Super Visa Insurance in Canada: 2025 Guide for Sponsors and Parents

If you are sponsoring parents or grandparents to visit you in Canada under the Super Visa program, medical insurance is not just a box to tick. It is a legal requirement and, more importantly, the only line of defence between your family and very high medical bills if something serious happens while they are here.

This long-form guide uses real benefit structures and rules taken from current visitors-to-Canada policy wordings from multiple Canadian insurers. The goal is to translate those technical documents into clear language so you understand:

• What Super Visa insurance actually is

• What it usually covers

• What it does not cover

• How pre-existing conditions and stability periods work in real policies

• How waiting periods apply if you try to buy after arrival

• How pricing is structured

• And how to move from research to a concrete policy decision using DaddySafe

If there is any difference between this article and an insurance policy, the policy wording always prevails.

1. What Super Visa insurance actually is

There is no separate “Super Visa insurance” product in the technical sense. In practice, Super Visa insurance is almost always a Visitors to Canada emergency medical policy that has been set up to meet Super Visa requirements.

Across the policy wordings you provided, Visitors to Canada plans are designed to:

• Cover emergency medical treatment for sudden, unexpected illness or injury during the insured trip

• Pay eligible emergency hospital and physician expenses up to the selected coverage limit (the “sum insured”)

• Provide a bundle of other emergency benefits such as ambulance, repatriation, emergency dental, certain paramedical services and limited support for family members in very specific situations

Super Visa sponsors typically use these Visitors to Canada policies in a way that satisfies three conditions:

• The coverage limit is at least the regulatory minimum (and often higher)

• The policy is issued for a period of at least one year from the planned date of entry

• The insurer meets the government’s requirements for Super Visa health insurance

In other words, Super Visa insurance is usually a properly structured Visitors to Canada emergency medical policy, not a separate category of coverage.

2. Core benefit structure in Visitors and Super Visa medical policies

While each insurer uses different wording and formatting, the underlying benefit structure across the policies you provided is very similar. A simplified summary of common benefits looks like this.

Emergency hospital and emergency medical

All the policies you shared anchor their coverage to the selected “sum insured.” Typical coverage limits offered include amounts like 15,000 dollars, 25,000 dollars, 50,000 dollars, 100,000 dollars, 150,000 dollars and higher.

Within that limit, policies generally cover:

• Emergency hospital room and board, including intensive care when medically necessary

• Emergency medical treatment by physicians and surgeons

• Diagnostic tests and imaging when ordered in an emergency context

• Emergency medical services and supplies needed during a covered stay

In the wording, this is often summarised as “Emergency Hospital up to sum insured” and “Emergency Medical up to sum insured,” meaning the maximum combined payout for eligible expenses cannot exceed the coverage amount you selected.

Ambulance and emergency transportation

The policies you shared also include ambulance benefits. While exact wording varies, coverage generally includes:

• Licensed ground ambulance to the nearest appropriate medical facility in a medical emergency

• In some cases, air ambulance or emergency air evacuation when medically necessary and pre-approved by the assistance provider

The specific limits and conditions are described in each policy wording, but the core intent is to cover medically necessary emergency transportation, not everyday travel.

Prescription drugs

Visitors policies typically cover prescription drugs required as a result of a covered medical emergency, but only for a limited period.

For example, one insurer limits outpatient prescription drugs to a maximum supply of 30 days. The exact number of days and any per-claim limits will vary; the important point is that this is short-term emergency drug coverage, not an ongoing drug plan.

Emergency dental and accidental dental

The policy wordings you provided show two distinct types of dental coverage:

1. Dental care after an accidental blow to the mouth

2. Limited coverage for the immediate relief of acute dental pain

Concrete examples from the documents include:

• One Immigrants and Visitors policy provides coverage for repair or replacement of natural or permanently attached artificial teeth when damage is caused by an accidental blow to the mouth, up to a maximum of 2,000 dollars per person. In the same policy, treatment for the relief of dental pain is limited to a maximum of 300 dollars.

• In the Destination Visitors to Canada policy, the benefit table lists “Accidental Dental up to 3,000 dollars” and “Dental Emergencies up to 500 dollars.” A later section explains that accidental dental refers to treatment caused by a direct blow to the face, and dental emergencies refers to acute dental pain not caused by such a blow, subject to time limits and exclusions.

Across the policies, the pattern is consistent:

• Accidental dental coverage is comparatively generous but still capped

• Relief of dental pain has a much smaller maximum, typically a few hundred dollars

Repatriation, return of deceased and local burial or cremation

The wordings also include specific limits for costs if an insured person dies during the trip as a result of a covered medical emergency. For example:

• One Immigrants and Visitors policy agrees to pay up to 10,000 dollars per person for the preparation and transportation of remains to the deceased’s destination in Canada or country of origin, or up to 4,000 dollars for cremation or burial at the place of death. It explicitly excludes the cost of a headstone, burial casket and similar items.

