Frequently asked questions about Visitors to Canada and Super Visa insurance

All four cover medical emergencies for visitors and offer options for the Super Visa, as long as the policy has the amount and duration the government requires. They differ in plans, coverage amounts, ages, payment options and some extra benefits:

• 21st Century: backed by Manulife. It offers the Basic, Standard and Enhanced plans, with coverage up to $200,000. Standard and Enhanced are available up to age 85, and Basic is available at any age. Standard and Enhanced with $100,000 of coverage include an extra $50,000 for accidental injuries. Monthly payments are available on 1- or 2-year policies.
• TuGo: offers the Basic and VTC plans. VTC has no maximum age and goes up to $500,000. It is the only one of the four that covers stable pre-existing conditions for people aged 86 or older. Paid in full, with no monthly option.
• Manulife: offers the Basic, Standard and Enhanced plans, with coverage up to $200,000. Standard and Enhanced are available up to age 85, and Basic also covers people aged 86 or older. Paid in full, with no monthly option.
• Destination: backed by Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance. Option 1 covers stable pre-existing conditions up to age 79, and Option 2 does not cover them. Coverage goes up to $300,000, depending on age and the option chosen. Monthly payments are available on policies of 180 days or more.

The best option depends on age, health, length of stay and budget.

In general, a pre-existing condition is considered stable when, for a period before the policy starts, it has had no changes: no new treatment, no change in medication, no new or worse symptoms, no hospitalization, and no pending tests or results. Each policy has its own definition and exceptions, especially for medication changes and medical tests. The stability period depends on the company and the age:

• 21st Century, Enhanced plan: the condition must be stable for 180 days. From age 60, a medical declaration is required, and answering "yes" to any of the Enhanced eligibility medical questions means not qualifying for that plan.
• TuGo, VTC plan: 90 days up to age 59, 120 days from 60 to 69, 180 days from 70 to 85, and 365 days from 86. From age 60, a health questionnaire is required.
• Manulife, Enhanced plan: the condition must be stable for 180 days, up to age 85. From age 55, a medical declaration is required, and answering "yes" to any of the Enhanced eligibility medical questions means not qualifying for that plan.
• Destination, Option 1: 90 days up to age 59, 120 days from 60 to 69, and 180 days from 70 to 79. No health questionnaire is required.

The other plans:

• The 21st Century and Manulife Standard plans do not cover conditions that existed, or for which medication was taken or prescribed or treatment was received, in the 180 days before the policy starts. An older condition could be covered if it falls outside that exclusion and meets the other policy conditions.
• The 21st Century, TuGo and Manulife Basic plans, and Destination Option 2, do not cover pre-existing conditions.

Before buying, it is worth reviewing the visitor's health to choose the right plan and understand which conditions may be covered and which are excluded.

• 21st Century: Standard and Enhanced are available from 30 days old up to age 85. Basic has no maximum age and is the only option from age 86.
• TuGo: Basic is available up to age 79, counted at the time of application. VTC has no maximum age.
• Manulife: Standard and Enhanced are available from 30 days old up to age 85. From age 86, only Basic is available.
• Destination: available from 15 days old. Option 1 goes up to age 79. Option 2 has no maximum age, but from 80 to 85 coverage goes only up to $50,000, and from 86 only up to $25,000, with a mandatory $500 deductible.

The Super Visa requires a minimum of $100,000 in coverage, so not every option works past a certain age.

If you buy the insurance when the visitor is already in Canada, a waiting period applies from the start of the policy. During that time, no sickness that begins in those days is covered, even if the expenses come later. With 21st Century, TuGo and Manulife, this period does not apply to accidental injuries, which remain subject to the plan's conditions and exclusions.

21st Century

• Waiting period: 72 hours if bought within the first 30 days after arrival, and 7 days if bought later. On the Basic plan for people aged 86 or older, 15 days.
• No waiting period: if bought before the visitor arrives in Canada. On the monthly plan, the policy must also be activated before arrival.
• Coming from another company: you can ask for the waiting period to be waived. This requires good health, previous coverage with no gap, proof, and written approval. It is not always approved.
• On renewal: no waiting period if the new policy starts the next day, without increasing the coverage, lowering the deductible, or moving to a plan that covers pre-existing conditions.

TuGo

• Waiting period: 48 hours if bought within the first 60 days after arrival, and 7 days if bought later.
• No waiting period: if bought before the visitor arrives in Canada.

