The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) 2023 lottery begins today.
Between October 10 and October 23, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will send invitations to apply to 24,200 interested potential sponsors. These invitations will be sent to randomly selected potential sponsors from the remaining pool of submissions from 2020. IRCC’s goal is to receive 15,000 complete applications.
If you submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020 but did not receive an invitation to apply for the PGP in 2021 or 2022, continue to check the email that you provided when you submitted your interest to sponsor form back in 2020. Make sure to also check your spam folder as the invitation to apply from IRCC may end up there.
Eligibility for the PGP
The Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) is an important eligibility factor for the PGP. The MNI shows proof that a sponsor is financially able to support the people they would like to bring to Canada through the PGP. Click here to see the MNI for the PGP in previous years.
In every province or territory across Canada except for Quebec, sponsors who are invited to apply must provide Notices of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for each of the three taxation years immediately preceding their application.
If you live in Quebec and want to sponsor your parent or grandparent, your income is assessed by Quebec’s immigration ministry based on the provincial income requirements. IRCC and the Quebec government require a signed undertaking from an interested sponsor.
The length of the undertaking for a parent or grandparent in all provinces except for Quebec is 20 years. In Quebec, the duration of the undertaking is 10 years.
If you do not end up getting an invitation this year, another option is the Super Visa.
Super Visa
The Super Visa allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada from abroad. The Super Visa is a temporary visa that allows parents and grandparents to visit their family in Canada for up to five consecutive years, and they do not have to renew their visitor status.
Super Visa holders can enter Canada multiple times for up to 10 years. In addition, those who already have a Super Visa may be able to apply for an extension to allows them to stay in Canada for up to seven years as a visitor.
The benefit of the Super Visa is that there is not lottery system, so it is offered all year round and is available for those who are eligible. In order to be eligible, an applicant must:
- Be a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Not be inadmissible to Canada based on criminality or health
- Prove that they can meet the income requirements identified by the Low-Income Cut Off (LICO)
- Provide a signed letter from their child or grandchild inviting them to Canada, and includes a promise of financial support for the length of the visit and the list and number of people in the household of this person
- Provide proof of medical insurance coverage for at least one year with a Canadian insurance company.