• The Destination Visitors plan’s summary of benefits lists “Return of Deceased up to 10,000 dollars,” aligned with the same intent – to cover essential costs of transporting remains back to the home country or a basic local arrangement, not full funeral expenses.

Meals, accommodation and out-of-pocket expenses for family

Several policies recognise that a family member may incur extra costs when an insured person is hospitalized near the end of a trip or for an extended period. Examples from the documents include:

• Coverage for meals, accommodation, phone calls and local transportation for an accompanying family member, up to 150 dollars per day to a maximum of 1,000 dollars in one policy

• In the Destination Visitors plan, “Meals & Accommodations up to 150 dollars per day to a maximum of 1,500 dollars”

These benefits are intended as short-term support while a family deals with a medical emergency, not as full reimbursement of all travel and living expenses.

Transportation of family or friend, attendant and emergency return home

The Destination Visitors summary of benefits includes several related items:

• Transportation of family or friend up to 3,000 dollars, to bring someone to the bedside of an insured person when medically justified

• Attendant up to 500 dollars, for a non-family attendant when a minor or dependent companion needs to return home and the insured person cannot accompany them

• Emergency return home up to 3,000 dollars, to help pay for a change in return transportation when an emergency medical condition requires an early return, when approved and arranged under the policy

Accidental death and dismemberment

In the Destination Visitors plan, the benefit table also lists accident benefits such as:

• Accidental Death and Dismemberment up to the lesser of the sum insured or 150,000 dollars

• Flight accident benefits up to a defined amount

These amounts and conditions are specific to each insurer and plan, but the general structure – a separate accidental death and dismemberment benefit – appears in multiple visitors products.

Paramedical practitioners and follow-up visits

Visitors policies usually include limited benefits for certain regulated practitioners when treatment is related to a covered emergency:

• The GMS Immigrants and Visitors wording covers services from practitioners such as osteopaths, optometrists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, chiropodists and podiatrists, with an aggregate maximum of 500 dollars per person for these services

• The Destination Visitors plan’s summary of benefits lists “Paramedical Practitioner 500 dollars per practitioner for outpatient treatment” and “Follow-up Visits up to 3,000 dollars”

All of these are subordinate to the main emergency medical benefit. They have their own sub-limits, conditions and exclusions that must be checked in the policy wording.

3. Waiting periods if coverage is purchased after arrival

A critical operational feature in the policy wordings is the “waiting period” that applies to sickness if coverage is purchased after arrival in Canada or long after departure from the home country.

Example from an Immigrants and Visitors policy:

• If coverage is arranged before arriving in Canada, it begins on the effective date with no waiting period

• If the person is uninsured and applies within the first 30 days of arriving in Canada, coverage for injury begins on the effective date, but there is a two-day waiting period applied to coverage for medical conditions other than injury

• If the person is uninsured and applies more than 30 days after arriving in Canada, coverage for injury again begins on the effective date, but there is a seven-day waiting period applied to coverage for medical conditions other than injury

Example from the Destination Visitors policy:

• A waiting period applies to sickness where no claims will be payable for any sickness for which signs or symptoms occurred within

  – 48 hours after the effective date if the policy is purchased within 30 days of the date of departure from the country of origin, or

  – Seven days after the effective date if the policy is purchased 30 days or more after the date of departure

• The wording also states that this waiting period is waived if the insurance is purchased before the date of departure from the country of origin, or before the expiry of an existing Destination Visitors policy being renewed under set conditions

The practical conclusion for Super Visa sponsors is straightforward:

• Buying visitors or Super Visa insurance before your parents or grandparents travel is significantly safer from a coverage perspective than waiting until after arrival

• If you buy after arrival, sickness in the first part of the policy (the waiting period) may not be covered, even if expenses are incurred later

4. Pre-existing conditions and stability periods

Pre-existing conditions are one of the most important and misunderstood parts of Visitors to Canada and Super Visa insurance. The policies you supplied take different approaches, but the underlying concepts are consistent.

Example 1 – Broad exclusion for conditions that are not stable for a fixed period

In the GMS Immigrants and Visitors wording:

• The insurer states that it does not cover expenses resulting directly or indirectly from medical conditions that have not been stable for 180 days immediately before the effective date

• This includes medical conditions for which the insured received medical treatment or consultation, and undiagnosed conditions related to symptoms for which they sought treatment or consultation

The policy also contains a specific definition of “stable,” which refers to there being no change in diagnosis, no new symptoms, no new or adjusted medications or treatments, and no hospitalisation or referral for further testing during the stability period.