Manulife

• Waiting period: 72 hours if bought within the first 30 days after arrival, and 7 days if bought later. On the Basic plan for people aged 86 or older, 15 days.
• No waiting period: if bought before the visitor arrives in Canada.
• On renewal: no waiting period only when renewing a Manulife policy, under the same conditions as 21st Century.

Destination

• Waiting period: 48 hours if bought within the first 30 days after leaving the home country, and 7 days if bought later.
• No waiting period: if bought before the visitor leaves their country. If bought during a stopover, the waiting period applies.
• Coming from another company: the waiting period is waived if there are no days without coverage. Proof is requested if there is a claim.

It is best to buy it before the trip. Message me in advance and we will have it ready.

Only two of the four offer monthly payments: 21st Century and Destination. TuGo and Manulife are paid in full.

• 21st Century: for 1- or 2-year policies, with coverage of $100,000, $150,000 or $200,000. The annual premium is divided into 12 instalments.
  • At the start: 2 instalments plus a one-time $50 fee per policy, if the visa is still being processed. If there is already an arrival date and the policy is activated, 3 instalments plus the one-time $50 fee.
  • After that: one instalment each month, by Visa or Mastercard only.
  • If the visitor leaves early: the overpaid premium is refunded, calculated pro rata from the approved cancellation date, even if there were claims. A $25 fee and a minimum of 2 months of premium apply. The initial $50 is not refunded.
• Destination: with monthly payments, the policy must be at least 180 days and $50,000 of coverage.
  • At the start: 2 instalments when applying and the third on the day the policy starts.
  • After that: one instalment each month.
  • $10 fee: charged on every payment and per person, starting with the first one. A 1-year policy has 11 payments, so $110 per person.
  • If a payment is declined: you have 30 days from the email notice to pay it, and a $25 fee may be charged for each failed payment. If it is not paid, the policy ends on the paid-to date and cannot be reinstated.

Destination's minimums (180 days and $50,000) apply to monthly payments in general. For the Super Visa, the policy must meet the program's requirements: at least 1 year and $100,000 of coverage.

In general, yes, but each company has its own conditions and fees. With all of them, the refund must be requested in writing with supporting documents. If the visitor returns early, you must send proof of the return, such as the boarding pass or the stamped passport.

21st Century

• If the visa is refused: full refund if the policy has not started yet and you send proof of the refusal within 30 days. Other cancellations of visa policies have a $250 fee.
• If the visitor returns early, policy paid in full: the unused portion is refunded. If there were claims, the amount paid is deducted from the refund, plus $300 for each paid claim or $500 for each denied claim. A $25 fee and a $25 minimum premium apply. The refund is calculated from no more than 60 days before the request.
• If the visitor returns early, monthly payments: the remaining instalments stop and the paid, unused time is refunded, even if a claim was made. A $25 fee applies, and the 2-month minimum and the initial $50 fee are not refunded.

TuGo

• If the visa is refused: full refund if requested before the policy starts, with proof of the refusal. Cancelling a Super Visa policy for any other reason without having travelled has a $250 fee.
• If the visitor returns early: the unused portion is refunded, counted from the day of return (with proof) or from the day it is requested. On VTC a $25 fee is deducted; on Basic there is no fee. On both plans, the refund must be at least $20. The minimum premium is kept.
• If there were claims: no refund.

Manulife

• If the visa is refused: the premium is refunded with proof of the refusal or of the withdrawn visa application.
• If the visitor returns early: the unused portion is refunded. If there were claims, the amount paid is deducted from the refund, plus $300 for each paid claim or $500 for each denied claim. The refund is calculated from no more than 60 days before the request.

Destination

• If the visa is refused: the premium is refunded with proof of the refusal. Without proof, cancelling a 1-year visa policy before it starts has a $150 fee.
• If the visitor returns early: the unused portion is refunded less a $25 fee, if requested within 90 days after the policy expires.
• If there were claims: no refund.

Message me before cancelling and I will tell you how much you would get back.

Yes, but you must request it before the policy expires. If there is a gap between one policy and the next, the conditions of a new purchase apply, including any applicable waiting period. When the extension is issued as a new policy, eligibility and the stability period for pre-existing conditions are assessed again from its new start date.

