Parents & Grandparents Sponsorship
What is the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program?
The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program enables Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residency in Canada. This program, designed to facilitate family reunification, acknowledges the crucial role of keeping families together in building a strong and cohesive society, offering a pathway for older generations to reunite with their families in Canada.
Eligible sponsors must meet specific income requirements to demonstrate their ability to support the sponsored individuals financially. The program operates on a lottery system, where interested sponsors submit an expression of interest and may be randomly selected to apply. Successful sponsorship can lead to a lasting positive impact on both the family and the broader community, enriching cultural ties and providing support across generations.
Who can you sponsor under the Parent and Grandparent Program?
- You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents, whether they are related by blood or adoption. If your parents or grandparents are divorced or separated, you can also sponsor them along with their spouses, conjugal partners, or common-law partners.
- Only if your brothers, sisters, or half-siblings qualify as dependent children are you allowed to include them as additional applicants.
- If your sponsorship application includes more than one person or couple, you must provide proof of income or funds to meet the requirements for all the people you wish to sponsor, including their dependents (spouse, partner, and children).
*Note: All applicants included in your sponsorship application must meet the eligibility requirements.
- Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Residency: The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
- Age: Must be at least 18 years old.
- Financial Capacity: Must demonstrate the ability to support the spouse or partner financially. This is typically done through proof of income, although there are exceptions for those on social assistance due to disability.
- Residency: If the sponsor is a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, they must demonstrate intent to return to Canada when the sponsored person arrives.
How do you apply for sponsorship under the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP)?
This is a 2-step application process:
- Approval of the sponsor
- Approval of the applicant(s)
You need to follow these steps:
Submit an interest to sponsor form. IRCC will randomly select candidates to apply to sponsor their parents or grandparents, working more like a lottery system.
Receive an invitation to apply. In 2020, IRCC issued invitations to apply (ITAs) to 10,000 potential sponsors.
Prepare your application after receiving an ITA. Once you secure an ITA, you need to prepare your application package for submission.
Pay the applicable fees, which may include:
- Application Processing fee – C$500.00
- Right to Permanent Residence – C$550.00
- Biometrics Fee (if applicable) – C$85.00
- Medical Exam – As applicable
- Police Certificate (PCC) – As applicable
Submit your application. You will have 60 days to submit your completed application after receiving an ITA.
Provide additional information if requested. If IRCC requires more information or clarification, they will contact you, and you must provide the specified details.
How do you apply for sponsorship under the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP)?
To be eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or a registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
- You must be 18 years of age or older.
- You need to provide sufficient proof that you live in Canada.
- You must demonstrate that you have enough funds to support the individuals you wish to sponsor.
- You must sign an undertaking to financially support the sponsored individuals for 20 years, starting from the time they become permanent residents.
- You must agree to repay any social assistance benefits paid to the sponsored family members, if applicable, for a period of 20 years.
Refer to the LICO table below to determine the required proof of funds:
Family size
2023
2022
2021
2 people
$44,530
$43,082
$32,898
3 people
$54,743
$52,965
$40,444
4 people
$66,466
$64,306
$49,106
5 people
$75,384
$72,935
$55,694
6 people
$85,020
$82,259
$62,814
7 people
$94,658
$91,582
$69,934
If more than 7 people, for each additional person, add:
$9,636
$9,324
$7,120
Who is not eligible sponsor a parent or grandparent?
You are ineligible to sponsor your parents and grandparents if:
- You are under 18 years old.
- You cannot convince the assessing officer that you intend to live in Canada when you apply to sponsor your parents and grandparents, or when they become permanent residents.
- Your primary residential address is not in Canada when you submit your application or until a decision is made on your application.
- You are not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
- You are in Canada as a temporary resident, whether as a visitor, student, or work permit holder.
- Your permanent residence application is still in process—you must have permanent resident status at the time you submit your sponsorship application.
- Your proof of income shows that you lack sufficient funds to support the persons you wish to sponsor.
You may be ineligible to sponsor your parents and grandparents if:
- You are in jail, prison, or a penitentiary.
- You failed to repay an immigration loan, a performance bond, or court-ordered family support payments, such as alimony or child support.
- You did not provide the financial support you agreed to when you signed a sponsorship agreement for someone else in the past.
- You declared bankruptcy and have not been discharged.
- You are receiving social assistance for a reason other than a disability.
- You were convicted of a violent criminal offense, any offense against a relative, or any sexual offense inside or outside Canada.
- You cannot legally stay in Canada and must leave the country due to a Removal Order.
