The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is an immigration program that allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents for Canadian permanent residence. It is a distinct program specifically designed for this purpose.
Who is eligible to sponsor their parents or grandparents under the PGP?
To be eligible for sponsoring your parents or grandparents through the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP), certain criteria must be met. Firstly, you must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or an individual registered as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act. Additionally, an Invitation to Apply (ITA) must be received, and the applicant must be at least 18 years old and living in Canada. It is also necessary to demonstrate sufficient income to support the sponsored parents or grandparents and satisfy all other requirements specified in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
What are the ongoing responsibilities if I sponsor my parents or grandparents through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
Individuals seeking to sponsor their parents or grandparents under the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) must sign an undertaking agreement with the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). For sponsors living outside Quebec, this agreement mandates providing financial support to their sponsored family members for a period of 20 years, commencing from the date they obtain permanent residency in Canada. Furthermore, sponsors must reimburse any provincial social assistance provided to their sponsored family members during this period. The undertaking also requires the sponsors to ensure that their sponsored family members’ basic needs, such as food, clothing, and utilities, are met.
For sponsors residing in Quebec, the undertaking duration is 10 years, starting from the date their sponsored family members become permanent residents of Canada.
What is the minimum income requirement to sponsor my parents and grandparents under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
All sponsors must make enough money to support their parents and grandparents in Canada. If invited to apply, the sponsor must show that they have met the income requirement for the last 3 tax years. If your spouse or common-law partner is acting as a co-signer on the application, you can use their income from the last 3 tax years towards meeting the minimum income cut off. For 2021 submissions, IRCC will assess the income from tax years 2020, 2019 and 2018.
The total income you are required to demonstrate depends on the size of your family, the number of people you are sponsoring under the PGP and whether you are residing in Quebec.
Is the financial requirement to be met throughout the entire application process for sponsoring parents and grandparents under the PGP?
To determine whether the minimum income cut-off is met, the income reported for the years 2020, 2019, and 2018 will be assessed for the 2021 intake. It remains unclear whether updated proof of income will be requested by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) before finalizing the application.
Is it possible for my spouse or common-law partner to assist in my application to sponsor parents or grandparents under the PGP?
It is possible to have a spouse or common-law partner act as a co-signer on a Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) application. In this case, their income can be included to meet the minimum income cut-off requirement. However, they must also sign an undertaking agreement to provide financial support for the sponsored parent or grandparents.
Is it possible to sponsor my parents or grandparents under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) if I am currently residing outside of Canada?
To be eligible for sponsoring parents or grandparents through the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP), the sponsor must be a resident of Canada, meaning that their principal residential address must be located in Canada both when submitting the application and until a decision is reached on it.
Is it permissible to travel outside of Canada during the processing of the sponsorship application under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
In order to sponsor parents or grandparents under the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP), it is mandatory for the sponsor to be a resident of Canada. This requires the sponsor’s primary residential address to be located in Canada during the time of application submission and until a decision is reached on the application.
What is the process for receiving an Invitation to Apply under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
To receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), sponsors must first submit an Interest to Sponsor form to the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) portal of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The PGP portal accepts new Interest to Sponsor forms at regular intervals throughout the year. At present, the PGP portal is not open for submission.
What are the criteria for selecting interest to sponsor forms from the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) portal?
Interest to Sponsor forms are chosen through a random selection process from the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) portal. If an applicant is selected, they will receive an email containing a confirmation number, which must be referenced when submitting the complete application to sponsor their parent or grandparent.
What are the required documents to submit an interest to sponsor form to the pool of the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
When submitting an Interest to Sponsor form to the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) portal, no documents need to be submitted. Instead, information must be provided to demonstrate compliance with the eligibility criteria of the PGP program. This includes personal information about the sponsor, their family, and the parents or grandparents being sponsored. In addition, it is necessary to disclose income information for the past three tax years.
What documents are required to submit an application for permanent residence under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
Once an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) program has been received, it is necessary to submit an application to sponsor the parents or grandparents. In this application, it is expected that the following documentation will be submitted:
What is the process for submitting an application to the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
All applications for the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) program must be submitted through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) permanent residence application portal. Only individuals who are unable to apply online due to a disability may request an exemption to submit a paper-based application. To request an exemption, an email must be sent and should be done as soon as possible after receiving the invitation to apply.
What is the time frame to submit an application after receiving an invitation to apply under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
There is no requirement for your parents or grandparents to have a job offer in order to be sponsored under the PGP program. Moreover, they are not obliged to work in Canada after obtaining permanent residency status through the PGP sponsorship.
Is a job offer required for my parents or grandparents to be sponsored under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
All applications for the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) program must be submitted electronically through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) permanent residence application portal. Applicants who are unable to submit their application electronically due to a disability may request an exemption to submit a paper-based application. Such requests must be submitted via email and as soon as possible after receiving the invitation to apply.
Is it mandatory for my parents or grandparents to demonstrate proficiency in English or French to be sponsored under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
A demonstration of English or French language proficiency is not required for parents or grandparents to be sponsored through the PGP program.
Is it possible to include brothers and sisters in a Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) application?
To make a PGP application, you may include eligible siblings. For eligibility, the siblings must be under 22 years of age at the time of submitting the application or must be financially reliant on your parents or grandparents because of a mental or physical disability.
Is it possible to sponsor my in-laws under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
To clarify, it is not possible to sponsor in-laws under the PGP program. However, if you meet the eligibility criteria as a sponsor, you can act as a co-signer on your spouse’s PGP sponsorship application.
What are the eligibility requirements for my parents or grandparents to be sponsored under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
To be eligible for sponsorship, parents or grandparents must have a blood or adoptive relationship with the sponsor. Additionally, they are required to undergo a medical examination, provide biometrics, and have no criminal inadmissibility issues.
If my parent or grandparent has a serious medical condition, can I still sponsor them through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
To be considered eligible for sponsorship, a medical examination is required for your parent or grandparent to ensure they do not have any medical conditions that may render them medically inadmissible.
Is there a cap on the number of applications accepted under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
A cap exists on the number of applications accepted under the PGP. This limit is determined by the number of invitations to apply that are issued. For the year 2021, IRCC has set a maximum limit of 30,000 applications for the PGP.
What are the fees associated with applying under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
Submitting an interest to sponsor form to the PGP portal does not require any processing fees. However, once an invitation to apply is received, the application must include processing fees, which are $1,050 per adult sponsored and $150 per dependent child included in the application. Additionally, a biometrics fee of $85 for one person or $170 for two or more people must be paid.
What is the estimated processing time for an application under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
According to IRCC’s estimates, the processing times for PGP applications currently range from 20 to 24 months.
When will Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) open up the application process for sponsors under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) again?
IRCC has set a quota of 30,000 PGP applications for 2021 and all invitations to apply were issued between September 23, 2021, and October 7, 2021. However, IRCC has not yet provided any information regarding the quota or intake period for 2022.
Is it possible for my parents to travel to Canada while their Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) application is being processed?
It is possible for parents and grandparents to travel to Canada while their PGP application is being processed. Eligible parents and grandparents can apply for a super visa under IRCC’s program, which permits them to visit Canada for a maximum of two years at a time.
What are the options if I don’t receive an invitation to sponsor my parents or grandparents under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
If you did not receive an invitation to apply from the most recent round of invitations for the PGP, your parents and grandparents can still come to Canada and stay for up to 5 years at a time through the super visa program.
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