Starting today, May 21st, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin issuing invitations to apply (ITAs) to sponsors who submitted “Interest to Sponsor” forms through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).
IRCC will send 35,700 invitations over two weeks to approve 20,500 complete permanent residence (PR) applications. ITAs will be sent to the email provided by the sponsor when initially submitting their “Interest to Sponsor” form.
Sponsor Your Parents and Grandparents for Canadian Immigration
Who Is Eligible to Receive an Invitation for the 2024 PGP?
To be eligible for an invitation under the PGP this year, sponsors must:
- Have completed an Interest to Sponsor form on IRCC’s website in 2020 (without receiving an ITA in 2020, 2021, 2022, or 2023);
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or a registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Be residing in Canada (potential applicants must provide proof of status during the Interest to Sponsor phase).
- Exceed the minimum necessary income level for this program (if married or in a common-law relationship, the income of both the sponsor and spouse can be included) and provide proof of income to IRCC; and
- Sign an undertaking:
- To financially support the sponsored for 20 years (starting when they become permanent residents)—applicants in Quebec will need to sign an undertaking for 10 years.
- To repay any social assistance benefits paid to the sponsored family members (if applicable) for 20 years and
- If the sponsor resides in Quebec, an additional “undertaking” must be signed with the province of Quebec.
What Steps Should I Take After Receiving an ITA from the PGP?
Once an ITA is received, sponsors must respond with an application by the deadline outlined in the invitation email. Application fees must also be paid at this stage (generally starting at $1,205 CAD).
IRCC advises sponsors to read the complete instruction guide and complete the application package when preparing their application. Note that a full application must be submitted to IRCC before the deadline stated in the invitation email. Incomplete or incorrectly completed applications, or those submitted late, can yield complications and even outright refusal.
Applications will be returned if:
- They are incomplete.
- Fees are missing.
- They are submitted after the deadline stated in the ITA email.
- The applicant did not receive an ITA initially and
- Information in the application does not match the information provided in the “Interest to Sponsor” form.
Applications must be submitted through the Permanent Residence portal or the Representative Permanent Residence Portal (if the sponsor is using the help of a representative).
What Can Sponsors Do If They Do Not Receive an ITA This Year?
This year marks the fourth year the immigration department will only consider PGP candidates from the 2020 intake.
However, Canada’s immigration system provides an alternate route to reunite Canadian citizens and permanent residents with their parents and grandparents: the Super Visa.
The Super Visa is a temporary resident stream that allows the parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to be sponsored to visit and live in Canada temporarily. As of June 2022, the Super Visa allows family members to visit Canada for up to five years without renewing their status. Super Visa holders can also apply for an extension on their visa of up to two years, allowing a single stay of up to seven years at a time.
While the Super Visa only confers temporary resident status to parents and grandparents, it is an accessible pathway to bringing family members to Canada. It is available year-round and has no limit on the number of applications processed by IRCC.
At Home – Guide Me (guidemeimmigration.com), we are here to help you navigate the process of sponsoring your parents and grandparents. Contact us today for personalized assistance and expert advice on your immigration journey.
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