On October 5th 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the details of the Parent Grandparent Sponsorship program.
The Parent Grandparent Sponsorship program will open on October 13th at 12:00 pm EDT and remain open for three weeks. Canadians and permanent residents who wish to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence in Canada can submit an interest to sponsor form online.
The portal to submit an interest to sponsor form will close on November 3rd at 12:00 pm EDT.
In previous years, IRCC issued invitations to apply on a first-come, first-served basis. This left many applicants scrambling to submit their applications as soon as the program opened.
This year, IRCC will randomly select potential sponsors and send them an invitation to apply. This new system will ensure that every applicant has an equal opportunity to be selected.
Applicants who are selected to submit their application will have 60 days to do so. A maximum of 10,000 applications for the PGP sponsorship program will be selected. In 2021, IRCC will accept a total of 30,000 new applications.
How will COVID-19 affect the parent grandparent sponsorship program?
In previous years, sponsors were required to meet a minimum necessary income requirement plus 30%. In light of COVID-19, the government issued a temporary policy to remove the additional 30% requirement. This was done to alleviate some of the financial strain the pandemic has had on Canadians.
Who is eligible for the parent grandparent sponsorship program?
In order to qualify for the parent grandparent sponsorship program, there are certain requirements applicants must meet. First, you must meet the basic family sponsorship requirements. This means you must:
Be 18 years of age or older
Canadian citizen;
or Person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act;
or Permanent resident of Canada
To sponsor your parents or grandparents, you must meet certain income requirements and be able to support that person and their dependants financially.
You and the sponsored relative (i.e. your parent or grandparent) must sign a sponsorship agreement that: commits you to provide financial support for 3-20 years, depending on their age and relationship to you beginning on the date they become a permanent resident.
The agreement also states that the person wishing to become a permanent resident will make every effort possible to support themselves financially.
In essence, you must be able to support your parent(s) or grandparent(s) financially and ensure they don’t need social assistance from the government. You must also provide essential needs for them and yourself.
Our Services
Calver and Associates is a leading provider of Canadian Immigration services in Durham Region. We serve clients in Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, and beyond. Our Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant has over 10 years of experience in Canadian Immigration law and over four years of experience serving those in the Oshawa area.
We can provide assistance with applications for both temporary and permanent residency in Canada. We handle applications for study permits, permanent residency, family class sponsorship, visitor visas, work permits, and Canadian citizenship. We also handle criminal inadmissibility cases by developing remedies for refusal.
