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Staying longer · Updated October 2026

Extending visitors insurance in Canada: stretch the stay and the cover without a gap

Two deadlines matter: the date on your visitor status and the expiry date on the policy. Act before both.

A parent who planned three months decides to stay for the grandchild's birthday, or a visitor wants to see a Canadian winter. Staying longer means two separate jobs: asking IRCC for permission to stay, and making sure the medical insurance runs to the new date. Neither one does the other for you.

By Pankaj Bhatia, CHS, PFA Updated
Plan the dates Waiting periods

In short

To stay longer, apply to IRCC for a visitor record online, at least 30 days before your status ends; the fee is $100 per person. If you apply before it ends, you can stay while IRCC decides. For the insurance, ask your insurer to extend before the policy expires: most allow it only if there has been no claim and no change in health, and conditions treated during the first policy are usually excluded. A new policy bought in Canada after a gap has a 48-hour to 8-day waiting period for sickness. Buying it before the old one ends, with no gap, avoids that on several plans.

Two separate extensions

One is immigration, one is insurance. Do both, in this order.

1. The stay: IRCC visitor record

What
A visitor record, which sets a new date to leave. It is not a visa.
When
At least 30 days before current status ends
Fee
$100 per person
How
Online application to IRCC
Send
Reason for staying, ID, proof of status, proof of funds, departure plan
Waiting
Stay under the same conditions until IRCC decides, if applied in time
Source: IRCC Guide 5551 and fee list, checked October 2026.

2. The cover: visitors insurance

What
An extension of the current policy, or a new policy
When
Before the current policy expires; GMS asks for 48 hours' notice
Conditions
Usually no claim and no change in health since the start
Limit
Usually 365 days in total; TuGo up to a 2-year trip
Excluded
Conditions treated during the first policy, on most plans
Gap
A new policy after a gap starts with a waiting period
Source: policy wordings and the insurer pages on this site.

Extending the stay with IRCC

Most visitors are allowed to stay up to 6 months, unless the border officer wrote a different date in the passport or on a visitor record. To stay longer, your parent applies online for a visitor record. IRCC says to apply at least 30 days before the current status expires. The fee is $100 per person, and biometrics may be needed unless they were given recently and are still valid, or your parent is 80 or older.

The application should explain why they want to stay longer, and include proof of identity and current status, proof of how they will be supported (a letter from you and a bank statement, for example) and the planned departure date and travel.

If your parent applies before the status ends, they keep their status under the same conditions until IRCC decides. If the deadline has already passed, they may apply to restore status within 90 days; the fee is $246.25 and approval is not guaranteed.

Super Visa holders have more room: up to 5 years per entry, and they can apply to extend by up to 2 years at a time from inside Canada. The insurance must keep running for the whole extended stay.

Extension date planner

Enter the dates. You'll see the last safe day to apply to IRCC, when to contact the insurer, and the waiting period a new policy bought today would have.

A planning aid from IRCC guidance and insurers' published waiting periods. Destination and TravCare count from the day the visitor left home, not arrival. Each wording decides coverage.

Extension rules and waiting periods by insurer

"Waiting period" means sickness that starts in those first days of a new policy bought in Canada is not covered. Injuries are usually covered from the start.

InsurerExtending the current policyNew policy bought in Canada: waiting period
TuGoBefore expiry, online or by phone. No doctor visits and no symptoms since the start; total trip up to 2 years. Otherwise at TuGo's discretion, with related conditions excluded. An admin fee may apply.48 hours if bought within 60 days of arrival; 7 days at 61 days or more
Destination: CanadaBuy a new coverage period before the current one ends. Each period is a separate contract; after a claim Destination reviews the file first.48 hours if bought within 30 days of leaving home; 7 days later. Waived with no gap and proof of earlier cover
Secure Travel (RIMI)Ask before expiry. No health change since the start; conditions treated during the first policy are excluded. The insurer can decline.48 hours if bought within 30 days of arrival; 8 days later. Waived when renewing RIMI before expiry
ManulifeCall before the policy expires to add days, if there has been no claim and no change in health.72 hours within 30 days of arrival; 7 days at 31+
GMSContact GMS 48 hours before expiry. No medical treatment during the policy, total cover up to 1 year, and under 80 on the extension start date.2 days if applying within 30 days of arrival; 7 days later
TruStone HealthUp to 365 days in total, if no claim is submitted or payable and no new medical conditions. Insurer's discretion.5 days; waived if other Canadian travel cover runs to the start date
JF Visitor to CanadaUp to 365 days per policy, including extensions.48 hours within 30 days of arrival; 7 days later; 15 days at 86+
MSH Discover CanadaSee the policy wording.48 hours to age 70; 5 days at 71+
TravCareSee the policy wording.48 hours within 30 days of leaving home; 8 days later
AwayCare TrueNorthUp to 365 days in total. Request and pay before expiry to avoid a new waiting period; health changes or claims need insurer approval.48 hours after arrival or a gap in cover

