The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is an important Canadian initiative to reunite families, allowing Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents or grandparents to become permanent residents in Canada.
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PGP overview
Canadian citizens and permanent residents may sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada. Parents and grandparents approved under this programme receive Canadian permanent residence and may eventually apply for Canadian citizenship.
The application process for PGP 2024 is designed to ensure fairness and transparency through a random selection (lottery) system.
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The PGP process
Interest to Sponsor
IRCC did not open a new Interest to Sponsor intake for 2024. It instead continued to use the forms submitted in 2020.
This means that only those who submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020 and did not receive an invitation in 2021, 2022 or 2023 have a chance of being selected in this round.
Invitation to Apply (ITA)
From 21 May 2024, IRCC sent 35,700 invitations over two weeks to prospective sponsors selected at random from the 2020 pool.
These invitations are sent by email, so it is important to check the email address given in the interest to sponsor form, including the spam folder. If your email address has changed since 2020, you need to update your contact details following the guidance on the IRCC website.
Applying
If you receive an invitation, you must submit both the sponsorship application and the permanent residence application for your parents or grandparents at the same time.
Applications must be submitted online through the Permanent Residence Portal, or the Representative Permanent Residence Portal if you are using an authorised representative. The deadline for applying was 2 August 2024 at 11.59pm Eastern Time (ET), and no exceptions were accepted.
Processing the application
Once the application is submitted, IRCC reviews the eligibility of both the sponsor and the person sponsored. This process includes medical examinations and security background checks for the parents or grandparents.
As at February 2025, the average processing time for PGP applications was around 24 months for those settling outside Quebec and 48 months for those settling in Quebec, owing to the province’s own immigration policies.
Requirements for the sponsor
You must meet the following requirements to be eligible to sponsor your parents or grandparents:
- Status:You must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident living in Canada, or a person registered under Canada’s Indian Act. Your main residential address must be in Canada when you apply and until a decision is made on the application.
- Age:You must be aged 18 or over.
- Minimum Necessary Income (MNI):You must demonstrate that you have sufficient income to support those you are sponsoring for the 3 most recent tax years (2023, 2022 and 2021 for the 2024 intake). Your income is assessed on the basis of the Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). If you do not meet the income requirement, your spouse or common-law partner may co-sign to combine incomes.
Below is the MNI table for 2024 (outside Quebec):
| Family size | Minimum Necessary Income (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 2 people | $44,530 |
| 3 people | $54,743 |
| 4 people | $66,466 |
| 5 people | $75,384 |
| 6 people | $85,022 |
| 7 people | $94,662 |
| Each additional person | $9,640 |
| Note: for those living in Quebec, the income requirement differs and is assessed against the province’s own income tables; you must also demonstrate the ability to maintain that income throughout the undertaking period. |
- Financial undertaking:You must sign an undertaking to support your parents or grandparents financially for 20 years (10 years in Quebec), starting from the date they become permanent residents. This includes providing basic needs such as housing, food, clothing, and medical costs not covered by the public health system. You must also repay any social assistance the sponsored person receives during this period.
- Ineligibility:You cannot sponsor if:
- You are receiving social assistance (except on grounds of disability).
- You are bankrupt and have not been discharged.
- You have a criminal record for a violent offence, an offence against a relative, or a sexual offence.
- You are under immigration investigation or subject to a removal order.
- You have failed to meet the financial undertaking from a previous sponsorship.
Requirements for the person sponsored
The parents or grandparents must be the sponsor’s biological parents or grandparents, or their adoptive parents or grandparents.
They must not be inadmissible to Canada on medical or security grounds. They must pass the medical examinations and security background checks required by IRCC. No dependants (for example, the children of the parents or grandparents) may be included in a PGP application, unless they are the spouse or common-law partner of the parent or grandparent being sponsored.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) on the PGP
Canadian citizens and permanent residents may sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada. Parents and grandparents approved under this programme receive Canadian permanent residence and may eventually apply for Canadian citizenship.
Your parents and grandparents can enjoy the full benefits of Canadian permanent residence, including working in Canada, receiving healthcare, full protection under Canadian law and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and applying to become Canadian citizens once they meet the eligibility criteria.
The process for PGP 2024 is as follows:
- Step 1:Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria.
- Step 2:Completed the Interest to Sponsor form on the IRCC website and submitted it in 2020, without receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in 2020, 2021, 2022 or 2023.
