Canada immigration news: Canada’s annual immigration intake through the Parents and Grandparents Program is set to rise by more than a third in the next three years.
Ottawa’s latest Immigration Levels Plan targets 25,000 newcomers through the program in 2022, 28,500 in 2023 and a 2024 intake of 32,000.
That is a 36 percent increase on the 2021 target of 23,500 PGP newcomers.
The PGP is a highly popular program for which Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has struggled to find a suitable format over the years.
In its current form, IRCC operates a lottery system whereby sponsors submit an ‘Interest to Sponsor’ form during a one-month window. Sponsors are then drawn at random from the pool and invited to apply to bring their parents and/or grandparents to Canada.
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Canada’s immigration department has admitted it does not know when it will start accepting applications for the 2022 PGP.
“Information on the next parent and grandparent intake is not yet available,” wrote IRCC media relations officer Rémi Larivière in a recent email.
“IRCC continues to process parents and grandparents applications that we have already received, including from the 2021 intake, in order to meet our 2022 immigration levels targets.”
Family Reunification A Top Priority For Canada, Says IRCC Official
Ottawa is still claiming that the reunification of families, including the sponsorship of parents and grandparents for permanent residence, is still a “top priority”.
“The government of Canada knows how important it is for families to be together,” noted Larivière.
Canadian immigration officials stopped accepting applications for the PGP on Dec. 6, 2021 and were then hoping to bring in 30,000 completed applications after sending out 34,500 Invitations to Apply (ITA) in a little under two weeks.
Parents and Grandparents Program: Process
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) operates a lottery system for the PGP.
Citizens and permanent residents must submit an Interest to Sponsor form, before being placed in a pool.
IRCC makes random draws from the pool and issues Invitations to Apply.
The sponsors and their parents and grandparents then have 60 days to submit a full application.
Who Is Eligible To Sponsor Parents Or Grandparents?
Sponsors must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Live in Canada.
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
- Have enough money to support those they want to sponsor by meeting minimum income requirements for the previous three years. Candidates can include a co-signer in their application, allowing the combined income to be considered.
Sponsors must also:
- Agree to financially support the parent or grandparent for 20 years from the date they are approved for permanent residence.
- Reimburse the government for any social assistance paid out to the parent or grandparent during that time.
Sponsors Who Live In Quebec
Sponsors who live in Quebec must meet the Quebec immigration sponsorship requirements after being approved as a sponsor by IRCC. The Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) also assesses the sponsor’s income and requires an undertaking to be signed.
Parents and Grandparents Program: Who Can Be Sponsored?
- Citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption.
- In cases of divorce or separation, the spouses or common-law partners of parents and grandparents are also eligible.
- A sponsor’s brothers and sisters, or half brothers and sisters, are only eligible if they qualify as dependent children.
- More than one person or couple can be sponsors if the financial requirements are met.
Parents and Grandparents Super Visa
Those not successful in the PGP process should consider the Parents and Grandparents Super Visa, which allows a parent or grandparent to visit Canada for up to two years at a time. A super visa allows multiple entries for up to 10 years.