Apply for PGP: Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Canada
Bring your parents or grandparents to Canada through PGP Sponsorship Program. A Step-by-Step Guide to Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Canada.
Each year thousands of Canadian permanent residents and citizens bring their parents and grandparents to Canada. The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) Program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their foreign parents and grandparents for permanent residency. This step-by-step guide to the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program will provide the program’s eligibility requirements and application process.
What is Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) Program?
Canada’s immigration system emphasizes family reunification, ensuring families can stay together permanently. The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada.
Prospective sponsors should note that sponsoring parents in Canada has recently become more complicated. Since 2021, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has allowed only individuals with an official Invitation to Apply to sponsor their parents or grandparents.
On May 21, 2024, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that 35,700 invitations would be issued to potential sponsors who submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020 for the 2024 sponsorship program.
Bring Your Parents or Grandparents to Canada
Our licensed experts will assist you with the entire Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) Process.
PGP Program Canada: Sponsor Eligibility Requirements
Individuals who want to sponsor their parents or grandparents under the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) must meet each of the following eligibility requirements:
- Have received an invitation to apply from IRCC.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, with your primary residential address in Canada when you submit your application.
- Have sufficient income to support your parents and grandparents, demonstrating proof of income for the last three taxation periods.
Who Is Not Eligible for PGP?
You cannot sponsor your parents and grandparents if:
- You are in jail, penitentiary, or prison.
- You have an immigration loan, performance bond, or court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support.
- You receive social assistance for reasons other than a physical disability.
- You have been convicted of a crime outside Canada.
- You have received a Removal Order and have left the country.
PGP Program Canada: Parents Eligibility Requirements
The Parents or Grandparents must meet the following requirements to qualify for the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) Program Canada.
- They must be related to the sponsor by blood or adoption.
- They must pass medical exams, police clearance, and submit biometrics.
Prospective sponsors should note that they cannot sponsor their spouse’s or partner’s parents or grandparents. They must also ensure their parents or grandparents are not inadmissible to Canada under IRCC’s current rules.
Things You Must Know About the PGP Intake
IRCC is currently not accepting new applicants for the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship program. However, preparation is key for when the application process reopens.
- Create a Permanent Residence Portal Account.
- Fill out the necessary online forms for yourself and your dependents, including:
- Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008)
- Additional Family Information (IMM 5406)
- Schedule A – Background/Declaration (IMM 5669)
- Supplementary Information: Your Travels (IMM 5562)
- Study the following PDF forms:
- Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking [IMM 1344]
Note: Some of the applicants are required to fill out additional forms such as: Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union [IMM 5409], Statutory Declaration of Severance of a Common-Law Union [IMM 5519], Details of Military Service [IMM 5546], Details of Police Service [IMM 0150], and Details of Government Employment [IMM 0149].
Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship: Step By Step Process
The application process for the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Canada is summarized below:
1. Fill Out and Submit the Interest to Sponsor Form
Prospective sponsors must first fill out an “Interest to Sponsor Form” and submit it with IRCC. It should be noted that this form has been closed since November 2020 and will stay closed until further notice from IRCC.
Successful prospective sponsors who submitted this form before the closing date mentioned above and have received an Invitation to Apply can proceed to the next step.
2. Fill Out Both Applications
Prospective sponsors must then fill out a special Sponsor application, while their parents or grandparents must fill out a different permanent residence application. Not that both these applications must be submitted online at the same time.
3. Pay the Fees
The sponsor and their parents or grandparents must then pay application fees. This includes the following:
- Sponsorship fees: $75 CAD
- Processing fees for each parent or grandparent: $490
- Right of permanent residence fees for each parent or grandparent: $515 CAD
- Biometrics fees per parent or grandparent: $85 CAD
The fees mentioned above must be paid online.
4. Submit Fingerprints and Photos
Parents or grandparents will be asked to give their fingerprints and get their photos taken once they have submitted their applications.
5. Medical Exams and Police Clearance
Parents or grandparents will then be required to undergo medical exams and obtain police clearance certificates. If IRCC approves the application, they will receive permanent resident status and be allowed to come to Canada.
PGP Program Canada: Processing Time
The processing time for the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) Program Canada is approximately 20 to 24 months. You can check the most recent processing time for PGP Program Canada here.
Parents PR in Canada through PGP Program
Make your parents permanent residents of Canada through PGP Sponsorship Program.
Benefits of Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship
The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) Program is great for Canadians who wish to bring their aging parents or grandparents to Canada and take care of them. PGP Canada is beneficial if the parents or grandparents do not have anyone to care for them in their current country of residence.
As your parents get PR in Canada through PGP Program, they can take complete benefits of their status. They can work in Canada, get a health care card, and protection under Canadian law and the Charter of Rights and Freedom. They can even apply to become a Canadian citizen once they qualify to apply.
Challenges in the Parents and Grandparents Program
Despite efforts to speed up family reunification, the PGP program faces significant challenges:
- Backlog of Applications: Applicants often wait up to two years for a final decision.
- Limited Intake: The last intake of eligible sponsors into the pool was in 2020. Potential sponsors who became eligible in the last four years are excluded from the lottery until IRCC accepts more entries, creating frustration and negative sentiments among thousands of potential sponsors.
The Super Visa: An Alternative to PGP
For those unable to meet the PGP criteria, Canada offers the Super Visa, which allows parents and grandparents to visit their families for extended periods without permanent immigration. Key features of the Super Visa include:
- Validity: The Super Visa is valid for 10 years.
- Extended Stay: Parents can stay in Canada for up to 5 years without needing to renew their status.
- Mandatory Insurance: Applicants must purchase private health insurance with a minimum coverage of $100,000 per person. Insurance options are now available in installments, whereas the entire premium had to be paid upfront.
- Healthcare and Social Benefits: Super Visa holders cannot access public health care and other social benefits, meaning the sponsoring families bear the healthcare and living expenses.
How ELAAR can help you?
Prospective sponsors who wish to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence through the above program should contact ELAAR. Our exceptional team of Regulated Immigration Consultants understands the requirements and application process for parents’ and grandparents’ sponsorship and can guide you through this process.
Apply for Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship
Sponsor your parents/grandparents in Canada through the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (PGP) Program.