- Step 3:Check the email address you gave in the 2020 Interest to Sponsor form after 21 May 2024 for the ITA and further instructions. IRCC continued sending these emails over a two-week period after the programme opened.
- Step 4:If you receive an email from IRCC with an ITA, you must submit your application through the Permanent Residence Portal or the Representative Permanent Residence Portal before the deadline set out in your invitation email.
To be eligible for the Parents and Grandparents Program 2024, a sponsor must meet the following criteria:
- Completed the Interest to Sponsor form on the IRCC website in 2020.
- Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered underCanada’s Indian Act.
- Be aged 18 or over.
- Be residing in Canada (prospective candidates need to provide evidence of status at the Interest to Sponsor stage).
- Meet or exceed theminimum necessary income (MNI)for this programme (where married or in a common-law relationship, the incomes of both the sponsor and the spouse may be combined) and provide evidence of income to IRCC.
- Sign an undertaking to:
- Support the sponsored person financially for 20 years (starting when they become a permanent resident) — applicants in Quebec sign an undertaking for 10 years.
- Repay any social assistance paid to the sponsored family members (where applicable) over the 20-year period.
PGP applicants must demonstrate that they meet the minimum income requirement by submitting the notice of assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in support of their application.
Yes. You must meet the Quebec government’s immigration sponsorship requirements once IRCC has approved you as a sponsor. The Quebec government will also assess your income.
As at 23 November 2023, where a person sponsored to immigrate to Quebec (under the family sponsorship programme) is aged between 18 and 55, you (the sponsor) must complete and sign a welcome and integration plan, ensuring that support is provided to the sponsored person in: preparing for arrival in Quebec, accessing public services and resources to support integration, and learning French. The undertaking for the PGP in Quebec normally runs for 10 years.
The welcome and integration plan can be found insection 9 of the form.
- Step 1:Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria.
- Step 2:Completed the Interest to Sponsor form and submitted it on the IRCC website in 2020.
- Step 3:Update the information you entered in the interest to sponsor forms submitted in 2020, where necessary.
- Step 4:IRCC carried out a random selection of up to 35,700 applications from 21 May to 4 June 2024.
- Step 5:If selected in the draw, the sponsor must submit a complete sponsorship application to IRCC before the deadline set out in the invitation letter in order to apply successfully for PGP sponsorship.
- Step 6:Obtain theQuebec Selection Certificate (CSQ)by applying to the Quebec government. Once received, submit it to IRCC.
You must meet or exceed theMinimum Necessary Income (MNI) for the family sponsorship programme do Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)set for each of the 3 tax years preceding the date you apply. The Minimum Necessary Income requirement differs for sponsors living in Quebec. Your MNI is assessed on the basis of your Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment.
The following table shows the Minimum Necessary Income requirement for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) 2024 if you live outside Quebec:
| Family unit size | MNI 2023 | MNI 2022 | MNI 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people | $44,530 | $43,082 | $32,898 |
| 3 people | $54,743 | $52,965 | $40,444 |
| 4 people | $66,466 | $64,306 | $49,106 |
| 5 people | $75,384 | $72,935 | $55,694 |
| 6 people | $85,020 | $82,259 | $62,814 |
| 7 people | $94,658 | $91,582 | $69,934 |
| Each additional person | $9,636 | $9,324 | $7,120 |
If you live in Quebec, you are considered able to meet the sponsorship undertaking if you have gross income from Canadian sources equal to the total of the amounts in Table 1 and Table 2 below, in the 12 months before applying, and demonstrate that you will continue to have this income throughout your undertaking period.
Table 1:
| Family unit size | Basic annual income required |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $28,242 |
| 2 people | $38,124 |
| 3 people | $47,068 |
| 4 people | $54,135 |
| 5 people | $60,250 |
| For more than 5 people, each additional person | $6,115 |
Table 2: refers only to the person sponsored. Sponsors need to add the correct amount from Table 1 to the correct amount in Table 2 to establish the minimum necessary income requirement.
Additional sponsor income required to meet the basic needs of the sponsored person and their family members
| Number of people aged 18 and over | Number of people under 18 | Sponsor’s required annual gross income |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | $9,776 |
| 0 | 2 | $15,493 |
| The required annual gross income increases by $5,166 for each person under 18. |
| Number of people aged 18 and over | Number of people under 18 | Sponsor’s required annual gross income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | $20,657 |
| 1 | 1 | $27,755 |
| 1 | 2 | $31,341 |
| The required annual gross income increases by $3,582 for each person under 18. |
| Number of people aged 18 and over | Number of people under 18 | Sponsor’s required annual gross income |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | $30,294 |
| 2 | 1 | $33,935 |
| 2 | 2 | $36,634 |
| The required annual gross income increases by $2,689 for each person under 18 and $9,630 for each person aged 18 and over. |
Individuals are not eligible to sponsor parents or grandparents if they:
- Are under 18.
