Sponsorship of Parents and Grandparents in 2023

Sponsorship of Parents and Grandparents Program is expected to start inviting potential sponsors to submit the Interest to Sponsor Form in the second half of 2023. If the format of the program remains the same, sponsors will be selected by means of a lottery again. Last year, Immigration Canada (IRCC) invited only slightly more than 23,000 people from the existing pool of over 150,000 sponsors who submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020. IRCC’s goal in 2022 was to accept 15,000 complete applications.

However, given the fact that IRCC’s declared target for 2023 is to process from 25,000 to 38,000 applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program, there is a possibility that the process may look differently in 2023. The current processing time for those who have already submitted their applications is between 24 to 39 months.

What if you are invited?

If you receive in invitation to apply, you will only have 60 days to submit your sponsorship application to the Case Processing Centre in Ottawa or via Permanent Resident Digital Intake tool. The latter allows applications to be submitted electronically. Make sure that you have all your documents handy in accordance with the Immigration Department’s checklist, including the following documents:

• Sponsor’s PR card (both sides) or proof of Canadian Citizenship, Passport or Citizenship Certificate
• Sponsor’s birth certificate
• Sponsor’s proof of income
• Applicant’s passports
• Applicant’s notarized and translated copies of marriage, divorce (if applicable), change of name (if applicable), and birth certificates
• Police clearance certificates were not required at the time of application last year

Income requirements

The Government of Canada requires a signed undertaking from potential sponsors. The undertaking sets out how long the sponsor will be financially responsible for the family members they are sponsoring. The length of the undertaking for parents and grandparents is 20 years. To be successful in your sponsorship application, you will have to prove that you meet minimum income requirements for tax years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The table below shows income requirements published last year. Income requirements for 2022 are not yet available.

Income required for the 3 taxation years:

                            2021                            2020                           2019

2 people          $32,898                      $32,899                       $41,007

3 people          $40,444                      $39,672                       $50,414

4 people          $49,106                      $48,167                       $61,209

5 people          $55,694                      $54,630                       $69,423

6 people          $62,814                      $61,613                       $78,296

7 people          $69,934                      $68,598                       $87,172

Please note that for the 2020 and 2021 tax years, you are allowed regular Employment Insurance benefits and temporary COVID-19 benefits, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, to be included in your income calculations.

If you urgently need to reunite with your parents and grandparents in Canada, consider the Super Visa program. The Super Visa allows your parents and grandparents to enter Canada multiple times and remain in Canada for up to 2 years at a time.

If you need more information about the sponsorship program or the Super Visa program, please contact our office.