The unique Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship program, as well as the Super Visa program, allow Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor parents and grandparents who wish to be reunited with their children and grandchildren.
Who is Eligible for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship?
To be able to sponsor, you must be:
- Canadian citizen or permanent resident,
- Currently live in Canada,
- Over 18 years old,
- Have enough money to sponsor your family,
One crucial point about sponsoring your parents and grandparents is that you must already be residing in Canada when you submit your application, unlike the spousal sponsorship application, where you can live outside Canada but commit to moving to Canada after your spouse receives permanent residency.
Another important distinction is that there are strict income requirements for sponsoring your parents and grandparents. If you don’t have enough income, your application will be automatically denied.
Process for the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship
There are 3 significant steps during the process of the Parents and Grandparents Program, these are:
- You send the interest to the sponsor form (also known as the “interest form” for short) during the application period. These dates change every year, so you have to check the IRCC website and news outlets constantly. For 2020, the submission period for the interest form was October 13 to November 3, but IRCC has not yet announced the dates for 2021.
- After the period to submit the form closes, IRCC randomly selects and invites potential sponsors. This is called an invitation to apply. We must emphasize that this does not mean your sponsorship has been approved.
- If you are invited to apply, you must submit the application package, which includes various documents such as your current financial status (to see if you’re eligible to sponsor your parents and/or grandparents), an undertaking agreement and so on. If all the documents in your application package are in order, your parents will be eligible to receive permanent resident status.
Minimum Income Requirements for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship
You need to submit information about your income for the last 3 tax years from the date you apply. So if you’re applying to sponsor your relatives, you’ll need the Notice of Assessment for 2020, 2019, and 2018. The amount of income you need to sponsor will change according to the number of people you’re sponsoring; the more people, the more income, naturally. Below you can find the table for the minimum income requirements:
| Number of People You’re Sponsoring | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 People | $32,899 | $41,007 | $40,379 |
| 3 People | $40,445 | $50,414 | $49,641 |
| 4 People | $49,106 | $61,209 | $60,271 |
| 5 People | $55,695 | $69,423 | $68,358 |
| 6 People | $62,814 | $78,296 | $77,095 |
| 7 People | $69,935 | $87,172 | $85,835 |
| Each Additional Person | $7,121 | $8,876 | $8,740 |
IRCC generally raises the income requirements by the rate of inflation each year; however, one interesting thing about the income requirements is that they are substantially reduced for 2020. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, income requirements have been lower than in the last two years.
You should also keep in mind that you would be signing an undertaking to sponsor your parents and grandparents for the next 20 years, whereas for a spouse, you would be signing an undertaking agreement for only 3 years.
What if I Don’t Meet the Minimum Income Requirements?
If you don’t meet the income requirements, you can still sponsor your parents and grandparents. To meet it, your spouse or common-law partner can be your co-signer. This way, you can show both of your incomes together so that you can meet the required level of income for the last 3 tax years. However, you and your co-signer should be aware that you will both be responsible for the undertaking, not just the sponsor.
What if My Application is not selected from the Draw?
Since the PGP applications are randomly selected, there is a chance that your application won’t be among the lucky selected ones. In that case, you can still bring your parents and grandparents into Canada with the “super visa,” as explained in more detail below.
What is a Super Visa, and who is Eligible for That?
If you aren’t invited to apply, your parents and grandparents can apply for a super visa, which is much easier than sponsoring your relatives through the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program. A super visa is a multi-entry visa that lasts for 10 years; however, it differs from a regular visitor visa because it allows your parents to stay in Canada for 2 years after they enter.
With a regular visitor visa, they could only stay for 6 months; afterwards, they would have to leave and re-enter Canada to keep their visa valid. To be eligible for a super visa, your parents and grandparents need:
- a child or grandchild who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident,
- have received a letter of invitation from their child or grandchild, which states they will be financially accountable for them during their visit,
- a copy of their child’s or grandchild’s official document of citizenship or permanent residency.
- medical insurance with coverage of at least $100,000 for at least one year
How Does Parents’ and Grandparents’ Sponsorship Work?
Even if you are invited to apply to sponsor your parents and grandparents, your application can still be rejected for varying reasons. If you’re not familiar with IRCC processes, the application package can be intimidating. If you don’t send all the necessary documents, your application may take longer than it should or even be rejected.
Especially if you’re applying to sponsor many people (more than 4 or 5, including yourself), preparing all the necessary documents can be confusing. That’s why, before you start your application, don’t forget to reach out to our licensed immigration consultants for a free 15-minute consultation by filling out the evaluation form here.
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