Quick answer
No to both. Super Visa holders are visitors: they can't work in Canada without a separate permit, and they aren't covered by OHIP or any provincial health plan. That's why private medical insurance is mandatory for the whole stay. They can live with family, travel, take short courses, and in general help care for their own grandchildren.
What Super Visa parents can do
- Live with their children and grandchildren for up to 5 years at a time
- Leave and re-enter Canada while the visa is valid
- Travel around Canada
- Take short courses or programs for personal interest
- Help look after their own grandchildren as family (generally not treated as work)
- Use doctors, clinics and hospitals, paid for through their private insurance
What they can't do
- Work for a Canadian employer or run a business here without a work permit
- Get OHIP or any provincial health card
- Get government benefits available to residents
- Stay indefinitely. Super Visa holders are expected to leave at the end of their authorized stay, or apply to extend before it ends
So what pays for a doctor's visit?
Their Super Visa insurance. That's why the policy matters so much:
- Walk-in clinic or family doctor visits for a new illness are usually covered, subject to the deductible
- Emergency hospital care, tests and ambulance are the core of every plan
- Routine check-ups and ongoing treatment of a known condition generally aren't covered
- Stable pre-existing conditions are covered only if you chose a plan that includes them
Without insurance, visitors pay hospital rates of several thousand dollars a day (see real 2026 rates).
Can they ever join OHIP?
Only by becoming permanent residents, for example through the Parents and Grandparents Program. New PGP intake was paused on July 15, 2026 (see what the pause means). Until then, private insurance is the only health coverage they'll have.
Sources
- IRCC — Super visa for parents and grandparents
- IRCC notice — Canada takes steps to responsibly manage the Parents and Grandparents Program (July 15, 2026)
- IRCC notice — Change to health insurance requirement makes the super visa more accessible
We check these pages regularly, but government rules change. Always confirm on canada.ca before you apply. Pankaj Bhatia is a licensed insurance advisor, not an immigration consultant or lawyer.
Common questions
Can Super Visa holders work in Canada?
No. The Super Visa doesn't allow work. A parent would need a separate work permit.
Do Super Visa parents get OHIP?
No. They're visitors and aren't eligible for OHIP or any provincial plan, so private insurance is mandatory.
Can grandparents on a Super Visa babysit their grandchildren?
Looking after their own grandchildren as family is generally not treated as work. Paid childcare for other families would be work.
Does Super Visa insurance cover walk-in clinic visits?
Most plans cover clinic visits for a new illness or injury, subject to the deductible. Routine check-ups aren't covered.
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