Example 2 – Options that include stable pre-existing conditions with different stability periods

In the Destination Visitors policy, pre-existing medical conditions are addressed under two options:

• Option 1 is “coverage for stable pre-existing medical conditions.” Under this option:

  – If, at the time of application, the person is 59 years of age or under, any pre-existing medical condition is excluded unless it was stable in the 90 days immediately before the effective date

  – For ages 60 to 69, the stability period is 120 days

  – For ages 70 to 79, the stability period is 180 days

• Option 2 excludes any pre-existing medical conditions, regardless of stability

Other visitors products in your document set follow similar logic at a high level. Some plans exclude all pre-existing conditions; others offer a more comprehensive version that covers certain stable pre-existing conditions, but only if the insured meets strict stability criteria.

Practical implications for sponsors

From a sponsor’s perspective, three points are crucial:

• Pre-existing conditions are not automatically covered by Visitors or Super Visa policies. Coverage depends on the specific plan, the insured’s age and the stability rules in the policy

• “Stable” is a defined term in each contract. It is not a general, everyday meaning. It normally refers to no changes in diagnosis, symptoms, medications or treatment recommendations during a specified period, but you must rely on the exact definition in the policy you are using

• If your parents or grandparents have significant medical history, choosing between a plan that excludes pre-existing conditions and a plan that can cover stable pre-existing conditions is one of the most important decisions you will make

5. The obligation to contact the assistance centre in an emergency

The policy wordings also create a clear obligation to contact the insurer’s assistance centre in a medical emergency, especially if hospitalisation is required.

Examples from the documents you supplied include:

• In one Visitors policy, the front section instructs the insured to call the assistance centre before receiving treatment in a medical emergency. It then states that if the person does not call the assistance centre and it was reasonably possible to do so, they will have to pay 20% of the eligible medical expenses that the insurer would normally pay

• In the Manulife Visitors to Canada wording, the language is similar. The insured is told to contact the assistance centre as soon as possible. If they do not call within 24 hours of hospitalisation, they will have to pay 20% of the eligible medical expenses the insurer would normally pay under the policy, unless it was medically impossible to call and someone called on their behalf

The reason for this requirement is that the assistance centre coordinates care, approves certain high-cost services and can direct the insured to appropriate facilities. If they are not involved, the insurer has less control over costs and treatment decisions.

Operationally, this means sponsors should make sure that:

• Parents and grandparents carry their wallet card or confirmation of coverage at all times, with the assistance phone numbers clearly visible

• The assistance centre numbers are saved in both the visitor’s mobile phone and the sponsor’s phone

• Everyone understands that, in the event of a serious emergency or hospitalisation, the assistance centre must be contacted as soon as reasonably possible

Ignoring this requirement can materially reduce the portion of a major hospital bill the insurer is willing to pay.

6. How pricing is structured in Visitors and Super Visa policies

The documents you provided include a rate grid for one Visitors to Canada plan where premiums per day vary by:

• Age band (with higher rates for older ages)

• Sum insured (with higher rates for higher coverage limits)

• Plan type (for example, a standard plan that excludes pre-existing conditions and a plan that covers stable pre-existing conditions)

The pattern is exactly what you would expect in travel medical insurance:

• Premiums increase as age increases

• Premiums increase as the amount of coverage selected increases

• Plans that include coverage for stable pre-existing conditions are more expensive than similar plans that exclude pre-existing conditions

Super Visa sponsors usually purchase coverage for at least one year, so the final cost for that period is effectively:

Daily rate × number of days of coverage

Some providers also offer specific monthly payment options, especially for longer stays. These do not change the underlying risk pricing; they change the payment schedule and add conditions that must be satisfied to keep the coverage in force.

If monthly payments are used, sponsors must be particularly careful to avoid missed payments and lapses, because a lapse in coverage during a Super Visa stay can create both financial risk and immigration risk.

7. Regulatory requirements: how this ties back to the Super Visa rules

Under current Canadian government rules for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, applicants must prove they have private health insurance that meets minimum requirements. In broad terms, the health insurance must:

• Be valid for at least one year from the date the person enters Canada

• Provide a minimum of 100,000 dollars in emergency medical coverage

• Cover healthcare, hospitalisation and repatriation

• Be paid in full or structured with at least a deposit and instalments, not just a quote

• Be issued by a Canadian insurance company, or by a foreign company that is properly authorised under Canadian rules

Super Visa holders are expected to maintain valid private health insurance for each entry to Canada and for the full duration of their stay.

This is why the Visitors to Canada policies described earlier are used as the foundation for Super Visa insurance. When set up with a high enough coverage limit, an appropriate term and a qualifying insurer, they are designed to meet those regulatory requirements.

