FAQ

The Parents and Grandparents Program allows eligible Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and persons registered under the Indian Act to sponsor their parents or grandparents for Canadian Permanent Residence.

Applicants must satisfy sponsorship, financial, admissibility, and other applicable immigration requirements.

No. IRCC announced a pause on new PGP applications in July 2026. The government continues processing previously submitted applications but is not accepting new interest-to-sponsor forms or issuing new invitations until further notice.

Eligible sponsors generally must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person registered under the Indian Act.
• Reside in Canada.
• Receive an invitation to apply when an intake is available.
• Meet the applicable income requirements.
• Satisfy all other sponsorship eligibility conditions.

Sponsors outside Quebec must generally meet the applicable minimum necessary income for each of the three taxation years preceding the application.

The required income depends on family size and the applicable tax year. A spouse or common-law partner may be eligible to co-sign the sponsorship application and combine their income with the sponsor's.

Possibly, provided you satisfy the applicable financial and sponsorship requirements. Employment itself is not always mandatory, but sponsors must demonstrate sufficient qualifying income for the required taxation years.

Yes. An eligible spouse or common-law partner may co-sign a PGP application to combine qualifying income and share financial responsibility under the sponsorship undertaking.

Potentially, yes. However, separate applications may be required for different family units, and the sponsor must meet the financial requirements based on the total number of people for whom they are responsible.

An eligible parent's spouse or partner may be included in the parent's sponsorship application, subject to IRCC requirements. A step-parent generally cannot be the principal applicant solely because of the step-relationship.

Yes, if they qualify as the parents' dependent children. They must meet the applicable dependent-child definition and immigration requirements.

Adult siblings who do not qualify as dependent children generally cannot be included.

The sponsorship undertaking generally lasts 20 years from the date the sponsored parent or grandparent becomes a permanent resident.

For sponsors residing in Quebec, the undertaking generally lasts 10 years.

The undertaking remains binding even if the sponsor's financial or family circumstances change.

A sponsor may be required to repay social assistance benefits received by a sponsored family member during the undertaking period, subject to applicable rules.

Failure to repay sponsorship-related debts may affect future sponsorship eligibility

Generally, no. PGP sponsors must reside in Canada and meet the applicable residency requirements throughout the sponsorship process.

You cannot submit a PGP sponsorship application without a valid invitation when the program requires one.

Your parents or grandparents may instead qualify for a Super Visa, which lets eligible visitors stay in Canada for up to five years per entry.

Parents and Grandparents Program: Provides a pathway to Canadian Permanent Residence for eligible parents and grandparents.

Super Visa: Provides temporary resident status for eligible parents and grandparents, allowing extended visits to Canada. It does not automatically lead to Permanent Residence.

Generally, adult siblings cannot be sponsored directly under the Family Class solely because they are siblings.

However, an orphaned brother or sister may qualify if they are under 18, unmarried, related by blood or adoption, and both parents have passed away.

Certain exceptional sponsorship provisions may also apply.

Yes, in limited circumstances. An orphaned nephew, niece, or grandchild may qualify if they are:

• Related to the sponsor by blood or adoption.
• Under 18 years old.
• Unmarried and not in a common-law relationship.
• Orphaned because both parents have passed away.

Having parents who are missing, separated, incarcerated, or unable to provide care does not automatically satisfy the orphan sponsorship requirements.