Can I sponsor my parents to Canada?
From the 2020 pool of candidates, the 2023 Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP Canada) attracted 28,500 applicants.
The Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) of Canada will issue invitations to persons who wish to sponsor their parents and grandparents for immigration to Canada in October
2023.
The government sent out 28500 invites, intending to accept up to 27,255 complete applications.
Notably, invites were only sent to candidates who filled out the interest to sponsor form during the 2020 admission period. In 2020, there were still 155,313 potential sponsors who had filed the form but had not yet been invited. In 2023, there was no way for new candidates to submit an interest to sponsor form.
If you are invited to apply, IRCC will contact you via email using the email address you provided on your 2020 interest to sponsor form. If your email address has changed, please follow the procedures below to update it.
How long do invited PGP Canada sponsors have to submit their applications?
From the 2020 pool of candidates, the 2023 Parent and Grandparent Program attracted 28,500 applicants.
The Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) of Canada will issue invitations to persons who wish to sponsor their parents and grandparents for immigration to Canada in October
2023.
The government sent out 28500 invites, intending to accept up to 27,255 complete applications.
Notably, invites were only sent to candidates who filled out the interest to sponsor form during the 2020 admission period. In 2020, there were still 155,313 potential sponsors who had filed the form but had not yet been invited. In 2023, there was no way for new candidates to submit an interest to sponsor form.
If you are invited to apply, IRCC will contact you via email using the email address you provided on your 2020 interest to sponsor form. If your email address has changed, please follow the procedures below to update it.
How long do invited PGP Canadasponsors have to submit their applications?
Invited sponsors will have until December 24, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EST, to submit their entire PGP sponsorship and permanent residency applications to IRCC.
Why are new candidates unable to submit an interest to sponsor form? When will new sponsorship interest forms be accepted?
Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this question. Due to the large number of candidates waiting in the pool, IRCC may prioritize the existing queue of interest to sponsor forms. However, the government may face criticism from those who want to sponsor their parents and grandparents but have been unable to do so publicly since 2020.
If you are unable to sponsor your parents and grandparents for permanent residency, you may wish to look into Canada’s Super Visa program. The Super Visa permits Canadian citizens and permanent residents’ parents and grandparents to visit Canada for prolonged periods of time.
Intake information for the Parent and Grandparent Program in 2024 has not yet been available. This page will be updated as information on the 2024 intake becomes available.
Overview: Canada’s PGP
The Parent and Grandparent Program, or PGP, allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parent(s) or grandparent(s) under Canada’s Family Class immigration to Canada category.
Sponsored parents and grandparents become permanent residents of Canada, with all of the associated privileges. This includes the right to live and work in Canada without regard to place, time, or industry, as well as the right to publicly financed health care and other services. Sponsored parents and grandparents may eventually become Canadian citizens.
According to the government of Canada’s multi-year immigration to Canada plan, about 25,000 new permanent residents will be admitted as permanent residents under the PGP each year.
PGP Canada Eligibility
Both the sponsor and the person(s) being sponsored must meet specific eligibility standards in order to be eligible for the Parent and Grandparent Program.
Sponsors must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada, meet certain income standards (see below), and financially support the sponsored person(s) and their dependents.
The sponsor and the sponsored person(s) must sign a sponsorship agreement, which states that the sponsor will provide financial support to the sponsored person(s) and any other eligible relatives accompanying them for a period of three to twenty years, depending on their age and relationship to the sponsor, beginning on the date they become permanent residents; and that the persons becoming permanent residents will make every effort to support themselves.
The Parent and Grandparent Program in Quebec includes extra requirements. Quebec residents must sign a ‘undertaking’ with the government of Quebec. This is a binding contract for the sponsorship. After being authorized as a sponsor by IRCC, sponsors in Quebec must also meet Quebec’s sponsorship standards.
Prepare everything you need to fill out the interest to sponsor form
Before you begin: gather all of the information required to complete the interest to sponsor form produce an electronic copy of your passport or evidence of Canadian residency.
You (the person who want to sponsor their parents and grandparents) must complete the following steps:
Your family name(s) (also known as your surname or last name) and your given name(s) (also known as your first and middle names)
Fill in your name exactly as it appears on your passport or proof of status in Canada paperwork.
Your birth date the nation or territory in which you were born your primary home address (where you live)
To sponsor, you must be a Canadian citizen.
Fill out all of the blanks, including your complete address.
Include your street number, street name, apartment or unit number (if applicable), post office box (if applicable), province or territory, and postal code.
Include the street type (street, boulevard, avenue, etc.) in the street number and address. For example, use the following format: 123 John St., 123 John Ave., or 123 John Pl. your email address for us to contact you the number of persons in your immediate family (you, your spouse or partner, and dependent children)
the total number of people you have already sponsored and for whom you are still financially liable, plus their dependants (spouse or partner, and children) names and birth dates for the parents or grandparents you wish to sponsor.
This information is not required for their dependent children or a spouse/partner who will not accompany them to Canada.
Document number from your passport or proof of residency in Canada.
Find out where you can get that number.
If you are invited to apply, provide the number of the identical document you will send with your application. If the document number does not match, your application will be returned.
Your electronic signature (your name must be typed in)
Super Visa: PGP Canada
Potential sponsors may be unable or unwilling to complete a Parent and Grandparent Program application. This could be due to the fact that they were not invited to apply or because they want to bring their parent(s) or grandparent(s) to Canada sooner.
Fortunately, there is an alternative. Under the Super Visa program, IRCC allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to visit Canada for extended periods of time. A Super Visa allows a person to Immigration to Canada for up to two years beyond their initial admission. Because the visa is valid for up to ten years, holders may return to Canada for as long as the visa is valid.
The Super Visa is not a scheme for permanent residence. Applicants must get private medical insurance and are not permitted to work in Canada unless otherwise authorized. However, because of the faster processing timelines, families may be reunited in Canada sooner than under the Parent and Grandparent Program. Furthermore, candidates are not need to be invited to apply; if eligible, they can apply at any time and be approved to come to Canada.
