Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

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Registrant Name

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JOHN HANCOCK VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST

Prospectus Date

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Apr. 30, 2012

Supplement Text Block

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John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust
Supplement dated June 29, 2012
to the Prospectus dated April 30, 2012

Natural Resources Trust

The following information supplements and supersedes any information to the contrary relating to the Natural Resources Trust, a series of John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust (the “Trust”), contained in the Prospectus dated as noted above.

In the “Principal investment strategies” section in the fund’s Summary section, the following paragraphs are revised and restated as follows:

Other Natural Resources-Based Companies. Other natural resources sectors consist of companies engaged in producing, processing and distributing agricultural products, fertilizer and miscellaneous raw materials and other commodities not included in the sectors above.

The fund may invest without limitation in foreign securities, including emerging markets. The fund utilizes currency forwards and other currency hedging transactions in an effort to protect the value of the fund’s assets when a subadviser deems it advisable to do so. The fund also may enter into derivative currency transactions, including currency forwards, cross currency forwards and options on currencies. The fund’s derivative transactions will typically be fully collateralized on a net basis. The fund’s investments in derivative currency transactions may result in net short exposure to a particular currency that is not offset by a long position in another currency. Under normal market conditions, the fund is fully invested.

Wellington Management uses a value-based approach to invest in a broad range of natural resources sectors for the portion of the fund Wellington manages. Wellington Management utilizes a moderate rotation among sectors in conjunction with bottom-up stock selection. Natural resources companies often operate in countries that are different from the country in which their securities trade. Country allocation is primarily a result of the sector and security selection; however, a key element of Wellington Management’s analysis is understanding the economic and political dynamics of each of these countries.

Wellington Management utilizes fundamental research to identify companies with attractive growth prospects, assets and relative values. Wellington Management also considers the volatility and ranges of commodity prices in seeking opportunities to buy or sell securities at attractive prices relative to a company’s potential over a longer investment cycle. A large number of companies worldwide in the relevant sub-sectors are monitored and stocks are added or deleted from the fund on the basis of relative attractiveness. Wellington Management uses a variety of tools such as income statement and balance sheet analysis, cash flow projections and asset value calculations to analyze companies. Particularly in the oil and gas industry, specific accounting issues play an important role.

In evaluating investments for the portion of the fund RS Investments manages, RS Investments’ investment team conducts fundamental analysis focused on the following factors: supply cost curve of a given commodity, asset location along that curve to identify “advantaged assets,” inventory of future projects which provide the basis for future value creation, management team quality to determine capital allocation discipline and history of value creation, and country risk. RS Investments’ investment team believes that investments in the securities of advantaged producers run by capable management teams can create value for long-term investors independent of commodity prices. Valuation is an important part of the investment process. RS Investments’ investment team seeks to purchase securities in companies with these characteristics when the investment team believes the price reflects a limited possibility of permanent capital impairment.

The following risk is added to the Principal risks section:

Medium and smaller company risk. The prices of medium and smaller company stocks can change more frequently and dramatically than those of large company stocks. For purposes of the fund’s investment policies, the market capitalization of a company is based on its market capitalization at the time the fund purchases the company’s securities. Market capitalizations of companies change over time.

In the fund’s summary section, under the “Past performance” section, the “Average annual total returns” table is revised and replaced with the following:

	One			Five			Since			Date of
Average annual total returns for period ended 12/31/2011	Year			Year			Inception			Inception
Series I		-20.29	%		-0.10	%		14.37	%		05/05/03
Series II		-20.38	%		-0.29	%		14.14	%		05/05/03
Series NAV		-20.27	%		-0.06	%		14.41	%		02/28/05
MSCI World Energy Index (Gross of foreign withholding taxes on dividends)*		0.69	%		3.17	%		13.53	%		N/A
MSCI World Metals & Mining Index (Gross of foreign withholding taxes on dividends)*		-27.48	%		0.84	%		16.98	%		N/A
MSCI World Paper & Forest Products Index (former benchmark)		-17.75	%		-7.82	%		0.33	%		N/A
60% MSCI World Energy/ 30% MSCI World Metals & Mining/ 10% MSCI World Paper & Forest Products Combined Index (former benchmark)		-10.19	%		2.01	%		13.77	%		N/A
60% MSCI World Energy/ 40% MSCI World Metals & Mining Index (Gross of foreign withholding taxes on dividends) *		-11.37	%		2.73	%		14.50	%		N/A

* Prior to July 16, 2012, the fund compared its performance to 60% MSCI World Energy/ 30% MSCI World Metals & Mining/ 10% MSCI World Paper & Forest Products Combined Index. After this date, the fund replaced this index with the 60% MSCI World Energy/ 40% MSCI World Metals & Mining Combined Index, which better reflects the subadvisers’ outlook on the fund’s investments and allocations to natural resources sectors.

