2020 Parents and Grandparents Program
Last updated: October 13, 2020
The long-awaited 2020 Parents and Grandparents Program is finally here! This program was expected to open in April 2020, but COVID-19 forced a delay.
First and foremost, there is a big change to the selection process. In 2019, the federal government had chosen a first-come, first-served approach. This had resulted in sponsor hopefuls rushing to the relavant IRCC page on the day and time it opened, causing server issues, resulting in many people not even having a chance to open the page. This year, the government went with a lottery approach to give everybody a fair chance. Now, let’s move on to how this selection process will work:
1. Express your ınterest to sponsor
Initially, you will have to indicate that you are interested in sponsoring your parents or grandparents. This will happen online by filling out a form. Persons with disabilities can request additional formats to submit their interest to sponsor forms. If you are in need of such a format, you must contact IRCC by either calling 1-888-242-2100 or emailing at IRCC.PGP.CORRECTION-CORRECTION.PGP.IRCC@cic.gc.ca until November 3, 2020. You need to submit the online form any time from 12.00 PM on October 13, 2020 to 12.00 PM on November 3, 2020. This will enter you into the lottery.
2. Get an ınvıtatıon to apply
On November 3, 2020, the online interest to sponsor form will be taken down from the IRCC page. Duplicate entries will be removed. Then 10,000 people will randomly be selected and receive invitations to apply (ITA).
3. Submıt your applıcatıon
If you are one of the lucky ones, you will have 60 days to submit your application package. If you run into obstacles in obtaining necessary documents, IRCC may grant you a 90-day extension on this deadline.
Elıgıbılıty of the sponsor
Not everyone can sponsor their parents and grandparents. Here are the eligibility criteria:
- You must be at least 18 years old
- You must live in Canada
- You must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada or a registered Indian in Canada
- You must have enough money to support the people you sponsor. If you are going to submit your application in 2020, then you should prove your income in 2019-2018-2017. IRCC says that many people will be submitting their applications only by January or February 2021. This may be hinting at invitations to apply going out in November or December 2020. If you submit your application in 2021, you will have to meet the income requirements mentioned in the table below as per the number of people living in your household (including yourself and the sponsored people). For instance, if you live with your wife and one child, and you are sponsoring both your parents, then you should look at the number next to “5 people”. You probably noticed that the income requirement for 2020 is lower. This is because the federal government assumes many people have lost their income levels in 2020 due to COVID-19. With this move, the Government of Canada is trying to facilitate sponsorship for more people. If your income levels are on or close to the threshold amounts, I recommend that you submit your application in early 2021. Please note that you should still submit your interest to sponsor form any time from October 13, 2020 to November 3, 2020. If you cannot make these amounts, you can include your spouse as a co-signer in your sponsorship application, thus adding their income to your total as well. You must use your Notices of Assessment as proof of income. If you apply in early 2021, then you won’t have access to your 2020 NoA yet. IRCC is aware of this. Those who apply in early 2021 may submit only 2019 and 2018 NoAs and submit the 2020 NoA later on when they have it. Alternatively, you can let IRCC know your SIN on the application form. That way, you won’t need to worry about submitting any NoAs including the one for 2020. IRCC will pull that information from CRA directly.
| Household (ıncludıng you and the sponsored persons) | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 persons | $32,899 | $41,007 | $40,379 |
| 3 persons | $40,445 | $50,414 | $49,641 |
| 4 persons | $49,106 | $61,209 | $60,271 |
| 5 persons | $55,695 | $69,423 | $68,358 |
| 6 persons | $62,814 | $78,296 | $77,095 |
| 7 persons | $69,935 | $87,172 | $85,835 |
| Add this for each person after 7 | $7,121 | $8,876 | $8,740 |
- You must sign an agreement with the government that you are going to financially support your parents or grandparents for 20 years. You must cover their basic needs and repay the provincial government if they get any social assistance during that 20 years.
- If you live in Quebec, you must meet Quebec’s sponsorship requirements.
Elıgıbılıty of the sponsored person(s)
The people you sponsor must be admissible to Canada. IRCC will request
- medical exams
- police certificates, and
- biometrics
You can sponsor both your father and mother or grandfather and grandmother as couples. If you have a sibling or siblings who meet the definition of dependent child, they can be included in the application as dependents as well. However, in most cases, your sibling will be over the age of 22, which renders most people not dependent. Only if a mental or physical disorder forced them to have been financially dependent on your parents since the age of 22, they can be added as a dependent and come to Canada. These will be exceptional cases.
Government fees and processing times
Sponsoring a parent or grandparent will set you back $1,050 in government fees. This doesn’t include the biometrics fee ($85) and medical exam fee which is paid to the hospital/panel physician. Here is the breakdown:
- Sponsorship fee: $75
- Principal applicant processing fee: $475
- Right of permanent residence fee: $500
- Spouse or partner processing fee: $550
- Right of permanent residence fee: $500
If your parents have an eligible dependent child, then you will have to pay an additional $150 to the government.
- Dependent child processing fee: $150
Applications under parents and grandparents program are expected to be processed up to 2 years on average. Do not overlook the possibility of further delays due to COVID-19.
Feel free to contact me to get help on submitting your Interest to Sponsor forms. I am happy to assist you with your application as well.
TIPS
- The information you submit in your Interest to Sponsor form must match the information on your application if you are invited to apply.
- If you made a mistake on your Interest to Sponsor form or your information has changed, do not submit another form. You cannot correct the error or change information after submission. If you get an invitation to apply, file your application using the correct information and add a letter of explanation along with a proof of changes.
- If you submit more than one Interest to Sponsor form, IRCC will only consider the last one.
- If your email address changes after you submit your form, you must notify IRCC by emailing at IRCC.PGP.CORRECTION-CORRECTION.PGP.IRCC@cic.gc.ca. That’s because you will receive your invitation to apply via email.
- If you don’t get an invitation to apply, you might want to try a temporary route. Visit our Parent and Grandparent Super Visa page for more on that.
Representative fees
I can help you with your Interest to Sponsor form and assess your eligibility to sponsor. And if you get selected, I can file your application and be your official representative on file or check the application package you prepared before the final submission.
Accurate and complete filling out of the Interest to Sponsor form. Includes eligibility assessment.
Review
A thorough check before you submit your application
Representation
- Official representation on file. Point of contact to IRCC. Includes Interest to Sponsor form submission, application preparation, completeness checks through various stages, application submission and follow-up until a decision is made.