plan | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 10. Renewal and extensions | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 11. Age limits | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 12. Complaint route | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Red flags in Super Visa insurance policy wording
Walk away, or ask hard questions, if you see any of these:
- A quote instead of a policy. IRCC doesn't accept quotes. You need proof of a paid policy, in full or by instalments with a deposit.
- Only a broker or claims administrator named. IRCC points out that brokers and claims administrators are not insurance companies. Find the insurer's name on the policy.
- A foreign policy with no Canada statement. IRCC says a policy from a foreign insurer must state it was issued while the company was doing insurance business in Canada.
- "Pre-existing conditions covered" with no detail. Look for the stability period and the conditions it applies to, in the wording itself.
- A stability window your parent can't meet. A recent dosage change could put a condition outside the window.
- An end date before the planned departure, with no renewal terms you can find.
- Refund terms you can't find in the policy wording.
Worked example: two options, one better fit
Here's an illustrative profile. A 68-year-old parent takes daily medication for high blood pressure, with no changes in the past year. The family needs $100,000 of coverage for 12 months. The options below are anonymised and built from Instasure estimates, not insurer quotes.
| Option | Deductible | Pre-existing conditions | Typical estimate per year | Range per year | About per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | $1,000 | Not covered | $2,010 | $1,610 to $2,490 | $167 |
| B | $1,000 | Stable conditions covered | $2,710 | $2,170 to $3,360 | $226 |
| A, no deductible | $0 | Not covered | $2,450 | $1,960 to $3,030 | $204 |
| B, higher deductible | $2,500 | Stable conditions covered | $2,480 | $1,980 to $3,070 | $207 |
Instasure estimates for an example profile (68-year-old visitor, $100,000 coverage, 12 months), as of October 2026. Modelled figures, not quotes and not averages. Real prices depend on the insurer, the medical questions and the policy wording.
Option A costs about $700 a year less in the typical estimate. But it excludes pre-existing conditions. If your parent needed emergency care that the insurer linked to their blood pressure, Option A might not pay. Option B covers it, as long as the condition meets the plan's stability rules. So check those rules against the medication history before you buy.
Now look at the last two rows. Raising Option B's deductible to $2,500 brings its typical estimate to $2,480. That's about the same as Option A with no deductible. For a similar premium, the family can cover the condition and carry a larger deductible instead.
The better fit depends on your parent's health and your family's savings, not on the premium alone.
Comparing Super Visa insurance in Ontario, Toronto and Brampton
In Instasure's model, Super Visa insurance is priced on the visitor, not the postal code. The estimate is the same in every province for the same age, coverage, deductible and pre-existing option. What changes locally is the advisor. You'll want one licensed in your province who can explain the wording in your parent's language.
Families comparing Super Visa insurance in Ontario can start there, or see local pages for Super Visa insurance in Toronto and Super Visa insurance in Brampton. Our Super Visa desk matches advisors who speak Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Mandarin, Tagalog and other languages, where available.
If your parents are coming for a shorter stay on a regular visitor visa, the Super Visa insurance rules don't apply. Visitors insurance for Canada lets you choose the amount and trip length.
Getting quotes checked by a licensed advisor
A licensed advisor can help you compare Super Visa insurance from several insurers on the same coverage, deductible and pre-existing option. They can then walk through the 12 checks with you. Bring three things: your parent's medication list with the dates of any changes, the planned arrival date and the expected length of stay.
Ask the advisor to show you the stability and refund clauses in the actual policy wording, not a summary. Advisor service isn't available in Quebec or the territories yet. Families there can still use this checklist on their own.
Michael's take
As a planner, I treat Super Visa insurance as protection for the whole family's plan, not just a document for the application. If the policy won't pay for a hospital stay, the bill lands on the children who invited their parents. That's why I'd settle the pre-existing condition question before I look at price.
My rule of thumb is to decide in this order. First, what must be covered. Second, how large a deductible the family could pay quickly from savings. Third, which insurer offers that for less. In the worked example, the gap between the two options is real money, but it's a known cost. An uncovered emergency isn't. Keep the full policy wording with the visa documents, and read it again before every renewal.
Next steps
- Get an instant Super Visa insurance estimate for your parent's age, coverage and deductible.
- Compare plans on our Super Visa insurance page, where a licensed advisor can compare insurers and check the wording with you.
- See how age, coverage and deductibles affect Super Visa insurance cost.
- Need a different product too? Start from our instant quote hub.
