Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their parents and grandparents to come to Canada. If your family is approved under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), they will receive Canadian permanent residence and may be eligible to eventually apply for Canadian citizenship.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible for the 2021 PGP, sponsors must have met the following requirements:
- 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
- Exceed the minimum necessary income level (MNI) for this program and provide proof of income to IRCC
- Sign an undertaking to financially support the sponsored person for 20 years and to repay any social assistance benefits paid to the sponsored family members for a period of 20 years. The undertaking period is 10 years in Quebec.
Minimum Necessary Income
In order to sponsor any family member, IRCC requires that you meet a minimum necessary income requirement. The purpose of the requirement is to ensure that you are able to support yourself, your family members, and those who you wish to sponsor.
For the PGP, you must exceed the MNI requirement for each of the past three taxation years before the date you submit your application. The MNI is based on your Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment.
The following table shows the MNI requirements for the 2021 PGP (excluding Quebec). IRCC has yet to publish its MNI 2021 requirements for PGP 2022 applicants. Also note that IRCC reduced its MNI for 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
| Size of Family Unit | MNI 2020 | MNI 2019 | MNI 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 persons | $32,270 | $41,007 | $40,379 |
| 3 persons | $39,672 | $50,414 | $49,641 |
| 4 persons | $48,167 | $61,209 | $60,271 |
| 5 persons | $54,630 | $69,423 | $68,358 |
| 6 persons | $61,613 | $78,296 | $77,095 |
| 7 persons | $68,598 | $87,172 | $85,835 |
| Each additional person | $6,985 | $8,876 | $8,740 |
Sponsoring your parent or grandparent in Quebec
If you would like to sponsor a parent or grandparent in Quebec, you must meet the Quebec government’s immigration sponsorship requirements after IRCC approves you as a sponsor. On top of signing an undertaking to financially support the sponsored person and repay any social assistance, you will also need to sign a sponsorship undertaking with the province of Quebec. Finally, the income requirement to sponsor in the province is different than the rest of Canada.