Sponsoring my sister

[James John]

Hello,

I hoping to apply to sponsor my parents (Dad + Mom) after 3 years (When I meet the income criteria for 3 consecutive years). My sister will be 19 at the time. Can she be included in the application as a dependent? If so, what is the maximum age to still be considered a dependent (I heard its 22 but not sure)? I don't know if this information is required but I am not married.

If sponsoring my sister under my parents application is possible, what requirements do I have to meet to be able to sponsor all 3 of them?

Thank you

 

[scylla]

Hello,

I hoping to apply to sponsor my parents (Dad + Mom) after 3 years (When I meet the income criteria for 3 consecutive years). My sister will be 19 at the time. Can she be included in the application as a dependent? If so, what is the maximum age to still be considered a dependent (I heard its 22 but not sure)? I don't know if this information is required but I am not married.

If sponsoring my sister under my parents application is possible, what requirements do I have to meet to be able to sponsor all 3 of them?

Thank you

Yes, your sister can be included as a dependent provided she is unmarried / not in a common law relationship at that time. The maximum age she can be included is 21. Once she turns 22, she will be too old to be classified as a dependent. The application must reach IRCC before she turns 22.

You need to meet income requirements to be able to sponsor all of them. Obviously you must also wait for the PGP lottery to reopen and then be selected as a sponsor as well. The full applications details / requirements are on the IRCC website.

 

[James John]

Yes, your sister can be included as a dependent provided she is unmarried / not in a common law relationship at that time. The maximum age she can be included is 21. Once she turns 22, she will be too old to be classified as a dependent. The application must reach IRCC before she turns 22.

You need to meet income requirements to be able to sponsor all of them. Obviously you must also wait for the PGP lottery to reopen and then be selected as a sponsor as well. The full applications details / requirements are on the IRCC website.

Thank you! I am wondering how does the Lottery system work? Let us say that I met the Income Criteria for 2024,2025, and 2026. Would I apply in 2027 and then wait for an invitation (Get selected in the lottery)? What if I got an invitation 3 years later and by that time my sister is already over 22? Or it doesn't matter, its at the date you show interest on? Also, on average, how long do people wait from "Showing interest" to getting invited?

 

[Naturgrl]

Thank you! I am wondering how does the Lottery system work? Let us say that I met the Income Criteria for 2024,2025, and 2026. Would I apply in 2027 and then wait for an invitation (Get selected in the lottery)? What if I got an invitation 3 years later and by that time my sister is already over 22? Or it doesn't matter, its at the date you show interest on? Also, on average, how long do people wait from "Showing interest" to getting invited?

Right now, the program has only been open to 2020 profiles and there are about 100k profiles in the 2020 system. If it does open up to new profiles expect hundreds of thousands of applicaitons. It is a lottery for about 15k spots per year. So you may be selected the first year, wait years or never be selected. You apply when you meet LICO for three consecutive years for the number of people in your family including spouse and children. If you are applying in 2027 (if program exists or has been changed) then assume your sister will be 22 and not eligible

Your sister must not be over 22 when you are selected. It is not based on when you submit a profile but when you are selected in the lottery.

 

[James John]

Right now, the program has only been open to 2020 profiles and there are about 100k profiles in the 2020 system. If it does open up to new profiles expect hundreds of thousands of applicaitons. It is a lottery for about 15k spots per year. So you may be selected the first year, wait years or never be selected. You apply when you meet LICO for three consecutive years for the number of people in your family including spouse and children. If you are applying in 2027 (if program exists or has been changed) then assume your sister will be 22 and not eligible

Your sister must not be over 22 when you are selected. It is not based on when you submit a profile but when you are selected in the lottery.

Thank you Naturgrl. Do we know how many people showed interest in 2021/2022/2023? So now, anyone who showed interest in 2021,2022 and 2023 is being ignored until everyone who showed interest in 2020 has been sent an invitation? If so, what is the benefit of the lottery system? Why not just make it in order? Also can I show interest ASAP or only after I meet the income requirements?

 

[Naturgrl]

Thank you Naturgrl. Do we know how many people showed interest in 2021/2022/2023? So now, anyone who showed interest in 2021,2022 and 2023 is being ignored until everyone who showed interest in 2020 has been sent an invitation? If so, what is the benefit of the lottery system? Why not just make it in order?

The program hasn’t been open since 2020 so no new profiles since then. There are about 100k profiles still in the 2020 pool. Right now selecting only from that year. This is a program that only approves 15k per year with 100,000s wanting an invitation. When it reopens, expect half a million. How would you select in order? Some want only Canadian citizens to be eligible for example.

When are you eligible if program is still around or has not been changed?

 

[scylla]

Thank you! I am wondering how does the Lottery system work? Let us say that I met the Income Criteria for 2024,2025, and 2026. Would I apply in 2027 and then wait for an invitation (Get selected in the lottery)? What if I got an invitation 3 years later and by that time my sister is already over 22? Or it doesn't matter, its at the date you show interest on? Also, on average, how long do people wait from "Showing interest" to getting invited?

Yes, you would wait until 2027 to enter the lottery and then wait to be selected. If you get the invitation 3 years later, your sister will be too old to be included. You must be selected through the lottery AND submit your complete application before your sister turns 22 in order for her to be included. There are no averages available for how long people wait.

 

[scylla]

Thank you Naturgrl. Do we know how many people showed interest in 2021/2022/2023? So now, anyone who showed interest in 2021,2022 and 2023 is being ignored until everyone who showed interest in 2020 has been sent an invitation? If so, what is the benefit of the lottery system? Why not just make it in order? Also can I show interest ASAP or only after I meet the income requirements?

The program has been closed to new entries for several years. No one has been able to show interest in 2021/2022/2023.

