Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program to Invite More Sponsors

Sponsors of Parents and Grandparents have More Chances of Being Invited

As of September 6, 2017, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have opened the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program (PGP) once again. This is extremely beneficial for any Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada who would like to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residency in Canada. During the beginning of September, the second round of invitations of 2017 will be sent. What this means is that any potential sponsors that were not invited to apply in the first round, which was in April of 2017, will now have another chance to be invited. Therefore, in this article, I will address what the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program entails; the eligibility requirements in order to apply under this program; and, Canada’s target for the PGP.

What the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program Entails

The Canadian government highly values family reunification and regards Family Class sponsorships with high priority. Under the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program, Canadian citizens and/or permanent residents of Canada have the opportunity of sponsoring their parents and/or grandparents to immigrate permanently to Canada. As a result, this becomes a great opportunity for family members to become reunited and live happily together in Canada.

Eligibility Requirements for the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program

Much like any other application in the Family Class, the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program has eligibility requirements that must be met in order to apply. Additionally, it is important to note that the sponsor must abide by the eligibility requirements but also recognize the responsibilities that come with sponsoring. Below I will explain in detail the eligibility requirements and the responsibilities of the sponsor.

In order to sponsor your parent or grandparent to immigrate to Canada, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Reside in Canada
• Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a registered Indian
• Be sponsoring a member of the Family Class
• Sign an undertaking committing to provide your parents or grandparents basic needs and requirements
• Meet the Low Income Cut Off (LICO)

In order to determine whether you meet the LICO requirements, I will include the Federal Income Table for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship from 2016, 2015 and 2014 below.

Please note that the sponsor must meet the Minimum Necessary Income for each of the three consecutive taxation years that precede the date the application is submitted. The Minimum Necessary Income requirement is equal to the Low Income Cut-offs (LICO) plus 30%. Additionally, if you are applying in 2017, you must also provide Immigration with a proof of income in the form of a Notice of Assessment from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for the aforementioned taxation years of 2016, 2015 and 2014.

Apart from meeting the LICO, the sponsor is also responsible for supporting their parents or grandparents financially during the undertaking. As a result, the sponsor must sign an undertaking, which is a sponsorship agreement that commits them in providing their parents or grandparents with financial support for either a period of three to twenty years. This depends on their age and their relationship to you. The financial support would begin on the date that they receive their permanent residency in Canada. Additionally, in the undertaking, the sponsored individual(s) must also state that they will make every effort to support themselves.

Canada’s Target for the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program

The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program becoming reopened benefits several Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada who wish to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residency in Canada. Specifically, for individuals who submitted an Expression of Interest through the PGP ‘Interest to Sponsor’ form in early 2017, and who have not received an invitation to apply yet, will benefit from the upcoming round of invitations as IRCC will be specifically targeting these individuals. Subsequently, individuals who are invited to apply will need to submit their application by December 8 of 2017 in order to be accepted.

Keep in mind, individuals who were invited in the first round but did not submit an application by the deadline will not be given priority and thus will not be invited for the upcoming round. Similarly, individuals who did not submit a form at the beginning of 2017 will not be invited either.

Luckily, the PGP ‘Interest to Sponsor’ pool of sponsors will reopen in the beginning of 2018. This helps more potential sponsors to prepare and plan to bring their parents or grandparents to Canada to gain permanent residency. Specifically, the Canadian government’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2017 has targeted to allow 20,000 new permanent residents under the PGP in 2017. The plan and eligibility criteria may change for the 2018 year, therefore, it is recommended to continue checking the Canadian government’s website to see if there are any updates.

Contact Akrami & Associates

It is essential that you have a family member, specifically a child or grandchild, in Canada that is a citizen or permanent resident before submitting an ‘Interest to Sponsor’ form for parents or grandparents looking to immigrate to Canada. These types of sponsorship applications are difficult to fill and complete accurately; it is highly recommended that you seek out professional and experienced help before attempting to submit. Here, at Akrami & Associates, we work and have experience with many different immigration issues. We have helped many of our clients gain permanent residency and be reunited with their families in Canada. If you believe that you might be eligible, please feel free to contact Akrami & Associates at our office at 416-477-2545 for more information or if you would like to book a consultation with an immigration professional for more advise.

With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!