If you come to Canada under the Super Visa program, your stay may last for five or, in certain cases, even ten years, as recently introduced by the IRCC. Super visa health insurance, however, is valid for only 12 months. This implies that if your parents are already in Canada and their policy is expiring, you need to plan quite effectively for a renewal or extension to avoid a lapsed coverage and a lapsed legal status.

If your Super Visa insurance is set to expire, for example, then your parents might be stuck in Canada without an emergency medical insurance.

Once you know your insurance policy is close to expiring, it is wise to contact the insurance advisor and plan the policy renewal. Most insurance providers will allow you to extend the policy assuming the client at bare minimum is in a sound state of health. There shouldn’t be a gap between the old policy and the new one especially for seamless protection.

If someone’s health has changed or claims have been filed, renewal options may be limited. An insurer may demand new medical records or impose certain exclusions. Foresight may assist individuals in averting gaps or being turned away when coverage is most essential.

Can You Port or Transfer to Another Insurer? Yes, switching to another insurer is possible, but is not as easy as porting a mobile number. In most cases, the new insurer treats your parents as a new applicant, thus requiring them to answer new questions, submit new declarations, and sometimes go through medical underwriting and waiting period

Families switch insurers for a variety of reasons, with the most common being the desire to find better pricing and a broader hospital network with more direct billing options. Some Canadian insurers also permit the insured to purchase new coverage while in Canada as long as there is no break in coverage and the new policy begins immediately after the old one expires.

However, switching mid-stay is delicate, as a gap in coverage of a single day can lead to ineligible medical claims. Make sure the start and end dates are in perfect alignment, and get written confirmation from both insurers about the continuity of coverage.

Do renewals of a policy need to be “issued in Canada” as well?

Indeed policy renewals are the same as the original in terms of “issued in the course of business in Canada” policy. This policy applies to licensed Canadian insurers and as of the 2025 update, to an approved foreign OSFI Insurer as well. This indicates the extensions or renewals that are taken with international insurers are still subject to IRCC Insurance Requirements, which are:

• At least $100,000 in coverage for medical care, hospitalization, and repatriation.

• Valid for at least one year from the date of extension or renewal.

• Evidence of purchase and validity at the time of visa extension or re-entry.

If you have a different renewal insurance, check that the policy certificate indicates the Canadian licensing OSFI information so that you have no issues later applying for an extension with IRCC.