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The Canadian Super Visa and Emergency Medical Insurance: What Visitors to Canada Need to Know

grandparents visa canada

Updated August 13, 2020.

You may have found this page because you were searching for information on the Canadian parents and grandparents super visa. This essential resource aims to answer your questions about the super visa and its medical insurance for super visa mandatory requirements. It will also inform you about Canada’s health care system, provide links to additional helpful resources, and review the Travelance products that meet the super visa health insurance requirements.

About the Super Visa

The Canadian super visa is a multi-entry visa valid for 10 years. It allows parents and grandparents of citizens or permanent residents of Canada to enter the country for up to 2 years at a time. According to the Canadian government, to be eligible for a super visa, the visitor must:

  • Be a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
  • Be allowed to enter Canada
  • Prove that the visitor’s child or grandchild has the minimum required income
  • Have a written statement from the visitor’s child or grandchild saying that they will provide financial support for the visitor
  • Pass an immigration medical examination
  • Have valid Canadian medical insurance coverage for super visa of $100,000 for a minimum of 1 year, including coverage for health care, hospitalization, and repatriation

An officer will also examine whether or not the visitor is an authentic visitor who will leave the country voluntarily following their visit. For more information about this examination, as well as a complete list of criteria for a super visa application, visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website. For a general overview, visit the super visa hub.

About the Canadian Health Care System

You may be wondering, “why is there an insurance requirement for the super visa?” It is a common misconception that Canada has free healthcare for all. There are limitations to Canada’s national health insurance program. The key limitation for visitors to Canada is that the Government Health Insurance Plans (GHIP) do not cover “a tourist, a transient or a visitor to the province,” as stated on the Government of Canada’s website. This means if a visitor to Canada needs to see a doctor or visit the hospital while in Canada, it is not free and the visitor will be billed for the services they receive. Thus, the government requires visitors to Canada under the super visa to have individual medical insurance plans in case of an emergency.
Government Health Insurance Plans (GHIP) do cover many medical care expenses for residents of their respective provinces. For more information on what is covered in your province or territory, visit its respective website below.
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon

Public hospitals in Canada often post their rates for non-residents in front of the help desk in the emergency room. If you want to know more about specific costs of medical insurance for super visa Canada, it is recommended that you visit your local hospital and pick up a flyer for information, as costs vary by location.

About Canadian Emergency Medical Insurance Coverage for the Super Visa
Because visitors to Canada are not covered by a Government Health Insurance Plan (GHIP), the government of Canada requires visitors under the super visa to have emergency medical insurance for super visa Canada. As discussed previously in this article, the insurance plan must:

  • Provide coverage of $100,000 or more
  • Include coverage for the following:
    • Health care
    • Hospitalization
    • Repatriation
  • Be valid for 1 year from the date of entry into Canada

This coverage must be purchased each time the visitor enters Canada.

Visitor to Canada Emergency Medical Insurance FAQs


If the visitor will only be staying in Canada for a 3 month period, do they still need to purchase insurance for 1 year?

Yes. For every entry into Canada, visitors under the super visa must provide proof of insurance valid for 1 year from their date of entry.

If a visitor is insured with one of Travelance’s Visitors to Canada Emergency Medical Insurance plans, they may be eligible for a refund of unused days, provided no claims have been incurred. For more details on Travelance’s plans, visit our product page or continue to the products section of this article.

What happens if a visitor will be taking multiple trips to Canada within the 10 year period that the super visa is valid?

If a visitor will be entering Canada multiple times, coverage must be purchased as per the Government of Canada requirements for every entry into Canada.

What are the steps involved in purchasing emergency medical insurance for the super visa application?

It is recommended that applicants for the super visa talk to a licensed insurance broker to discuss their needs. Working with a licensed broker will give applicants access to professional expertise and can save time in the application process. For more reasons to work with a licensed broker, view our blog post on the topic: ‘Importance of Working with a Licensed Insurance Broker.’

Products

Travelance offers two Visitors to Canada Emergency Medical Insurance (VTC) plans, all of which are super visa eligible when purchased in accordance with the Government of Canada requirements.

The VTC Essential plan provides more coverage for more emergencies, including:

  • Emergency medical up to the plan limit purchased
  • Semi-private emergency hospitalization
  • Up to $10,000 for repatriation
  • 30 days of emergency prescription medication, up to $1,000
  • Emergency dental coverage – up to $2,000 for injury and up to $300 for non-injury pain
  • Coverage for side-trips while visiting Canada

The base deductible for VTC Essential is $0, but it can be increased to reduce the premium.

The VTC Premier plan provides the most recommended coverage options, including:

  • Emergency medical up to the plan limit purchased
  • Semi-private emergency hospitalization
  • Up to $16,000 for repatriation
  • 30 days of emergency prescription medication, up to $10,000
  • Emergency dental coverage – up to $4,000 for injury and up to $500 for non-injury pain
  • Coverage for side-trips while visiting Canada
  • Accidental death & dismemberment up to $100,000
  • Coverage for some pre-existing conditions, up to age 79

The base deductible for VTC Premier is $0, and if the deductible is increased, the first $1,000 of any deductible is waived if the policyholder is hospitalized for more than 72 consecutive hours.

To compare all of our VTC products and see the full coverage details, visit the product page.

Additional Resources

For the steps involved in applying for the super visa, visit the Government of Canada’s website.
For more reference material regarding the super visa, including more FAQs, review our previous blog posts on this topic:

You may be interested to know the experiences of some visitors who have used the super visa. You can read some testimonials in our blog post, ‘What Does Family Mean to You?’

Visitors should learn how to renew insurance for the super visa if they will be staying in Canada longer than the initial coverage period. Here is a post on this topic: ’3 Tips for Renewing Your Super Visa Insurance’.

To be prepared for an emergency, it is also good to be informed about the common reasons an emergency medical insurance claim may be denied. Read about why a claim may be denied in our blog post, ‘Common Reasons an Emergency Medical Travel Insurance Claim May Be Denied.’

Conclusion

Now, you should feel better acquainted with the Canadian super visa, and you can understand why emergency medical insurance for super visa is a requirement. You’ve learned more about Canada’s health care policy and Travelance’s options for Visitors to Canada Emergency Medical Insurance that can help visitors meet the super visa requirements. We’ve provided you with helpful links to more information about the super visa and insurance. We hope we have helped you to understand this incredibly beneficial visa and what is needed to obtain one. For more information about Visitors to Canada Emergency Medical Insurance for super visa price, visit our product page, contact your licensed insurance broker, or call Travelance at 1-855-566-8555. 

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