The Canadian IRCC recently announced its decision to issue 23,000 ‘Invitations to Apply’ for applicants who applied under the Parents and Grandparents Program in 2020. The decision puts the government on track to fulfil its target of accepting 15,000 applications under the Program in 2022.
Underlining the importance of the Family Sponsorship Programs and the decision, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, said:
“Family reunification is an essential part of Canada’s immigration system. Building on recently announced enhancements to the parents and grandparents super visa, opening a Parents and Grandparents Program sponsorship intake and accepting up to 15,000 applications in 2022 demonstrates the government’s commitment to reuniting families while strengthening Canada’s immigration system.”
According to Immigration.ca, The Parents and Grandparents program has already welcomed over 5,235 new permanent residents between January and March 2022.
What’s next if you receive an Invitation to Apply?
The Invitations are issued randomly to a pool of potential sponsors who submitted their ‘Interest to sponsor’ forms in 2020.
If you are among the applicants who received an Invitation to Apply from the IRCC, you may proceed with two applications as mentioned in the IRCC portal:
- Application to become a sponsor for the parent or grandparent
- An application for permanent residency for the parent or grandparent in Canada.
What forms do you have to fill up as a Sponsor?
You must fill out the following forms when sponsoring a parent or grandparent.
- Document Checklist — Sponsor [IMM 5771]
- Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking [IMM 1344]
- Financial Evaluation for Parents, Grandparents Sponsorship [IMM 5768]
- Income Sources for Sponsorship of Parents and Grandparents [IMM 5748] if applicable.
- Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union [IMM 5409], if applicable.
Once completed, the forms are to be signed and uploaded by the sponsored individual on their online application at the Permanent Residence portal.
These forms will confirm your ability to support your parents or grandparents in Canada financially.
What are the income requirements under the Parents and Grandparents program?
The IRCC requires you to fulfil certain income obligations for family sponsorships. For 2022, invited applicants will be assessed on their income for the tax years 2021, 2020 and 2019. The requirements are as follows:
| Total number of people you’ll be responsible for | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Two people | $32,898 | $32,270 | $41,007 |
| Three people | $40,444 | $39,672 | $50,414 |
| Four people | $49,106 | $48,167 | $61,209 |
| Five people | $55,694 | $54,630 | $69,423 |
| Six people | $62,814 | $61,613 | $78,296 |
| Seven people | $69,934 | $68,598 | $87,172 |
| If more than seven, for each additional person, add: | $7,120 | $6,985 | $8,876 |
Where can a Sponsored individual (Principal applicant) create a Permanent Residence Portal account?
The Sponsored individual can sign in or create an account at the Permanent Residence portal.
Forms to be filled out by the Sponsored parent/ grandparent
The person being Sponsored has to fill up the following forms:
- Generic Application Form for Canada [IMM 0008]
- Schedule A – Background/Declaration [IMM 5669]
- Additional Family Information [IMM 5406]
- Supplementary Information – Your travels [IMM 5562]
And the following forms, if applicable.
- 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]
The Sponsored individual is also required to submit the following documents during the processing of their application:
- Medical exams
- Police certificates
- Biometrics
How much does an application cost?
The complete fee structure for parent sponsorship in 2022 is as follows:
| Fee for Parents and grandparents | |
| Sponsorship fee ($75), Principal applicant processing fee ($490), Right of permanent residence fee (%515) | $1080 |
| Including spouse or partner of a parent/ grandparent: Processing fee ($570) Right of permanent residence fee (%515) | $1085 |
| Including a dependent child of a parent/ grandparent | $155 per child |
| Biometrics | $85 per person |
| Biometrics for a family of 2 or more applying at the same time and place | $170 |
Processing times for applications under the Parents and Grandparents program
According to the IRCC portal, the processing time for an application to sponsor a parent or grandparent is 37 months.
Is there a deadline for submitting the sponsorship and permanent residence applications?
All applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST, December 24, 2022.
What is the Parents and Grandparents Program?
It is a pathway for Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents for immigration into Canada. Parents and grandparents arriving under this Program are granted Permanent Residency and may apply for Canadian Citizenship in the future.
Eligible Citizens and Permanent residents of Canada can submit an ‘Interest to sponsor’ form to the IRCC. These applications are placed in a pool, and the IRCC makes random draws to determine which candidates are invited to Apply.
The Program still has a pool of 155,313 potential sponsors from the last application process in 2020.
Who is eligible under this Program?
To be eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent, an individual must:
- Receive an Invitation to Apply
- Be at least 18 years
- Live in Canada
- Be a Canadian citizen, a Permanent resident or a person registered as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
- Have the means to support the sponsored family members under this Program financially.
- Meet other requirements specified under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
What are the grounds for disqualification under this Program?
Applications are subject to disqualifications if the applicant:
- Has not received an Invitation to Apply
- Is less than 18 years
- Does not intend to live in Canada in the future
- Is not a Canadian citizen, a Permanent resident or a person registered as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
- Is a temporary resident of Canada on a visa or a permit
- Does not have the means to support the people being sponsored
- Is in jail, a prison or a penitentiary
- Defaulted on an immigration loan, a performance bond or a court-ordered family support payment
- Received a Removal order to leave Canada.
Future of Family sponsorship in Canada
Sponsorship programs like the Parents and Grandparents Program and facilities like Super Visas are the face of Canada’s family-friendly immigration policy. They help Immigrants obtain Permanent residency for their parents in Canada. This reunion of immigrant families is part of the Canadian government’s attempt to attract, retain and integrate immigrants in larger numbers for the coming years.
The need for more immigration has been imminent in recent years, with the country witnessing its highest quarterly job vacancy numbers in the second quarter of 2022. Statistics Canada put the figures at 997,000 vacant positions across all sectors in Canada- a 4.7% increase from the first quarter of 2022. These figures, coupled with an ageing working population where every 1 in 5 is between the age of 55-64, has only fuelled the need for more qualified economic immigrants.