• 21st Century: the extension is a new policy, with its own conditions from its start date, and the price is based on the age at that date. The visitor must still be eligible and, on the Enhanced plan, answer the medical declaration again with no answer changed. There is no waiting period if the new policy starts the day after the previous one expires, without increasing the coverage, lowering the deductible, or moving to a plan that covers pre-existing conditions. If you change any of these, a 7-day waiting period applies.
• TuGo: the same policy is extended by calling before it expires. An administrative fee may apply. To approve it, the visitor must not have made claims, must not have seen a doctor since the policy started, must have no symptoms, and the whole trip cannot exceed 2 years. If these are not met, TuGo may still approve it, but will not cover anything related to those conditions.
• Manulife: the same as 21st Century. It is a new policy, the visitor must still be eligible and answer the Enhanced medical declaration again, with the same waiting period rules.
• Destination: can be renewed before the policy expires with no waiting period. The price is based on the age at the time of the extension. Each policy covers a maximum of one year.

If the visitor had health problems during the visit, the extension may not cover them.

It depends on the company and the plan. There are three cases: the direct trip to or from Canada, trips to other countries during the visit, and visits to the home country.

Direct trip to or from Canada

• 21st Century: covers the direct flight to or from Canada. On all three plans it also covers the days in other countries before arrival, such as a stay in Mexico or Panama, if the premium for those days is paid. They count toward the maximum of 30 days outside Canada.
• TuGo: on the VTC and Basic plans, the policy can start the day the visitor leaves their country if the trip to Canada is direct, stopovers included, and takes no more than 48 hours. The same rule applies on the way back.
• Manulife: covers the direct flight to Canada. A stopover only counts if the visitor does not leave the airport. Otherwise, the policy starts on arrival in Canada.
• Destination: the policy can start the day the visitor leaves their country. There is no fixed day limit for the trip to Canada: days in other countries are covered if the visitor spends at least 51% of the insured time in Canada. In some cases it also covers the transit back home for up to 3 days.

Trips to other countries during the visit

• 21st Century: up to 30 days in total outside Canada per year, and the visitor must spend at least 51% of the insured time in Canada. If the limit is exceeded, coverage is suspended until the visitor returns.
• TuGo: the VTC plan covers trips to other countries, as long as the visitor arrived in Canada first and spends most of the time there. The Basic plan allows leaving Canada without cancelling the policy, but does not cover expenses outside Canada.
• Manulife: up to 30 days or 49% of the policy days, whichever is less. The trip must start and end in Canada. If the limit is exceeded, coverage is suspended until the visitor returns.
• Destination: covers trips outside Canada if the visitor spends at least 51% of the time in Canada.

If the visitor returns to their home country during the visit

• 21st Century: no coverage in the home country. Coverage is suspended and resumes on return to Canada.
• TuGo: the policy is not cancelled, but expenses in the home country are not covered.
• Manulife: the days in the home country are not covered.
• Destination: no coverage in the home country, and any condition that appears or is treated during that visit is excluded for the rest of the policy.

In an emergency:

1. If it is a serious emergency, get medical care right away and call 911 if needed. Notify your company's assistance centre as soon as possible.
2. In all other cases, call the assistance centre before receiving treatment. They tell you where to go and, often, pay directly. If you do not notify them in time, some companies pay less.
3. Keep all invoices, prescriptions and medical reports.

The emergency phone numbers, deadlines and steps to make a claim with each company are on our Claims page.

To make a claim: gather the original invoices, receipts and medical reports, complete your company's claim form, and send it within the deadline stated in your policy.

It depends on six things: age, health, length of stay, whether they travel with stopovers or leave Canada, budget, and how you prefer to pay. This narrows down the options:

• If they have a stable health condition: if they want protection for emergencies related to their pre-existing conditions, they must choose a plan that covers them and meet its requirements. These can be the 21st Century or Manulife Enhanced plan (up to age 85), TuGo VTC, or Destination Option 1 (up to age 79).
• If they are 86 or older and have a condition: among the four companies we compare, TuGo VTC is the option to consider for covering pre-existing conditions at that age, subject to stability and eligibility.
• If they are healthy and take no medication: a Standard or Basic plan, or Destination Option 2, may cost less, but you should compare the benefits and exclusions.
• If it is for the Super Visa and you prefer to pay monthly: 21st Century or Destination.
• If they have a stopover of several days in another country or plan to travel during the visit: review each company's rules for trips outside Canada.
• To lower the price: choosing a higher deductible reduces the premium.

The cheapest plan is not always the best. If your parents have a condition the plan does not cover, the expenses related to that condition would be yours to pay. Message me and I will compare the four options based on their age and health.