Canada’s Family Class sponsorship program includes a stream dedicated to parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Parents and grandparents approved under this program receive Canadian permanent residence and may eventually be able to apply for Canadian citizenship.
To be eligible for Canada’s Parents and Grandparents Program, an individual must meet:
Applicants to the PGP will have to prove that they meet the minimum income requirements by submitting notices of assessment issued by the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) in support of their application.
In an effort to improve the application process, IRCC replaced its controversial randomized application process with a “first-in, first-served” model for the 2019 in-take cycle.
IRCC has a 2019 quota of up to 20,000 complete applications through the PGP. Invitations to apply to the program will be issued based on the order Interest to Sponsor forms were received once the forms are reviewed for eligibility.
Completing the online Interest to Sponsor Form on IRCC’s website was the first step to the Parent and Grandparent sponsorship process.
Prior to submitting the Interest to Sponsor form, IRCC encourages potential sponsors to gather the required information, including proof of status in Canada.
Individuals completing the form will need to provide the following information:
For the January 2019 Interest to Sponsor Form submission period, potential sponsors were able to submit one of the following documents as proof of status in Canada:
Learn what to do if you receive a PGP Invitation to Apply.
As part of the Government of Canada’s multi-year immigration levels plan, the 2019 admission target for the PGP is set at 20,500 and will rise to 21,000 in 2020.
If you receive an invitation to apply to the PGP, you may email us at [email protected] to learn about the next steps regarding your application.
Individuals are not eligible to sponsor a parent and/or grandparent if they:
In addition, individuals may not be eligible to sponsor a parent and grandparent if they:
IRCC may have additional reasons for considering a person ineligible to sponsor a parent and/or grandparent.
Canadian citizens and/or permanent residents have another option to bring a parent or grandparent to Canada.
The Super Visa Program allows parents and grandparents to come to Canada as long-term visitors on a multi-entry visa that remains valid for up to 10 years. Unlike standard visitor visas, a Super Visa allows visa holders to stay in Canada for up to two years on initial entry to Canada.
To be eligible for the Super Visa program, parents and grandparents must meet standard visitor visa requirements. In addition, they must:
Depending on their nationality, parents/grandparents may require a Temporary Resident Visa in addition to the Super Visa.