PARENRTS AND GRANPARENTS SPONSORSHIP
Canada citizens or permanent residents who are at least 18 years and old can sponsor their parents and grandparents to come to Canada as permanent residents. You must support them financially and make sure they don’t need social assistance from the government. Check if you are eligible to sponsor your parent or grandparent or support their Super Visa Application.
Sponsor's Eligibility
- you’re at least 18 years old
- you live in Canada
- you’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
- you have enough money to support your parents or grandparents and you are able to demonstrate by way of providing your proof of income.
- you promise to financially take care of your parents or grandparents for a specific period of time by way of an undertaking confirming that you shall provide financial support for them for 20 years, starting when they become permanent residents
- you repay any provincial social assistance (money from the government) your parents get during the time of your commitment of 20 years. Similarly, your parents or grandparents will also be required to abide by certain certain responsibilities during the undertaking period by signing a sponsorship agreement that confirms you will you’ll provide for the basic needs of parents or grandparents and your parents will make every effort to support themselves and their family members.
Sponsorship Draw and Invitations to Apply
The latest draw happened in 2021, IRCC announced that it will issue 30,000 invitations to individuals who entered the lottery draw in 2020. Only those individuals who entered the draw in 2020 were invited. A total of 34,500 invitations were sent to potential sponsors in order to get 30,000 complete applications. Individuals wishing to enter the draw for the first time will have to wait until IRCC opens the program again.
Once an invitation is issued, individuals will have 60 days to submit a complete application to IRCC. It is extremely important to submit an complete application, otherwise, the application will not be accepted and it will be returned 4 months later. Individuals will lose their opportunity to sponsor on the issued invitation because the 60 day deadline window for submitting a complete application will have passed by the time the application is returned for being incomplete. These individuals will have to re-enter the draw again for the next year and be lucky enough to get another invitation to sponsor.
Other Options for Parents & Grandparents
Parents can consider to apply for a super visa if their children do not get selected through the random selection for parents sponsorship or they do not qualify as sponsor. A super visa allows parents or grandparents to visit their children or grandchildren for up to 5 years at a time. It’s a multi-entry visa that provides multiple entries for a period up to 10 years. Please refer to Super Visa for further details.
If parents want to stay for 6 months or less, they can apply for a visitor visa. Please refer to Visit Visa for further details.
Need more information about the Program?
We always advise clients to discuss their specific situation with an expert who can help steer you in the right direction. We offer one-to-one consultations as well in which our consultants will understand our clients requirements and will be available to answer any questions in the most precise manner. This process not only adds value but also avoids common mistakes that an applicant is prone to without having a professional consultation. We are your partner in this process, so feel free to book your consultation now!