Parent and Grandparent Program

January 12, 2021 — The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) has finished issuing invitations to candidates for the 2020 intake. Those who submitted their interest to sponsor form during the intake period in November 2020 were eligible to receive invitations through the randomized lottery selection system.

Hopeful recipients are encouraged to check their spam folders and ensure they’re checking the email address included on their interest to sponsor form. Invitation status can also be checked by logging into IRCC’s website. Invited applicants will have 60 days to submit their complete application.

While it is disappointing for those who did not receive an invitation, there will be another intake round in 2021. The 2021 intake will accept 30,000 applications, a record-high number for the program.

Income requirement reduced due to pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has placed a heavy strain on many families’ incomes and economic prospects, and that is true for Canada as it is for any other country.

Given that many potential sponsors may have been financially impacted by the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, IRCC is introducing a temporary public policy that will reduce the income requirement for the 2020 tax year to the minimum necessary income, instead of the minimum necessary income plus 30 percent.

Source: IRCC.

Overview: Canada’s Parent and Grandparents Program (PGP)

Canada’s Family Class immigration category allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parent(s) or grandparent(s) through the Parent and Grandparent Program, or PGP.

Sponsored parents and grandparents become permanent residents of Canada, with all the benefits that come with it. This includes the right to live and work in Canada without restriction on location, time, or sector, as well as access to publicly-funded health care and other services. Ultimately, sponsored parents and grandparents may become Canadian citizens.

Under the government of Canada’s multi-year immigration plan, around 21,000 new permanent residents are to be admitted annually as permanent residents through the PGP.

Parent and Grandparent Program eligibility

To be eligible in 2019, both the sponsor and the person(s) being sponsored must have met certain eligibility requirements. These eligibility requirements are subject to amendment for the 2020 season, although the vast majority of criteria are expected to remain the same.

Sponsors must:

• be either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada;
• meet certain income requirements (see below); and
• support the sponsored person(s) and their dependants financially.

The sponsor and the sponsored person(s) must sign a sponsorship agreement that:

• commits the sponsor to provide financial support the sponsored person(s) and any other eligible relatives accompanying them for a period of three to 20 years, depending on their age and relationship to the sponsor, beginning on the date they become a permanent resident; and
• states that the persons becoming permanent residents will make every effort to support themselves.

Residents of Quebec must sign an ‘undertaking’ with the province of Quebec. This is a contract that binds the sponsorship. Sponsors in Quebec must also meet Quebec’s sponsorship requirements after being approved as a sponsor by IRCC.

Changes from 2019: now random, not first-come, first-served

In 2019, instead of randomly selecting the sponsors to apply, as was the case in 2017 and 2018, IRCC invited them to submit an application to sponsor their parents and grandparents based on the order in which it receive their interest to sponsor forms.

This first-come, first-served model created incredible technical difficulties for prospective applicants and was the subject of widespread criticism.

Prepare everything you need to fill out the interest to sponsor form

Before you start:

• get all the information you need to fill out the interest to sponsor form
• make an electronic copy of your passport or proof of status in Canada

You (the person who wants to sponsor their parents and grandparents), must enter:

• your family name(s) (also known as last name or surname) and your given name(s) (also known as first name and middle name)
  • Write your name exactly as it is written on the passport or proof of status in Canada document you submit.
• your date of birth
• the country or territory where you were born
• your main home address (where you live)
  • You must live in Canada to sponsor.
  • Make sure you fill out all the fields including your complete address.
  • Include your street number, street name, apartment or unit number (if this applies), P.O. Box (if this applies), your province or territory, and postal code.
  • For the street number and address, include the street type (street, boulevard, avenue, etc.). For example, follow this format: 123 John St. or 123 John Ave. or 123 John Pl.
• your email address that you want us to use to contact you
• the number of people in your immediate family (you, your spouse or partner and  dependent children)
• the total number of people you already sponsored and are still financially responsible for
• the total number of people you want to sponsor, including their dependants (spouse or partner, and children)
• names and dates of birth for the parents or grandparents you want to sponsor
  • You won’t need to include this information for their dependent children, or a spouse/partner that won’t come to Canada with them.
• your passport or proof of status in Canada document number
  • Find out where to find that number.
  • You should enter the number of the same document you’ll submit with your application if you’re invited to apply. If the document number doesn’t match, we’ll return your application.
• your electronic signature (you must type in your name)

More details on preparing your PGP application are available here.

Continued below…

Super Visa

Potential sponsors may be unable or unwilling to submit an application under the Parent and Grandparent Program. This may be because they were not invited to apply, or want to bring their parent(s) or grandparent(s) to Canada sooner.

Fortunately, there is another way. IRCC allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to enjoy extended visits to Canada under the Super Visa program. With a Super Visa, a person may be approved to remain in Canada for up to two years upon initial entry to Canada. The visa itself is valid for up to 10 years, so holders may return to Canada for as long as the visa remains valid.

The Super Visa is not a permanent residence program. Applicants need to obtain private medical insurance and may not work in Canada unless otherwise authorised to do so. However, the relatively quick processing times mean that families may be reunited in Canada sooner than under the Parent and Grandparent Program. Moreover, applicants do not have to be invited to apply; if eligible, they may submit an application at any time and be approved to come to Canada.