Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents can qualify for permanent residence through Canada’s Parents and Grandparents Program.
Canada currently targets 23,500 new permanent residents per year through the program, according to the immigration levels plan announced in October 2020.
More recently, Canada announced it would accept an extra 30,000 applications for the PGP in 2021, bringing the total acceptance this year up to 40,000, with 10,000 that were delayed from 2020 due to COVID-19.
The extra 30,000 places will be selected at random from the interest to sponsor forms submitted for the 2020 intake. A new window for the submission of forms is not expected this year.
To qualify, the Canadian citizen or permanent resident who wishes to bring in their parent or grandparent must first meet the requirements to become a sponsor.
Requirements include a minimum income level, as well as an undertaking to be financially responsible for the parent or grandparent for 20 years after the date they become a permanent resident of Canada.
Parents and Grandparents Program: Process
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) operates a lottery system for the PGP.
Citizens and permanent residents must submit an Interest to Sponsor form, before being placed in a pool.
IRCC makes random draws from the pool and issues Invitations to Apply.
The sponsors and their parents and grandparents then have 60 days to submit a full application.
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Who Is Eligible To Sponsor Parents Or Grandparents?
Sponsors must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Live in Canada.
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
- Have enough money to support those they want to sponsor by meeting minimum income requirements for the previous three years. Candidates can include a co-signer in their application, allowing the combined income to be considered.
Sponsors must also:
- Agree to financially support the parent or grandparent for 20 years from the date they are approved for permanent residence.
- Reimburse the government for any social assistance paid out to the parent or grandparent during that time.
Sponsors Who Live In Quebec
Sponsors who live in Quebec must meet the Quebec immigration sponsorship requirements after being approved as a sponsor by IRCC. The Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) also assess the sponsor’s income and requires an undertaking to be signed.
Parents and Grandparents Program: Who Can Be Sponsored?
- Citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption.
- In cases of divorce or separation, the spouses or common-law partners of parents and grandparents are also eligible.
- A sponsor’s brothers and sisters, or half brothers and sisters, are only eligible if they qualify as dependent children.
- More than one person or couple can be sponsors if the financial requirements are met.
Parents and Grandparents Super Visa
Those not successful in the PGP process should consider the Parents and Grandparents Super Visa, which allows a parent or grandparent to visit Canada for up to two years at a time. A super visa allows multiple entries for up to 10 years.
