1What Secure Travel Visitors Insurance Is
Secure Travel Visitors to Canada is emergency medical insurance for people in Canada who do not have a provincial health plan. It is the Secure Travel plan you use for a Super Visa. It pays for emergency care up to the coverage amount you choose.
You choose between two plans for pre-existing conditions. Plan 1 covers no pre-existing conditions. Plan 2 can cover stable pre-existing conditions, with rules by age. You also choose between two benefit levels: Standard (the base plan) and Enhanced, which has higher limits and some extra benefits.
These are two separate choices. Your Confirmation of Insurance shows which plan and which benefit level you have, and the deductible you picked.
Secure Travel also sells Canuck Voyage travel insurance for Canadians, a non-medical trip cancellation plan and Secure Study for international students. This page covers only Visitors to Canada.
Want to see Secure Travel next to other insurers first? Compare Super Visa insurance quotes or compare visitors insurance quotes from several Canadian insurers on one page.
2Who Can Buy It
Eligibility is checked on the day coverage starts, not the day you apply. If anything changes before that day, tell your advisor. On that day, each person must:
- Be a visitor to Canada, a person in Canada on a valid work or study visa, a Canadian, or an immigrant not yet eligible for a government health plan
- Be at least 15 days old and under 90 years old
- Not be travelling against a doctor's advice
- Not have new or undiagnosed symptoms, and not know of any reason to see a doctor
- Not need help with daily living: dressing, bathing, eating, using the toilet, or getting in or out of a bed or chair
Who cannot be covered
- Anyone diagnosed with a terminal illness, or a terminal sickness with less than 2 years to live
- Anyone diagnosed or treated for pancreatic, liver, lung or brain cancer, or any cancer that has spread
- Anyone diagnosed or treated for a kidney condition needing dialysis in the last 24 months
- Anyone diagnosed or treated for a bone marrow or organ transplant in the last 24 months
- Anyone who used home oxygen in the 12 months before coverage starts
That is the full list. Heart conditions, high blood pressure and diabetes are not on it. Being able to buy the plan is a separate question from whether a condition is covered. Section 4 explains that.
Applying
The application asks for the visitor's age, the dates, the coverage amount, the deductible and the plan. On Plan 2 it also asks medical declaration questions. Answer every question honestly. A wrong answer can void coverage when it is needed most.
Family coverage
A family policy can cover you, your spouse up to age 69 and your dependent children, if you all live at the same address and travel on the same dates. The family pays one premium.
3How Pre-Existing Coverage Works
A pre-existing condition is any sickness, injury or medical condition that existed before coverage starts. How Secure Travel treats it depends on the plan and the visitor's age.
| Plan and age | Pre-existing conditions |
|---|---|
| Plan 1, any age | Not covered |
| Plan 2, up to age 69 | Covered if stable for 90 days before coverage starts |
| Plan 2, ages 70 to 84 | Covered if stable for 180 days before coverage starts |
| Plan 2, ages 85 to 89 | Not covered. The visitor can buy the plan, but Plan 2 adds no pre-existing cover at this age |
On Plan 2, every question on the medical declaration must be answered no. A single yes removes pre-existing coverage, even for a stable condition.
What stable means
A condition is stable when, during the stability period, there was:
- No hospital stay
- No new diagnosis, treatment or prescribed medication
- No change in treatment or medication
- No new, more frequent or more severe symptoms
- No new test results showing it got worse
- No referral to a specialist, made or recommended, and no wait for surgery or test results
A change includes starting, stopping, raising or lowering a treatment or medication. Two things do not count as a change: switching between the generic and brand version of the same drug at the same dose, and routine dose adjustments within prescribed limits for insulin, diabetes pills or asthma medication.
No exception for minor ailments
Some plans let a small, short sickness pass the stability test. Secure Travel Visitors to Canada does not. If a condition was not stable, it is not covered, however minor it was. Our pre-existing conditions guide explains how other insurers handle this.
4The 90-Day Rule on Both Plans
There is a second rule, separate from the pre-existing condition rule. It applies on Plan 1 and Plan 2, at every age.
The plan does not pay for a sickness or injury that would have led a reasonable person to see a doctor in the 90 days before coverage starts. This applies even if the person did not see a doctor, and even if the condition was stable and declared.
So think about symptoms too, not only diagnosed conditions. If your parent had symptoms in the last 90 days and did not get them checked, talk to an EGE Insurance advisor before you apply.
5Coverage Limits and Benefits
The plan pays emergency medical costs up to the coverage amount you choose. Some benefits have their own limits, which differ between Standard and Enhanced.
| Benefit | Standard | Enhanced |
|---|---|---|
| Prescription drugs (30-day supply) | $500 per prescription | $1,000 per prescription |
| Dental repair after an accidental blow | $1,000 | $3,000 |
| Dental pain relief | $300 | $500 |
| Accidental death and dismemberment | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Flight accident | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Return of remains: preparation and transport | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Cremation or burial in Canada | $2,500 | $5,000 |
From the Secure Travel Visitors to Canada policy wording, edition 2024-02. The policy wording sets the exact terms.
