Canada has just revealed the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) 2022 applicant intake process.
Member of Parliament Sonia Sidhu, on behalf of the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and Member of Parliament Shafqat Ali, announced today that IRCC will continue to reunite families by accepting up to 15,000 complete sponsorship applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program this year.
This week, IRCC will begin distributing invitations to apply to 23,100 potential sponsors—enough to ensure we reach our application goal of 15,000. Invitations will be sent over two weeks.
In the fall of 2020, IRCC will select from those who have expressed interest in sponsoring their parents and grandparents. According to IRCC, around 155,000 potential sponsors remain in the pool.
Back then, potential sponsors had three weeks to complete an online form on IRCC’s website to indicate their interest. IRCC then performed a lottery and accepted approximately 10,000 PGP 2020 applications. Last year, IRCC accepted over 30,000 PGP 2021 from the same pool.
Eligibility for the PGP
You are eligible to sponsor your parents and grandparents if:
- You submitted an interest to sponsor form on IRCC’s website between 12 p.m. ET on October 13, 2020, and 12 p.m. ET on November 3, 2020; you are at least 18 years old, reside in Canada, and are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- You are a Canadian permanent citizen, or an Indian registered in Canada under the Canadian Indian Act; you have the funds to sustain the individuals you wish to sponsor, and you have no criminal record (by demonstrating you meet the Minimum Necessary Income)
The Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) is a crucial criterion for PGP eligibility. This confirmation of sufficient income is required only after sponsorship interest has been expressed through the online form. Candidates who are selected and invited to apply, but do not reach the required minimum income, will have their applications denied.
Sponsors must determine the size of their family to ensure that they fulfill the minimum income standards, which include all those for whom they would be financially responsible as sponsors, such as:
- the interested sponsor;
- their dependent children;
- their spouse’s or partner’s dependent children;
- their spouse or common-law partner;
- Any other person the interested sponsor may have sponsored in the past, for whom they are yet financially responsible; the parents and grandparents they want to sponsor, and their dependents
- Any dependent kid who won’t come to Canada with their parents or grandparents; their parent or grandparent;
- their parent or grandparent’s spouse or common-law partner; their parent or grandparent’s spouse
Due to the loss of income experienced by many during the coronavirus epidemic, IRCC is decreasing its MNI standards for the calendar years 2021 and 2020 by 30% compared to what they would normally be.
In addition, IRCC will recognize regular Employment Insurance benefits and temporary COVID-19 payments (such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit) as income for a sponsor.
Super Visa
Parents and grandparents of Canadians can also be eligible for the 10-year Super Visa, which permits holders to remain in Canada as a tourist for five years without having to renew their documents.
Those who want to reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada but have not been invited this year may wish to have their parents or grandparents apply for a super visa, a 10-year multiple-entry visa.
Implemented in the summer of 2022, enhancements to the super visa permit holders to remain in Canada for up to 5 years at a time, with the opportunity to extend their stay by up to 2 years without leaving the country.
These modifications make it more convenient for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to spend more time with their parents and grandparents in Canada.
Contact us to know more!