Sponsor Parents and Grandparents for Canadian Immigration

Your parents and grandparents can enjoy the full benefits of Canadian permanent residence including being able to work in Canada, obtain health care, get full protection under Canadian law and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and apply to become a Canadian citizen once they meet the eligibility criteria.

The process for the 2021 PGP was as follows:

Step 1: Ensure you have meet the eligibility criteria.

Step 2: Have completed an Interest to Sponsor form on IRCC's website between October 13, 2020 (12:00 PM EDT) and November 3, 2020 (12:00 PM EST).

Step 3: Update the information you entered in the interest to sponsor forms you submitted in 2020.

Step 4: IRCC held a lottery between September 23, 2021 and until October 4, 2021 to invite up to 30,000 sponsors. Sponsors were given 60 days to submit completed sponsorship applications to IRCC.

To be eligible the 2021 Parents and Grandparents Program, sponsors must have met this criteria:

• Have completed an Interest to Sponsor form on IRCC's website between October 13, 2020 (12:00 PM EDT) and November 3, 2020 (12:00 PM EST).
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or a registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act;
• Be 18 years of age or older;
• Be residing in Canada (potential applicants will need to provide a proof of status during the Interest to Sponsor phase);
• Exceed the minimum necessary income level for this program (if married or in a common-law relationship, the income of both the sponsor and spouse can be included) and provide proof of income to IRCC; and
• Sign an undertaking
  • to financially support the sponsored for 20 years (starting when they become permanent residents); and
  • to repay any social assistance benefits paid to the sponsored family members (if applicable) for a period of 20 years.
  • If the sponsor resides in Quebec, an additional "undertaking" must be signed with the province of Quebec.

Applicants to the PGP will have to prove that they meet the minimum income requirements by submitting notices of assessment issued by the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) in support of their application.

Yes. You must meet the Quebec government's immigration sponsorship requirements after IRCC approves you as a sponsor. The Quebec government will also assess your income. You also need to sign another sponsorship undertaking with the province.

The process for the 2021 PGP was as follows:

Step 1: Ensure you have meet the eligibility criteria.

Step 2: Have completed an Interest to Sponsor form on IRCC's website between October 13, 2020 (12:00 PM EDT) and November 3, 2020 (12:00 PM EST).

Step 3: Update the information you entered in the interest to sponsor forms you submitted in 2020.

Step 4: IRCC conducted a random selection of up to 30,000 applications between September 23 and October 4.

Step 5: If selected in the draw, sponsors are given 60 days to submit a completed sponsorship application to IRCC.

Step 6: Obtain a Quebec Selection Certificate ("CSQ" in French) by applying to the Quebec government. Once it is obtained, submit it to IRCC.

You must have exceeded the Minimum Necessary Income requirement set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for each of the past 3 taxation years before the date that you submit your application. The Minimum Necessary Income requirement is different for sponsors living in Quebec. Your MNI is assessed based on your Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment.

The following table shows Minimum Necessary Income requirements for the 2021 Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) if you live outside of Quebec:

If you live in Quebec, you are deemed capable of fulfilling a sponsorship undertaking if you have had gross income from Canadian sources equal to the total amount of income in Table 1 and Table 2, below, within the past 12 months preceding your application and demonstrate that you will continue to have it for the duration of your undertaking.

Table 2 only refers to the person being sponsored. Sponsors need to add the correct figure from Table 1 to the correct figure in Table 2 to determine the Mini Principal applicants should add the relevant figure from Table 1 above to the relevant figure in the right-side column of Table 2 to arrive at the Minimum Necessary Income requirement.

Individuals are not eligible to sponsor a parent and/or grandparent if they:

• Are less than 18 years old;
• Will not live in Canada when applying to sponsor the parent and/or grandparent and/or when the sponsored parent and/or grandparent becomes a permanent resident;
  • A a potential sponsor, an applicant's primary residential address must be in Canada at the time of applying and until a decision is made on the application.
• Are not Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada, or a registered Indian in Canada;
• Are a temporary resident who is visiting, studying or working in Canada on a visa or permit;
• Have a permanent residence application that is still in process
  • A potential sponsor must have permanent resident status at the time of submitting the sponsorship application.
• Cannot show proof of income that demonstrates they has the required Minimum Necessary Income (MNI).

In addition, individuals may not be eligible to sponsor a parent and grandparent if they:

• Are in jail, prison, or penitentiary
• Did not pay back:
  • an immigration loan
  • a performance bond
  • court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support
• Did not give the financial support they agreed to when signing a sponsorship agreement to sponsor a relative in the past
• Declared bankruptcy and are not discharged
• Receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability
• Were convicted of a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence inside or outside Canada
• Cannot legally stay in Canada and must leave the country because they received a Removal Order.

IRCC may have additional reasons for considering a person ineligible to sponsor a parent and/or grandparent.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will accept up to 15,000 completed PGP 2022 applications. It accepted some 30,000 applications for the 2021 intake window and some 10,000 for the PGP 2020.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada seeks to have a fair and transparent lottery process. It removes all duplicate applications and ensures that the lottery is randomized. Ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria and complete the Interest to Sponsor form fully and accurately so that you have an opportunity to be among those selected.

Canadian citizens and/or permanent residents have another option to bring a parent or grandparent to Canada.

The Super Visa Program allows parents and grandparents to come to Canada as long-term visitors on a multi-entry visa that remains valid for up to 10 years. Unlike standard visitor visas, a Super Visa allows visa holders to stay in Canada for up to two years on initial entry to Canada.

To be eligible for the Super Visa program, parents and grandparents must meet standard visitor visa requirements. In addition, they must:

• Provide a written commitment of financial support from their child or grandchild in Canada;
• Show that the sponsor in Canada meets minimum income requirements;
• Prove they have purchased Canadian health insurance for at least one year; and
• Complete an immigration medical examination.

Depending on their nationality, parents/grandparents may require a Temporary Resident Visa in addition to the Super Visa.

The sponsor and the sponsor's co-signer, if applicable, are required to sign a sponsorship undertaking with the Government of Canada in which they promise to provide for the essential needs of the sponsored person(s) for 20 years from when they arrive to Canada.

20 years. Your obligations as a sponsor begin when the person(s) you are sponsoring and their accompanying dependents (if applicable) become permanent residents of Canada. The length of undertaking is 10 years for sponsors in Quebec.

Yes. In order to help you meet the Minimum Income Requirement, your co-signer can be your spouse or common-law partner. Your co-signer must provide proof of income for the last 3 taxation years before the date of your application. They must also meet the same eligibility requirements as you and must agree to adhere to the 20-year sponsorship undertaking period (the undertaking period is 10 years in Quebec).

Yes, but you need to list your other living parent or grandparent on your application to IRCC.

Yes, a Canadian permanent resident currently residing in Canada can sponsor their parents and grandparents to also obtain permanent residence.

The Canadian government has the authority to determine that a parent or grandparent is not allowed to enter Canada on health grounds if the person:

• poses a danger to public health,
• poses a danger to public safety or
• places excessive demand on health or social services.

Yes, EI and CERB are not regarded as social assistance by IRCC. You still must meet the Minimum Necessary Income requirement which is based on the total size of your family (which includes the number of parents, grandparents, and dependents you wish to sponsor).