Natural Resources Trust

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Supplement Text Block

jhvit_SupplementTextBlock

John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust
Supplement dated June 29, 2012
to the Prospectus dated April 30, 2012

Natural Resources Trust

The following information supplements and supersedes any information to the contrary relating to the Natural Resources Trust, a series of John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust (the “Trust”), contained in the Prospectus dated as noted above.

In the “Principal investment strategies” section in the fund’s Summary section, the following paragraphs are revised and restated as follows:

Other Natural Resources-Based Companies. Other natural resources sectors consist of companies engaged in producing, processing and distributing agricultural products, fertilizer and miscellaneous raw materials and other commodities not included in the sectors above.

The fund may invest without limitation in foreign securities, including emerging markets. The fund utilizes currency forwards and other currency hedging transactions in an effort to protect the value of the fund’s assets when a subadviser deems it advisable to do so. The fund also may enter into derivative currency transactions, including currency forwards, cross currency forwards and options on currencies. The fund’s derivative transactions will typically be fully collateralized on a net basis. The fund’s investments in derivative currency transactions may result in net short exposure to a particular currency that is not offset by a long position in another currency. Under normal market conditions, the fund is fully invested.

Wellington Management uses a value-based approach to invest in a broad range of natural resources sectors for the portion of the fund Wellington manages. Wellington Management utilizes a moderate rotation among sectors in conjunction with bottom-up stock selection. Natural resources companies often operate in countries that are different from the country in which their securities trade. Country allocation is primarily a result of the sector and security selection; however, a key element of Wellington Management’s analysis is understanding the economic and political dynamics of each of these countries.

Wellington Management utilizes fundamental research to identify companies with attractive growth prospects, assets and relative values. Wellington Management also considers the volatility and ranges of commodity prices in seeking opportunities to buy or sell securities at attractive prices relative to a company’s potential over a longer investment cycle. A large number of companies worldwide in the relevant sub-sectors are monitored and stocks are added or deleted from the fund on the basis of relative attractiveness. Wellington Management uses a variety of tools such as income statement and balance sheet analysis, cash flow projections and asset value calculations to analyze companies. Particularly in the oil and gas industry, specific accounting issues play an important role.

In evaluating investments for the portion of the fund RS Investments manages, RS Investments’ investment team conducts fundamental analysis focused on the following factors: supply cost curve of a given commodity, asset location along that curve to identify “advantaged assets,” inventory of future projects which provide the basis for future value creation, management team quality to determine capital allocation discipline and history of value creation, and country risk. RS Investments’ investment team believes that investments in the securities of advantaged producers run by capable management teams can create value for long-term investors independent of commodity prices. Valuation is an important part of the investment process. RS Investments’ investment team seeks to purchase securities in companies with these characteristics when the investment team believes the price reflects a limited possibility of permanent capital impairment.

The following risk is added to the Principal risks section:

Medium and smaller company risk. The prices of medium and smaller company stocks can change more frequently and dramatically than those of large company stocks. For purposes of the fund’s investment policies, the market capitalization of a company is based on its market capitalization at the time the fund purchases the company’s securities. Market capitalizations of companies change over time.

In the fund’s summary section, under the “Past performance” section, the “Average annual total returns” table is revised and replaced with the following:

	One			Five			Since			Date of
Average annual total returns for period ended 12/31/2011	Year			Year			Inception			Inception
Series I		-20.29	%		-0.10	%		14.37	%		05/05/03
Series II		-20.38	%		-0.29	%		14.14	%		05/05/03
Series NAV		-20.27	%		-0.06	%		14.41	%		02/28/05
MSCI World Energy Index (Gross of foreign withholding taxes on dividends)*		0.69	%		3.17	%		13.53	%		N/A
MSCI World Metals & Mining Index (Gross of foreign withholding taxes on dividends)*		-27.48	%		0.84	%		16.98	%		N/A
MSCI World Paper & Forest Products Index (former benchmark)		-17.75	%		-7.82	%		0.33	%		N/A
60% MSCI World Energy/ 30% MSCI World Metals & Mining/ 10% MSCI World Paper & Forest Products Combined Index (former benchmark)		-10.19	%		2.01	%		13.77	%		N/A
60% MSCI World Energy/ 40% MSCI World Metals & Mining Index (Gross of foreign withholding taxes on dividends) *		-11.37	%		2.73	%		14.50	%		N/A

* Prior to July 16, 2012, the fund compared its performance to 60% MSCI World Energy/ 30% MSCI World Metals & Mining/ 10% MSCI World Paper & Forest Products Combined Index. After this date, the fund replaced this index with the 60% MSCI World Energy/ 40% MSCI World Metals & Mining Combined Index, which better reflects the subadvisers’ outlook on the fund’s investments and allocations to natural resources sectors.