Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is a unique Immigration program allowing both Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their own parents and grandparents for Canadian permanent residence.
Who can sponsor their parents or grandparents under the PGP?
In order to sponsor your parents or grandparents under the PGP, you must:
- be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
- have received an Invitation to apply;
- be at least 18 years of age;
- live in Canada;
- have sufficient income to meet the needs of your parents and grandparents to be sponsored; and
- meet all other requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
What are my ongoing obligations if I sponsor my parents or grandparents under the PGP?
Those wishing to sponsor their parents or grandparents under the PGP will need to sign an undertaking with IRCC. For sponsors residing outside the province of Quebec, this undertaking commits you to providing financial support for your sponsored family members for 20 years from the date they become a permanent resident of Canada. In addition to this, you will need to repay any provincial social assistance your sponsored family member receives during the 20-year period.
The undertaking also requires you to provide for the basic needs of your sponsored family members, including food, clothing utilities etc.
For sponsors residing in the province of Quebec, the undertaking is for a duration of 10 years from the date your sponsored family members become permanent residents of Canada.
How much income do I need to show to sponsor my parents and grandparents under the 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. Minimum income requirements can be found here.
COVID 19 affected my income, am I still eligible to sponsor my parent or grandparents under the PGP?
In response to COVID 19, IRCC have reduced the minimum income requirements for the 2020 tax year. In addition to this, sponsors can include the following benefits in their total income for the 2020 tax tear:
- Regular employment insurance benefits;
- Any Canada Emergency Response Benefits;
- Other temporary COVID-19 related benefits
Do I need to meet the financial requirement throughout the entire processing of the PGP application?
For the 2021 intake, your 2020, 2019 and 2018 income will be assessed to make sure you reach the minimum income cut-off. IRCC have not commented on whether they will request updated proof of income before an application will be finalized.
Can my spouse or common-law partner support my PGP sponsorship application?
Yes, your spouse or common-law partner can act as a co-signer on your PGP application. If your spouse or common-law partner acts as a co-signer on your application, you can use their income to meet the minimum income cut-off. Your spouse or common-law partner must also sign an undertaking to provide financial support for your parent or grandparents.
Can I sponsor my parents or grandparents under the PGP if I am currently outside of Canada?
To sponsor your parents or grandparents under the PGP, the sponsor must be residing in Canada. This means that your primary residential address must be in Canada at the time the application is submitted, until a decision is made on the application.
Can I leave Canada during the processing of my sponsorship application under the PGP?
To sponsor your parents or grandparents under the PGP, the sponsor must be residing in Canada. This means that your primary residential address must be in Canada at the time the application is submitted, until a decision is made on the application.
How do I receive an Invitation to Apply under the PGP?
In order to receive an invitation to apply, the sponsor must first submit an interest to sponsor form to the IRCC PGP portal. The PGP portal accepts new interest to sponsor forms periodically throughout the year. The PGP portal is currently closed.
How are interest to sponsor forms selected from the PGP portal?
Interest to sponsor forms are selected randomly from the PGP portal. If selected, the applicant will receive an email with a confirmation number. This confirmation number must be quoted when submitting the full application to sponsor your parent or grandparent.
What documents do I need to submit an interest to sponsor form to the PGP pool?
You do not need to submit any documents when submitting an interest to sponsor form to the PGP portal. Instead, you will need to provide information to show you meet the eligibility requirements of the PGP program. This includes information on you as the sponsor, your family and the parents or grandparents you wish to sponsor. You should also be prepared to declare your income for the last 3 tax years.
What document do I need to submit an application for permanent residence under the PGP?
If you have received an invitation to apply for the PGP, you must submit an application to sponsor your parents and grandparents. As part of this application, you can expect to submit the following:
- Completed application forms;
- Proof of status in Canada;
- Proof of physical presence in Canada;
- Civil status documents;
- Proof you meet the minimum income cut-off for the 3 tax years prior to submitting the application;
- Police Certificate and Clearances from all countries your parent or grandparent has lived in for six months or longer past the age of 18;
- Medical certificate for your parent and grandparent;
- Proof of payment for applicable government fees;
- Digital photo.
How do I submit an application to the PGP?
All applications must be submitted online via IRCC’s new permanent residence application portal. Only those suffering from a disability which prevents them from applying online can request an exemption to submit a paper-based application. This exemption is applied for via email and must be made as soon as possible after receiving the invitation to apply.
How long do I have to submit an application after receiving an invitation to apply under the PGP?
A full PGP sponsorship application must be submitted within 60 days of receiving the invitation to apply. The deadline to submit will be indicated on the invitation to apply letter you received from IRCC.
Do my parents or grandparents need a job offer to be sponsored under the PGP?
No, your parents or grandparents do not need to have a job offer to be sponsored. Likewise, they have no obligation to work in Canada after becoming permanent residents through the PGP.
Do my parents or grandparents need to demonstrate English or French language proficiency?
No, your parents or grandparents do not need to demonstrate English or French language proficiency.
Can I include my brothers and sisters in a PGP application?
You can include eligible brothers and sisters in a PGP application. To be eligible, your brothers and sisters must be under the age of 22 at the time the application is submitted or be financially dependent on your parents or grandparent due to a mental or physical condition.
Can I sponsor my in-laws under the PGP?
No, you cannot sponsor your in-laws under the PGP. You can however act as a co-signer on your spouse’s PGP sponsorship application so long as your spouse meets the eligibility criteria as a sponsor.
Are there any requirements my parents or grandparents need to meet to be sponsored under the PGP?
In order to be sponsored, parents or grandparents must be related to the sponsor by blood or adoption. In addition to this, they will need to pass a medical examination, be criminally admissible and provide biometrics.
My parent or grandparent has a serious medical condition, can I still sponsor them?
To be eligible to be sponsored, your parent or grandparent must undergo a medical examination to show that they do not have any medical issues which could make them medically inadmissible.
Is there a limit to the number of applications accepted under the PGP?
Yes, there is a limit to the number of applications accepted under the PGP. This limit is seen in the number of invitations to apply that are issued. For 2021, IRCC has stated it will accept up to 30,000 applications under the PGP.
What are the processing fees to apply under the PGP?
There are no processing fees to submit an interest to sponsor form to the PGP portal. However, if you have received an invitation to apply, you must remit application processing fees as part of the application. The processing fees are $1050 per adult to be sponsored and $150 for any dependent child included in the application. In addition to this, there is a biometrics fee of $85 for one person or $170 for 2 or more people.
How long will my PGP application take to be processed?
Current estimated processing times as per IRCC for PGP applications range between 20 to 24 months.
When will IRCC invite more PGP sponsors to apply?
IRCC have a quota of 30,000 PGP applications for 2021. To date, all PGP invitations were issued between September 23, 2021, and October 7, 2021. IRCC have not yet released information on the 2022 quote or intake period.
Can my parents or grandparents travel to Canada while they are waiting for their PGP application to be processed?
Yes, your parents and grandparents can travel to Canada while they are waiting for their PGP application to be processed. IRCC’s super visa program is designed to allow eligible parents and grandparents to visit Canada for up to 2 years at a time.
What If I didn’t receive an invite to sponsor my parents or grandparents?
If you did not receive an invitation to apply from the last round of invitations, you can still invite your parents and grandparents to visit for up to 2 years at a time through the super visa program.
PGP Yearly Application Targets
| Year | Target |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 30,000 |
| 2020 | 10,000 |
| 2019 | 20,000 |
| 2018 | 17,000 |
| 2017 | 10,000 |
| 2016 | 10,000 |
| 2015 | 5,000 |
| 2014 | 5,000 |
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