Benefits only on Enhanced
- Transportation of a family member to the bedside
- Meals and accommodation
- Hospital allowance
- Return and escort of children
- Excess baggage return
If the visitor cannot go home on the expiry date because of a travel delay, being medically unfit to travel, or a hospital stay, coverage extends by up to 72 hours.
This is a second payor plan. If the visitor has any other coverage, such as a work plan or another travel policy, that coverage pays first.
6Using It for a Super Visa
Secure Travel Visitors to Canada is the Secure Travel plan for Super Visa applicants. IRCC sets the minimum coverage for a Super Visa, and it is not written in the policy. Check the current rules in our IRCC Super Visa requirements guide before you choose a coverage amount.
If the Super Visa is refused
If you bought the policy for a Super Visa application and the visa is refused, you can get a refund. Secure Travel needs satisfactory proof of the refusal from IRCC. Send the refusal letter and your policy number to your advisor.
Paying monthly
A Super Visa policy can be paid in monthly instalments. You pay a policy issue fee and a first payment up front, then the rest of the premium month by month. The quote shows each amount. Our monthly payment guide compares how insurers do this.
7Waiting Period and Time Outside Canada
If you buy the policy after the visitor arrives in Canada, a sickness that starts or shows symptoms in the first days is not covered:
| When you buy | Waiting period |
|---|---|
| Before arrival | None |
| Within 30 days of arrival | 48 hours after the effective date |
| More than 30 days after arrival | 8 days after the effective date |
The waiting period applies to sickness only.
One policy lasts up to 365 days. The visitor must spend at least 51% of that time in Canada, and each visit outside Canada can last up to 30 days. Our waiting period guide explains how other insurers set theirs.
8Renewing and Changing Dates
There is no renewal of the same policy. To keep coverage, you buy a new Secure Travel Visitors to Canada policy.
There is no new waiting period if you buy the new policy on or before the old one expires, it starts the day after the old one ends, and you do not raise the coverage amount. Any gap between the two policies brings the waiting period back.
Need to change the start date before coverage starts? Your advisor can change the dates on the policy. See our Super Visa renewal guide for how to plan a second year.
9Refunds and Cancellations
If the Super Visa or visa is refused, you get a refund with proof of the refusal from IRCC.
After coverage starts, you can cancel only in these cases, and an administration fee applies:
- The visitor went home early, shown by boarding passes
- The visitor received a provincial health card, shown by a copy with the issue date
- The visitor is now covered by a work insurance plan, shown by a copy with the issue date
Cancelling before the start date for any other reason also has a fee. Our Super Visa refund guide covers every refund case.
10Frequently Asked Questions
Can Secure Travel visitors insurance be used for a Super Visa?
Yes. Secure Travel Visitors to Canada is the Secure Travel plan for Super Visa applicants. IRCC sets the minimum coverage, so check the current IRCC rules before you choose a coverage amount.
Does Secure Travel cover pre-existing conditions?
Only on Plan 2. A condition must be stable for 90 days before coverage starts up to age 69, or 180 days at ages 70 to 84, and every medical declaration answer must be no. Plan 1 covers no pre-existing conditions.
What is the age limit for Secure Travel visitors insurance?
People from 15 days old to under 90 can apply. Pre-existing coverage on Plan 2 stops at age 84. From 85 to 89 the visitor can be insured, but pre-existing conditions are not covered.
Does Secure Travel refund the premium if the Super Visa is refused?
Yes. If the policy was bought for a Super Visa application and the visa is refused, Secure Travel refunds it with satisfactory proof of the refusal from IRCC.
Is there a waiting period if we buy after arrival?
Yes. If you buy within 30 days of arrival, sickness in the first 48 hours is not covered. If you buy more than 30 days after arrival, the waiting period is 8 days. There is no waiting period if you buy before arrival.
Can I pay for Secure Travel Super Visa insurance monthly?
Yes. A Super Visa policy can be paid in monthly instalments. You pay a policy issue fee and a first payment up front, then the rest month by month. The quote shows each amount.
What is the difference between Standard and Enhanced?
Enhanced has higher limits for prescriptions, dental and return of remains, and adds benefits such as meals and accommodation and transportation of a family member to the bedside. Plan 1 or Plan 2 is a separate choice about pre-existing conditions.
Can the visitor travel outside Canada during the policy?
Yes, for up to 30 days per visit. The visitor must spend at least 51% of the policy period in Canada, and one policy lasts up to 365 days.
Ready to Buy Secure Travel or Compare First?
Buy Secure Travel Visitors to Canada online, or compare it with other Super Visa insurers on one page. Call (416) 477-1516 or email cs@egeinsure.ca. Advisors available in 8 languages.