Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship

Canadian citizens and permanent residents who want to apply as sponsors through this program are required to first complete an online form on the IRCC website to indicate their interest in applying to sponsor their parents or grandparents. The online form for this year’s application cycle went live on January 2, 2018, and was available until February 1, 2018.

Potential sponsors should know that submitting the Interest to Sponsor form is not an application, but an important first step for those who want to participate in the program. Immigration aims is to receive 10,000 new complete applications to the PGP in 2018.

Candidates who are invited to apply have 60 days from the date of invitation to submit a complete application and all the supporting documents.

The Family Class sponsorship program includes a stream for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Successful parents and grandparents under this program will receive Canadian permanent residence and may eventually be able to apply for citizenship. To be eligible for Family Class sponsorship, the sponsor in Canada must meet the following requirements:

• The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
• The sponsor must be 18 years of age or older;
• The sponsor must exceed the minimum necessary income level for this program (if married or in a common-law relationship, the income of both can be included);
• The sponsor must sign an undertaking to repay any provincial social assistance benefits paid to the sponsor and accompanying family member(s), if any, for a period of 20 years, if necessary; and
• If the sponsor resides in Quebec, an additional “undertaking” must be signed.

Sponsors will have to prove that they meet the minimum income requirements by submitting notices of assessment issued by the Canadian Revenue Agency in support of their sponsorship and they must also demonstrate they have met the minimum necessary income level for three consecutive years.