- Will not be living in Canada when they apply to sponsor parents and/or grandparents and/or when the sponsored parents and/or grandparents become permanent residents.
- As a prospective sponsor, the applicant’s main residential address must be in Canada at the time of application and until a decision is made on the application.
- Are not a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a registered Indian in Canada.
- Are temporary residents visiting, studying or working in Canada on a visa or permit.
- Have a permanent residence application still being processed.
- A prospective sponsor must hold permanent resident status at the time the sponsorship application is submitted.
- Cannot provide evidence of income demonstrating that they have the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI).
In addition, individuals may not be eligible to sponsor parents and grandparents if they:
- Are in prison, jail or a correctional facility.
- Have failed to repay:
- An immigration loan.
- A performance bond.
- Court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support.
- Have failed to provide the financial support they agreed to when signing a sponsorship agreement to sponsor a relative in the past.
- Have declared bankruptcy and have not been discharged.
- Are receiving social assistance for a reason other than disability.
- Have been convicted of a violent offence, any offence against a relative, or any sexual offence, inside or outside Canada.
- Cannot remain in Canada lawfully and must leave the country because they have been issued a Removal Order.
IRCC may have further grounds for treating a person as ineligible to sponsor parents and/or grandparents.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will accept up to 20,500 complete applications for the 2024 PGP intake. The department accepted 15,000 applications in 2022 and 2023.
Previously, IRCC accepted around 30,000 applications for the 2021 intake and around 10,000 for PGP 2020.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada aims to run a fair and transparent draw process. It removes all duplicate applications and ensures the draw is randomised. Make sure you meet all the eligibility criteria and complete the Interest to Sponsor form fully and accurately, so that you stand a chance of being among those selected.
Detailed article on theSuper Visa
Canadian citizens and/or permanent residents have another option for bringing parents or grandparents to Canada.
The Super Visa programme allows parents and grandparents to come to Canada as long-term visitors on a multiple-entry visa valid for up to 10 years. Unlike a standard visitor visa, the Super Visa allows the holder to remain in Canada for up to 2 years on their first entry to Canada.
To qualify for the Super Visa programme, parents and grandparents must meet the standard visitor visa requirements. In addition, they must:
- Provide a written undertaking of financial support from their child or grandchild in Canada;
- Demonstrate that the sponsor in Canada meets the minimum income requirement;
- Demonstrate that they have purchased Canadian medical insurance for at least one year; and
- Complete an immigration medical examination.
Depending on their nationality, parents/grandparents may needTemporary Resident Visa (TRV).
The sponsor, and the sponsor’s co-signer where applicable, are required to sign a sponsorship undertaking with the Government of Canada, in which they promise to provide the essential needs of the sponsored person(s) for 20 years from their arrival in Canada.
20 years. Your obligation as a sponsor begins when the person(s) you sponsor and their accompanying dependants (where applicable) become permanent residents of Canada. The undertaking period is 10 years for sponsors in Quebec.
Yes. To help you meet the Minimum Necessary Income requirement, your co-signer may be your spouse or common-law partner. Your co-signer must provide evidence of income for the last 3 tax years before the date of your application. They must also meet the same eligibility requirements as you and must agree to be bound by the 20-year sponsorship undertaking period (10 years in Quebec).
Yes, you may sponsor more than one person in your PGP application. To do so, you will need to submit separate applications for each person (or couple) you sponsor. IRCC processes these applications separately.
Note that if you choose to sponsor more than one person in your application, you will need to meet the relevant income requirements for the total number of people sponsored.
Yes, a Canadian permanent resident currently residing in Canada may sponsor their parents and grandparents to receive permanent residence as well.
The Government of Canada may determine that a parent or grandparent is not admissible to Canada on medical grounds if that person:
- Places excessive demand on health or social services.
- Poses a danger to public health.
- Poses a danger to public safety.
Yes — EI and CERB are not treated by IRCC as social assistance. You must still meet the Minimum Necessary Income requirement, which is based on your total family size (including the number of parents, grandparents and dependants you wish to sponsor).
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