How to extend without losing cover

  1. Start a month earlyThe IRCC application and the insurance both have deadlines before the end date. A month gives time to compare.
  2. Ask the current insurer firstIf your parent has had no claim and no change in health, an extension is usually the simplest path and avoids a new waiting period.
  3. Count health changes from the visitA new pill or a doctor visit in Canada counts as a change. For a new policy, the stability clock starts from that date. See the pre-existing conditions guide.
  4. No gap, not even one dayStart the new policy the day after the old one ends. Destination, RIMI and TruStone waive or shorten the waiting period only when there is no gap.
  5. Check age limitsSome plans stop at certain ages, such as GMS extensions at 80. Pankaj can check which plans fit at the new age.
  6. Keep the confirmationSuper Visa holders should carry the new policy and keep a copy with any extension application.

Short delays are covered automatically on many plans: up to 72 hours on RIMI and Destination if a flight is delayed, and longer while a visitor is in hospital on the expiry date. That is not a substitute for extending.

Buy online from leading insurers

Press Buy online to go to the insurer's secure page, or compare them all in one quote first.

Questions about extending a visit and visitors insurance

How do visitors extend their stay in Canada?

By applying to IRCC for a visitor record, online, before their current status ends.

A visitor record is not a visa; it sets a new date to leave. IRCC says to apply at least 30 days before the status expires, and the fee is $100 per person. Include the reason for staying, proof of status, proof of funds and the departure plan.

Can my parents stay in Canada while IRCC decides?

Yes, if they applied before their status expired. Their visitor status continues under the same conditions until IRCC decides.

This is called maintained status. If the application is returned as incomplete, it counts as never filed, so check it carefully before submitting.

What if their status has already expired?

They may be able to apply to restore it within 90 days of losing status. The restoration fee is $246.25, and approval is not guaranteed.

Insurance does not stop because status expired, but some policies end coverage on a set date. Keep both in force.

Does extending the stay extend the insurance?

No. The insurance is a separate contract with its own expiry date, and you must extend or replace it yourself.

Super Visa holders must keep insurance for the whole stay, including any extension IRCC approves. For a visitor record application, IRCC's guide does not list insurance, but a hospital stay without it would be billed at non-resident rates.

Can we extend if my father had a claim during the visit?

Sometimes, but the insurer reviews the file first and the condition that was treated is usually excluded from the extension.

RIMI, for example, excludes any condition treated during the first policy. Compare that with a new policy, whose stability rules will also count the recent treatment.

Is it better to extend or to buy a new policy?

Extending is simpler if the insurer agrees. A new policy can be cheaper or cover more, but it may start with a waiting period and new medical questions.

Buy the new one before the old one ends, starting the day after expiry, so there is no gap. Several insurers waive the waiting period when there is no gap.

How long can a visitor policy be extended?

Usually up to 365 days in total per policy; TuGo allows a total trip of up to 2 years.

GMS also refuses extensions that start at age 80 or over.

How long can a Super Visa holder stay, and can they extend?

Super Visa holders can stay up to 5 years per entry and can apply to extend by up to 2 years at a time from inside Canada.

See Super Visa insurance requirements for what the insurance must cover.

Pankaj Bhatia, CHS, PFA

Written by Pankaj Bhatia, CHS, PFA

Insure In Canada Inc. · Licensed in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

Pankaj has sold visitors and Super Visa insurance for 11 years. When a visit runs longer, he checks whether the current insurer will extend, compares that with a new policy, and sets the dates so there is no gap.

Call 647-640-2222 · WhatsApp · About Pankaj

Sources and related pages

General information, not immigration or legal advice. IRCC fees and rules can change; check canada.ca before applying. Insurance extension rules and waiting periods are set by each policy wording; the wording governs.