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Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship to Canada 2020

Immigration Admin • Oct 20, 2020
Sponsorship for Parents and Grandparents in Canada

Ensure Your Success

Please note that parent sponsorship is a 3 stage application process.  1. Submit the online form by Nov 3, 2020.  2. Be invited to sponsor.  3. Submit a perfected PR application.  If you are invited, it’s very important that the application is done perfectly. Even a tiny mistake means that your application will not be accepted for processing.  You might not get a second chance to sponsor your parents.  Ever.

 This is why our team is here – to ensure that your parent sponsorship process is successful.  We are taking a limited number of clients for the 2020 sponsorship process – reserve your spot by contacting us today

Do you want to sponsor your parents or grandparents for permanent residence?

The 2020 version of the Parent and Grandparent sponsorship program for Canada re-opens on October 13 for a 3 week period.  During this time, Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents who are interested in sponsoring their parent or grandparent to live in Canada will be able to submit an online expression of interest in the hopes of being chosen to sponsor for this program year.

The Parent and Grandparent sponsorship program was initially scheduled to open in April 2020, but it was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Because Canada’s immigration department has opened the program later than usual, only 10,000 sponsors will be invited for this year – half the number of applicants than normal. To compensate, IRCC has promised that the program will invite 30,000 sponsors in 2021, instead of the usual 20,000 applications.  It’s possible that because the program is open to only half the usual number of applicants for this year, those chosen for parents’ sponsorship to Canada in 2020 will experience a faster processing time than normal.

3 Steps To Sponsor Your Parents or Grandparents to Canada.

1. Tell IRCC you are interested in sponsoring your parent or grandparent.

Between October 13, 2020 and November 3, 2020, interested parties need to complete and submit a web form on the IRCC website. First, consider whether you are eligible to sponsor your parents or grandparents to Canada, according to the Canadian government requirements for sponsors. Then, you should prepare your own biographic info, your tax details for the past 3 years as well as the biographic info of your parent or grandparent. These details are entered into the online webform and a confirmation number is issued. At some point after November 3, a random process will select the 10,000 sponsors for this program year. 

2. Receive an invitation from IRCC to become a sponsor.

Your invitation is likely to come in the form of an email, so ensure that your email address is correct on the webform submission. It’s also important to ensure that you check your junk mail folders because once your invitation to sponsor your parents has been issued, you will need to start work on the application for Permanent Residence quickly.

3. Submit an application for Permanent Residence

Starting from the date that you receive your invitation to sponsor, you will have 60 days to submit the completed application for Permanent Residence for your parent or grandparent. This time will disappear quickly, so it’s important to act immediately. Because you have to be invited to participate in this program, the opportunity to sponsor your parent or grandparent might be a once in a lifetime chance. If you are late with submitting the PR application or if you make a mistake in preparing it – you may never get the chance to sponsor them again.


Who is eligible to sponsor their parent or grandparent to Canada?

The opportunity to sponsor a parent or grandparent is open to Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents who are at least 18 years old, living in Canada and earn an income that meets the required levels.  Sponsors must agree to be financially responsible for their parent or grandparent for 20 years from the date they take up residence in Canada.  

What is the minimum necessary income to sponsor your parents or grandparents to Canada?

The funds you require to be eligible to sponsor depends on the number of people in your family.   To calculate your family size, you need to take into account all of the following:

  • yourself
  • your spouse or common law partner
  • any children who are less than 22 years old and not married or common law
  • anyone else you have sponsored for immigration purposes
  • the parents or grandparents you want to sponsor, and their children less than age 22

The total of all these people becomes your family size for immigration sponsorship purposes.

Parent & Grandparent Sponsorship to Canada Income Requirements 2020 

Family Size 2020 2019 2018
2 People $32,899 $41,007 $40,379
3 People $40,445 $50,414 $49,641
4 People $49,106 $61,209 $60,271
5 People $55,695 $69,423 $68,358
6 People $62,814 $78,296 $77,095
7 People $69,935 $87,172 $85,835

If more than 7 people, for each additional person, add: $7,121 (2020), $8,876 (2019) and 8,740 (2018)

Because IRCC will be utilizing your 2020 income for this application, it will be critically important to file your 2020 income tax return as soon as possible in early 2021.

Who can be included on a parent or grandparent sponsorship application?

The family members that can be included on a parent and grandparent sponsorship application include biological and adoptive parents or grandparents, as well as step-parents where separation or divorce have occurred.   Siblings and half siblings are eligible as long as they are dependent children under the age of 22.  Note that you cannot sponsor your in-laws, but you can be included as a co-signer on your spouse or common law partners application to be the sponsor.

Should you hire a representative for your sponsorship application?

When considering whether or not you should hire a representative for an immigration application, the first point of concern should always be the question, “What are my options to apply again in the event that I do something wrong with this application process?”  The second question should be, “If Immigration Canada makes a mistake with my application, do I understand the program and the process enough to challenge their decision?”

Anytime there is an immigration process that involves an invitation to apply, it should be viewed as a once in a lifetime opportunity.  If you are invited to sponsor your parent or grandparent, and somehow mess up the application, there is no guarantee that you will ever be invited again in the future.  In our opinion, it is always a good idea to work with a representative in this kind of situation.

What if you aren’t selected to sponsor your parent or grandparent?

If you aren’t selected to sponsor your parent or grandparent for the 2020 program year, there is always hope that you may be selected in 20201 or a subsequent year.  In the meantime, a super visa will enable your parent or grandparent to spend time with you in Canada for up to 2 years at a time, while you wait for an invitation to participate in the PR sponsorship process.

Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship FAQ

What is the benefit for sponsored parents in Canada?

Can I sponsor my step-father to Canada?

Can I sponsor just one parent to Canada?

Can my sibling be included when I sponsor my parents to Canada?

What are my responsibilities when I sponsor my parents or Grandparents to Canada?

The Way Immigration has successfully represented Parent and Grandparent sponsorship applications for more than a decade.  We would be pleased to assist you with sponsoring your family, so that you can be assured your application will have the greatest chances for success in the event that you are chosen as a sponsor for 2020.

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