Canadian citizens and permanent residents may bring their parents and grandparents to Canada through one of two popular programs: Family Class sponsorship and/or the Super Visa program.

People who are interested in sponsoring their parents to be permanent residents should follow the government’s two-step systems.

The first step is using a first-in process that helps the government to manage the intake of applications for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP Program). Once successful, sponsors will be issued an Invitation To Apply (ITA).

Once receiving ITA, the next step is to submit complete applications to the government online and before the deadline of the invitation.

Please be mindful about the undertaking a sponsor commits as follows:

• providing financial support for your sponsored family members for 20 years, starting when they become permanent residents
• repaying any provincial social assistance (money from the government) your sponsored family members get during that time

Also, you and your sponsored family members need to agree to certain responsibilities during the undertaking period. We call this the sponsorship agreement.

The sponsorship agreement means that:

• you’ll provide for the basic needs of your sponsored family members;
• the person you sponsor will make every effort to support themselves and their family members.

When you apply, you’ll have to complete and sign a form that includes the undertaking and the sponsorship agreement.

The Family Class sponsorship program includes a stream for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Successful parents and grandparents under this program will receive Canadian Permanent Residency and may be able to apply for Canadian Citizenship three years thereafter.

To be eligible for Family Class sponsorship, the sponsor in Canada must meet the following requirements:

• Be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident;
• Be 18 years of age or older;
• Exceed the minimum necessary income level for this program. If married or in a common-law relationship, the income of both persons can be included;
• The sponsor must sign an undertaking to repay any provincial social assistance benefits paid to the sponsor and accompanying family member(s), if any, for 20 years, if necessary; and

If the sponsor resides in Quebec, an additional ‘undertaking’ must be signed.

Sponsors will have to prove that they meet the minimum income requirements by submitting notices of assessment issued by the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA). They must also demonstrate they have met the minimum necessary income level for three consecutive years.