PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM
A quota of 25,000 applicants per year was established for this program with expressions of interest being accepted on January 1st and running for approximately 2 months. Names are drawn arbitrarily, and successful applicants are sent an Invitation to Apply (ITA), which they must complete within a fixed timeframe. If applicants do not respond, other applicants are given the opportunity to apply until all the quota is taken up. There was a draw in early 2021 but the program has been closed since then.
Eligibility to sponsor a parent or grandparent
You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents if
- you’re invited to apply
- you’re at least 18 years old
- you live in Canada
- you’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
- you have enough money to support the people you want to sponsor (these requirements are higher when sponsoring parents and grandparents)
- you meet all other requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Actand the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
Sponsors living outside Quebec
To become a sponsor, you must promise to financially support the people you are sponsoring for a period of time. This is called the Undertaking.
The undertaking commits you to
- providing financial support for your sponsored family members for 20 years, starting when they become permanent residents
- repaying any provincial social assistance (money from the government) your sponsored family members get during that time
Also, you and your sponsored family members need to agree to certain responsibilities during the undertaking period. This is called the sponsorship agreement.
When you apply, you’ll have to complete and sign a form that includes the undertaking and the sponsorship agreement.
Sponsors
You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption.
In case of divorce, you’ll need to submit separate applications if you sponsor divorced parents and grandparents. If your divorced parents or grandparents have a current spouse, common-law partner or a conjugal partner, these people become dependants on the application and can immigrate to Canada with your parents and grandparents, if approved.
In the application, you can include your brothers and sisters, or half brothers and sisters, or step-brothers and step-sisters only if they qualify as dependent children.
You must meet the income requirements for all the people you want to sponsor and their dependants (spouse, partner and children).
Sponsoree eligibility
To show they meet the eligibility requirements, your parents and grandparents and their dependants must provide
- all required forms and documents with their application
- any additional information IRCC requests during processing, including
Stevens and Associates have helped thousands of Canadians and permanent residents successfully sponsor their parents and grandparents for immigration to Canada from around the world. If you are interested in sponsoring a parent or grandparent to Canada, please complete our basic information form and send it to us for a free assessment.
