The unique Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship program, as well as the Super Visa program, allow Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor parents and grandparents who wish to be reunited with their children and grandchildren.
To be able to sponsor, you must be:
One important point here about sponsoring your parents and grandparents is that you must already be residing in Canada when you send in your application, unlike the spousal sponsorship application where you could be living outside Canada but make a commitment to move to Canada after your spouse receives permanent residency. Another important distinction is that there are strict income requirements for sponsoring your parents and grandparents and if you don’t have enough income your application would be automatically denied.
There are 3 major steps during the process of the Parents and Grandparents Program, these are:
You need to submit information about your income for the last 3 tax years from the date you apply. So if you’re applying to sponsor your relatives, you’ll need the Notice of Assessment of 2020, 2019, and 2018. The amount of income you need to sponsor will change according to the number of people you’re sponsoring, the more people means more income, naturally. Below you can find the table for the minimum income requirements:
| Number of People You’re Sponsoring | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 People | $32,899 | $41,007 | $40,379 |
| 3 People | $40,445 | $50,414 | $49,641 |
| 4 People | $49,106 | $61,209 | $60,271 |
| 5 People | $55,695 | $69,423 | $68,358 |
| 6 People | $62,814 | $78,296 | $77,095 |
| 7 People | $69,935 | $87,172 | $85,835 |
| Each Additional Person | $7,121 | $8,876 | $8,740 |
IRCC generally raises the income requirements by the rate of inflation each year; however, one interesting thing about the income requirements is that they are substantially reduced for 2020. Since the COVID-19 pandemic affected many people worldwide, the income requirements are lower than in the last two years.
You should also keep in mind that you would be signing an undertaking to sponsor your parents and grandparents for the next 20 years, whereas for a spouse you would be signing an undertaking agreement for only 3 years.
If you don’t meet the income requirements you can still be able to sponsor your parents and grandparents. In order to meet it, your spouse or your common-law partner can be your co-signer. This way, you can show both of your income together so that you can meet the required level of income for the last 3 tax years. However, both you and your co-signer should be aware that both of you will be responsible for the undertaking, not just the sponsor.
Since the PGP applications are randomly selected, there is a chance that your application won’t be among the lucky selected ones. In that case, you can still be able to bring your parents and grandparents into Canada with something called the “super visa”, explained in more detail below.
If you aren’t invited to apply, your parents and grandparents can apply for a super visa, which is a lot easier process than sponsoring your relatives with parents and grandparents’ sponsorship program. A super visa is basically a multi-entry visa that lasts for 10 years, however, it’s different from a regular visitor visa because it allows your parents to stay in Canada for 2 years after they entered Canada. With a normal visitor visa, they could only stay for 6 months, afterwards, they would have to leave and re-enter Canada to keep their visa valid. To be eligible for a super visa, your parents and grandparents need:
Even if you are invited to apply to sponsor your parents and grandparents, your application can still be rejected for varying reasons. If you’re not familiar with IRCC processes, the application package can be intimidating. If you don’t send all of the necessary documents, your application can take longer than it normally should, or it could even be rejected. Especially if you’re applying to sponsor many people (more than 4 or 5, including yourself) preparing all the necessary documents can be a confusing process. That’s why before you start your application don’t forget to reach out to our licensed immigration consultants for a free 15-minute consultation by filling out the evaluation form here.
Spike Immigration Consulting Inc. is run by Mr. Ankur Narang who is a Licensed Immigration Practitioner in Canada & India. Spike Immigration Provides all type of Immigration services to its clients since last 14 year.
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