October 13, 2022

Sponsoring Parents and Grandparents Program Reopens With Expanded Numbers

Recently, on 11 October 2022, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) made a much-awaited announcement: the Department will reopen the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program. The IRCC’s target for this year is to accept 15,000 complete applications. To achieve this goal, the Department will extend invitations to the existing potential sponsors they have in the system, during the next two weeks.

That means, IRCC will not open the online interest to sponsor, but they will choose randomly from the pool of sponsors already existing in the system since 2020. Similar to the approach for the invitations they sent in January and September 2021.

All the applications will have to be submitted online, using the new Permanent Residence Portal or, if the applicants have a representative, the Representative Permanent Residence Portal.

As the Covid pandemic hit many families hard economically, IRCC will accept a lower income threshold for 2020 and 2021, by not adding 30% to the minimum necessary income required to qualify as a sponsor. IRCC will also allow Employment Insurance benefits and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to be part of the sponsor’s declared income, to qualify as a sponsor.

The Department encourages those who do not receive an invitation this year, to consider other options, like a super-visa or multiple-entry visa applications. IRCC increased the super-visa validity to five years, instead of two, meaning the parents and grandparents who obtain a super-visa can reside in Canada for up to five years. Also, IRCC is issuing multiple-entry visitor visas for a period of ten years, for those who wish to come and go, but not use the super-visa option.

We wish all who intend to sponsor their parents or grandparents good luck in the draw!