IRCC sending invitations to 10,000 potential sponsors under the Parents and Grandparents program

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada began sending out invitations this week to potential sponsors through its Parents and Grandparents Program.

In a March 19 update, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that potential sponsors have now been selected at random and have 60 days (from the date of invitation) to submit a complete application.

Last year, IRCC introduced new procedures for the Parents and Grandparents Program, or PGP, including a first step that requires Canadian citizens and permanent residents to submit an Interest to Sponsor form.

This year, IRCC accepted forms from potential sponsors between January 2 and February 1. It then randomly selected individuals who submitted an Interest to Sponsor form.

IRCC says that if 10,000 complete applications are not received from selected potential sponsors, there may be an additional round of invitations held at a later date in 2018.

New features to facilitate the application process

Individuals who submitted an Interest to Sponsor form and have been selected are now being contacted by IRCC via email. IRCC encourages those who have completed and submitted an Interest to Sponsor form to check the inbox and junk mail folder of the email account they used to submit it.

A newly added feature allows potential sponsors to look up their assigned confirmation number and compare it with a published list of invitees. This means individuals can find out if they have been invited to submit an application and begin preparing their application before receiving a confirmation email from IRCC.

Individuals who have lost or forgotten the unique confirmation number issued upon submitting an Interest to Sponsor form can complete a new online form and find out within 10 business days if they were invited to apply.

Find out if you or your family members are eligible for the Parents and Grandparents Program by completing our free online assessment form.

Family reunification a top immigration priority

IRCC said it introduced the randomized selection process and Interest to Sponsor form to the PGP sponsorship program to fast-track the application process and reduce costs incurred by applicants with the previous first-come, first-served paper-based application process.

Last year, IRCC also doubled the intake cap for the PGP from 5,000 to 10,000 in order to help more Canadian citizens and permanent residents bring their loved ones to Canada.

The new process also favours complete applications, which means that individuals who have submitted an Interest to Sponsor form in the latest round may yet be invited to apply if those currently invited don't apply or submit complete applications.

Therefore, individuals who did not receive an invitation to submit a complete application should not lose hope and IRCC asks that these individuals remain up-to-date on any prospective future invitation rounds.

"The annual 10,000 application intake limit ensures that new applicants have the chance to apply, while the levels plan for parents and grandparents ensures enough are processed each year so that processing times are reasonable and the backlog is further reduced,” IRCC stated.

Canada’s multi-year immigration levels plan provides for an increase in the intake allocation for the PGP year-after-year to a total of 61,500 new permanent residents invited through the program by 2020.

Any individual interested in sponsoring a parent or a grandparent through the program is required to review and meet the eligibility requirements for the program, which includes a detailed breakdown of income requirements.

TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE FOR WHOM YOU WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE	MNI 2017	MNI 2016	MNI 2015
2 people	$39,813	$39,371	$38,618
3 people	$48,945	$48,404	$47,476
4 people	$59,426	$58,768	$57,642
5 people	$67,400	$66,654	$65,377
6 people	$76,015	$75,174	$73,733
7 people	$84,631	$83,695	$82,091
Each additional person over 7	$8,616	$8,522	$8,358

The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa is another option available to individuals who have child or grandchild in Canada. The Super Visa gives eligible individuals the option to stay in Canada for up to two years at their initial visit, which enables an extended time spent with loved ones than what a regular six-month visa permits.

Next steps

Potential sponsors should submit a complete 2018 application package to IRCC before the specified deadline and pay the required fees on time. It is important to note that an invitation to submit a complete application cannot be transferred to another individual.