You can only show interest once you meet the income requirements.

IRCC could certainly switch to just processing applications in order vs. lottery. They used to do this at one point. This would work against you since there are many people who have been waiting longer than you and they would be processed first. The lottery actually works in your favour.

 

[James John]

The program has been closed to new entries for several years. No one has been able to show interest in 2021/2022/2023.

You can only show interest once you meet the income requirements.

IRCC could certainly switch to just processing applications in order vs. lottery. They used to do this at one point. This would work against you since there are many people who have been waiting longer than you and they would be processed first. The lottery actually works in your favour.

Thanks! So that means, for example, if its opens for new entries (People are able to show interest) in 2025 and I do not meet the income criteria for 3 consecutive years before 2025 (2022,2023,2024), I would have to wait for the next one which would probably be in 2030+ and then maybe 3-4 years after to get selected?

 

[Naturgrl]

Thanks! So that means, for example, if its opens for new entries (People are able to show interest) in 2025 and I do not meet the income criteria for 3 consecutive years before 2025 (2022,2023,2024), I would have to wait for the next one which would probably be in 2030+ and then maybe 3-4 years after to get selected?

First, you need to meet LICO for 3 consecutive years. If your first year of eligibility is in 2025 (LICO for 2022/3/4) and the program is open to new profiles, you can submit. If you have yet to get 3 years then you wait until eligible. So if 2024 is you first year meeting LICO then you need to meet LICO in 2025 and 2026. If open, you can submit in 2027. Now you may or may not get one of the few spots that year or reapply. You always want to maintain LICO for every year. Are you meeting LICO now? Are you single?

 

[scylla]

Thanks! So that means, for example, if its opens for new entries (People are able to show interest) in 2025 and I do not meet the income criteria for 3 consecutive years before 2025 (2022,2023,2024), I would have to wait for the next one which would probably be in 2030+ and then maybe 3-4 years after to get selected?

No, not necessarily. First of all, we don't know when the program will reopen to new entries. Secondly, once is reopens, we don't know how frequently the program will accept new applicants (it used to open each year), Thirdly, IRCC could completely change the structure of the program. It's really impossible for any of us to say what the situation will be in 2025, nevermind later.

All you can do is focus on meeting the income requirements each year and making sure you are making enough income to cover your parents, your sister, and yourself. Also keep in mind that if you get married and/or have children, your income requirement will go up.

 

[James John]

First, you need to meet LICO for 3 consecutive years. If your first year of eligibility is in 2025 (LICO for 2022/3/4) and the program is open to new profiles, you can submit. If you have yet to get 3 years then you wait until eligible. So if 2024 is you first year meeting LICO then you need to meet LICO in 2025 and 2026. If open, you can submit in 2027. Now you may or may not get one of the few spots that year or reapply. You always want to maintain LICO for every year. Are you meeting LICO now? Are you single?

For how long did the program open for new profiles previously? For example, if it opens from 2025-2026, I wont be able to "Show interest" because I did not meet the LICO in 2023 so I would have to wait until it opens some time after 2027 (Which I would assume would be 2030+ at the current rates) or hope that if it opened in 2025, it stays open until 2027. What is the LICO if I want to get both my parents and sister? I am currently single. It just does not seem worth it for me if my understanding is correct (If I had to show interest in 2031 and then for example get invited in 2034). I have the option of moving closer to where they live and make more money than I would make in Canada. Also, if I met the LICO in 2024/5/6 and not in 2027 and it opens in 2028 for new profiles, could I still apply or not because I did not meet it in 2027?

 

[James John]

No, not necessarily. First of all, we don't know when the program will reopen to new entries. Secondly, once is reopens, we don't know how frequently the program will accept new applicants (it used to open each year), Thirdly, IRCC could completely change the structure of the program. It's really impossible for any of us to say what the situation will be in 2025, nevermind later.

All you can do is focus on meeting the income requirements each year and making sure you are making enough income to cover your parents, your sister, and yourself. Also keep in mind that if you get married and/or have children, your income requirement will go up.

If we assume the same process remains, then it seems 2030+ easily. I would prefer to just move closer to them and make more money especially with all this uncertainty.

 

[Naturgrl]

For how long did the program open for new profiles previously? For example, if it opens from 2025-2026, I wont be able to "Show interest" because I did not meet the LICO in 2023 so I would have to wait until it opens some time after 2027 (Which I would assume would be 2030+ at the current rates) or hope that if it opened in 2025, it stays open until 2027. What is the LICO if I want to get both my parents and sister? I am currently single. It just does not seem worth it for me if my understanding is correct (If I had to show interest in 2031 and then for example get invited in 2034). I have the option of moving closer to where they live and make more money than I would make in Canada. Also, if I met the LICO in 2024/5/6 and not in 2027 and it opens in 2028 for new profiles, could I still apply or not because I did not meet it in 2027?

Up until 2020 it was open every year with hundreds of thousands of profiles submitted. With Covid, IRCC decided to only pick from 2020 and has been doing that every year since then. LICO for 2022 for 4 people is $64k and LICO for 2023 is not yet announced. LICO must be met consecutively so if you don’t meet it one year, the three years starts again. So if you didn’t meet LICO in 2027 and it opens in 2028, you would not be eligible.

Your sister would not be eligible in a couple of years. Your parents also have to pass the medical. This is a big decision and many people when they move to Canada just assume parents can move with them very quickly. That is not the case. If you meet LICO then they can apply for supervisas (pass medical, one year health insurance) and stay up to 10 years. They cannot work or access provincial healthcare/social services.

 

[scylla]

If we assume the same process remains, then it seems 2030+ easily. I would prefer to just move closer to them and make more money especially with all this uncertainty.

Sure, you can do that. Obviously your call.