Parent or Grandparent Sponsorship

Reunite With Your Children and Grandchildren in Canada Today!

Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) allows Canadian permanent residents to invite their parents and grandparents into the country. The program is one of many Canada’s immigration initiatives to help permanent residents and citizens reunite with their families. However, PGP only targets parents and grandparents; allowing them to also become permanent residents in Canada.

Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship in 2021

2017 and 2018 in Canada launched a beneficial lottery system where the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) initiated a random selection process for immigrants. As the majority expected this to last for a while, PGP canceled the lottery selection system returning to the first-come-first-serve procedure in 2019. Interestingly, PGP intakes in 2019 had an opening that allowed Canadian citizens or permanent residents to send them an invite.

By sending the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) a sponsor form, permanent residents can invite relatives under PGP. From the array of sponsor submissions sent in, IRCC shortlisted 20,000 completed applications in the order they were received. At the time, receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) meant the sponsor form is being considered while applicants have to send in their completed application within 90 days.

Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Requirements

For the invitees to get permanent residency status through the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship program, sponsors and their parents or grandparents must meet IRCC criteria.

Sponsors must also understand and meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) requirements for each family unit size.

To further solidify their applications, sponsors should also submit proof from the Canada Revenue Agency that they meet MNI requirements.

Below is a breakdown of MNI’s criteria per family unit size for citizens and permanent residents interested in PGP:

For a one-member family unit sponsorship

= $23,855

For a two-member family unit sponsorship

= $32,241

For a three-member family unit sponsorship

= $39,806

For a four-member family unit sponsorship

= $45,782

For a five-member family unit sponsorship

= $50,953

It goes on and on with a sum of $5,171 for every additional member per family unit sponsorship.

PGP requires that sponsors sign an undertaking acknowledging their commitments to reimbursing the government of the social assistance benefits provided to their family in the space 20 years. The benefits could sometimes be extended to the sponsors themselves; which would be communicated appropriately. If for any reason, sponsors plan to leave QUEBEC in the nearest future, they’d have to sign a supplementary undertaking.

Sponsors inviting their parents and grandparents to Canada must also:

Be a permanent resident or citizen of Canada

Be at least 18 years of age

Be a child or grandchild of the sponsored individual(s)

Super Visa for Parents and Grandparents

Sponsors that would rather not go through the strenuous process of permanent residency can always get Super Visa for their parents or grandparents. This is considered a fair immigration option for parents and grandparents as the duration of the visa could last up to 10 years before expiration. Oftentimes, Canadian citizens and permanent residents would like to invite their parents to settle for the Super Visa program.

The super visa is a multiple entry visitor visas issued to the parents and grandparents of registered residents in Canada. Invitees and sponsors would not have to worry about renewing their super visas during the 10-year validity period and stay in Canada. Please note, however, that the visa only offers temporary reception to invitees and it’s never a substitute for permanent residency. Becoming a permanent resident is a more permanent solution.

If sponsors would love to have their parents stay in Canada much longer, they’d have to sponsor them for permanent residency. Application for the super visa can be done online or in person through the paper-based application method. Whichever method you decide to go with, you must attach a letter of invitation from your sponsor (child or grandchild). The application should also show proof that they are citizens of Canada or permanent residents.

Invited applicants must also have a minimum one-year private health insurance plan with a Canadian insurance company. This helps the IRCC verify that your child or grandparent understands that the government of Canada isn’t responsible for your emergency healthcare. Alongside the health insurance information, the children and grandchildren of applicants must attach proof of financial sustainability meeting the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) requirements.