8. Practical checklist for sponsors before buying

Using the policy wordings as a guide, a practical pre-purchase checklist for sponsors looks like this:

1. Coverage limit and term

   • Select a sum insured that meets or exceeds the minimum required for Super Visa purposes

   • Consider higher limits for older parents or those with complex histories

   • Ensure the policy term covers at least the intended first period of stay (for example, one year)

2. Pre-existing conditions

   • Confirm whether the plan excludes all pre-existing conditions, or

   • Provides coverage for stable pre-existing conditions with a clearly defined stability period by age

   • Compare the stability definition with your parents’ or grandparents’ actual medical history

3. Waiting periods

   • Understand the waiting period for sickness if the policy is purchased after arrival in Canada or long after departure from the home country

   • Whenever possible, arrange coverage before departure to avoid these gaps

4. Key sub-limits

   • Note the maximums for emergency dental, accidental dental and relief of dental pain

   • Review the limits for repatriation, return of remains and local cremation or burial

   • Check benefits for meals, accommodation, transportation of a family member or friend, and emergency return home

5. Emergency assistance obligations

   • Understand exactly when the assistance centre must be called

   • Understand any co-insurance penalties (such as 20% of eligible expenses) if you fail to call when it was reasonably possible

6. Super Visa suitability

   • Confirm that the policy’s coverage amount, duration and insurer type all meet current Super Visa health insurance rules

Platforms like DaddySafe make steps one through four more manageable by letting you see multiple plans side by side. But the responsibility to read and understand the policy wording before you buy still rests with you and the insured person.

9. How DaddySafe helps you move from research to action

Understanding how these policies work is one side of the equation. Choosing a specific plan for your family is the other. That is where the DaddySafe platform is built to add value.

DaddySafe brings together multiple Visitors to Canada and Super Visa–eligible emergency medical plans from established Canadian insurers on a single comparison platform. Instead of entering the same information on several separate websites, you can:

• Enter your parents’ or grandparents’ details once

• See a range of plans that can be structured to meet Super Visa requirements

• Compare coverage levels, deductibles and plan types side by side

Because the underlying products are based on the kind of policy wordings discussed in this article, the DaddySafe comparison is designed to highlight practical differences that matter to sponsors, such as:

• The coverage limit available on each plan

• Whether the plan offers an option to cover stable pre-existing conditions and which stability period applies by age

• How each insurer handles waiting periods if you buy after departure or after arrival

• The key sub-limits for accidental dental, emergency dental, repatriation and meals and accommodation

DaddySafe does not change or override any insurer’s contract. The policy wording and the confirmation of coverage issued by the insurer remain the controlling documents. What DaddySafe does is make it easier to see how different plans line up against your parents’ situation and the regulatory requirements, without guesswork and without jumping between multiple websites.

10. Turning your Super Visa research into a policy decision

If you are at the point where you are ready to choose a policy, a practical sequence is:

1. Use the checklist above to decide on:

   • A target coverage amount (for example, 100,000 dollars, 150,000 dollars, 300,000 dollars or more)

   • Whether you need a plan that can cover stable pre-existing conditions

2. Use DaddySafe to generate multiple Super Visa–eligible Visitors to Canada quotes based on those parameters.

3. Narrow your options to a small number of plans and download or review each policy wording, focusing on:

   • The pre-existing condition section

   • The stability definition and stability period by age

   • The waiting period rules for sickness

   • The assistance centre obligations and any co-insurance penalties

4. If you are unsure about how a definition or exclusion applies to your parents’ medical history, speak with a licensed insurance advisor before finalising the purchase.

5. Once you are satisfied, complete the application and payment through the DaddySafe process and obtain the confirmation of coverage needed for the Super Visa application.

This approach keeps your decision rooted in the actual policy wording, while using technology to simplify comparison and reduce the risk of overlooking a critical clause.

11. Compliance reminder and closing

This article is based on current Visitors to Canada emergency medical policy wordings from multiple Canadian insurers, along with standard market practices for Super Visa health insurance in Canada.

It is provided for general information only. It is not an insurance policy, it is not legal advice and it is not a substitute for the official policy documentation issued by any insurer or for official government guidance on the Super Visa program.

Coverage, eligibility, benefit limits, exclusions, waiting periods and refund rules always depend on:

• The specific insurer and product selected

• The exact text of the policy wording in force at the time of purchase

• The insured person’s age, medical history and answers on the application

If there is any conflict between this article and an insurance contract, the contract and the insurer’s confirmation of coverage are the controlling documents.

Before you buy, you should review the policy wording carefully and, if you are unsure how it applies to your family’s situation, consult a licensed insurance advisor. DaddySafe can then be used as the platform where you compare eligible plans, apply, and obtain the documentation you need to support a Super Visa application and protect your parents or grandparents while they are in Canada.