The Parents and Grandparents Program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents.
Canadian sponsorship programs allow Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor and bring family members to Canada. Sponsoring means to give financial support for the basic needs of the sponsored person (including food, clothes, shelter, and other everyday needs).
Note that if you are a Canadian permanent resident or citizen, your parents and grandparents may be eligible to apply for a super visa to stay in Canada for up to 2 years.
The Parents and Grandparents Program may be closed temporarily if the number of accepted submissions reaches the limit. The program is closed for the rest of 2019.
Eligibility of a Sponsor
You can become a sponsor if you are:
- At least 18 years old
- A Canadian citizen or a permanent resident
- Living in Canada. If the sponsor is a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, he must show the plans to live in Canada when the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident. Canadian citizens travelling as tourists are not considered to be living abroad. Permanent residents living abroad cannot sponsor from outside of Canada
- Not receiving social assistance for reasons other than a disability
- Provide your proof of income to show enough money to support the sponsored persons during the first 3 years (you need to provide a Social Insurance Number (SIN) or copies of Notices of Assessment). The minimum necessary income is based on the Low Income Cut-offs (LICO) plus 30%. There may be different requirements in Quebec
You cannot be a sponsor if you:
- Are financially unreliable (have failed to pay an immigration loan, performance bond or family support payments, have failed to provide for the basic needs of a previously-sponsored person or is going through the process of bankruptcy)
- Have criminal records (are in a penitentiary or jail, were convicted of committing, attempting or threatening to commit a violent or sexual offence, or an offence causing bodily harm to a family member)
- Are under a removal order
- Receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability
Eligibility of a Sponsored Person
You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption, as well as their dependent children, spouses or partners.
You cannot sponsor:
- Your spouse’s parents and grandparents (however, you can be a co-signer on their application)
- Someone who is not allowed to come to Canada
Make sure the sponsored persons do not need social assistance from the government.
If you are sponsoring a parent or grandparent, the length of undertaking is 20 years (10 years in Quebec), starting when they become permanent residents.
Documents and Fees
To sponsor a parent or grandparent, you need to submit identity documents (travel documents, passports, and birth certificates), biometrics, police certificates, and medical exam results. The complete list of documents depends on the country of origin.
To sponsor a parent or grandparent, the sponsor pays C$1,040 including the sponsorship fee (C$75), principal applicant processing fee (C$475), and right of permanent residence fee (C$490). The sponsor pays an additional C$1,040 to include the parent’s or grandparent’s spouse or partner and C$150 to include their dependent child.
There is also the biometrics fees (C$85 per person, totalling C$170 for families applying at the same time).
Learn more about sponsorship programs in the article “Sponsor”.