Program status (October 2026): paused. IRCC is not accepting new interest to sponsor forms or inviting sponsors to apply until further notice. Applications already submitted are still being processed.
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) lets Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residence. It’s one of the most requested family programs in Canada, and one of the hardest to get into: spaces are limited, sponsors must be invited before they can apply, and the income test is stricter than for any other family sponsorship.
This page explains where the program stands, who can sponsor, how much income you need, what you commit to as a sponsor, and what to do while the program is paused. If you want your parents with you now, the Super Visa is the main option (see below).
Want to bring your parents or grandparents to Canada?
Every case has its own wrinkles — let’s talk through yours.
How the program works, and where it stands
The PGP doesn’t work like other sponsorships. You can’t just file an application. When the program runs, it follows these steps:
- Interest to sponsor. During an intake window, potential sponsors submit a short online form. The last time IRCC accepted new forms was in 2020.
- Invitation. IRCC randomly selects sponsors from that pool and emails them an invitation to apply.
- Full application. Invited sponsors submit a complete application online, with proof of income, by a deadline.
- Processing. IRCC assesses the sponsor first, then the parents’ or grandparents’ application for permanent residence (medical, criminal and security checks).
The 2025 intake. Starting July 28, 2025, IRCC sent 17,860 invitations to sponsors from the 2020 pool, aiming to accept up to 10,000 complete applications. The deadline to apply was October 9, 2025.
The July 2026 pause. On July 15, 2026, IRCC paused the program because interest far exceeds the spaces available. Until further notice:
- no new interest to sponsor forms will be accepted
- no new invitations will be sent
- applications already submitted continue to be processed, with up to 15,000 parents and grandparents expected to become permanent residents in 2026
What this means for you:
- You already applied: keep your file current. Answer IRCC requests quickly and report any change of address, income or family situation.
- You were in the 2020 pool but not invited: there’s nothing to file right now. Watch for an IRCC announcement.
- You never submitted an interest form: you can’t enter the program until IRCC opens a new intake. Consider the Super Visa in the meantime.
We’ll update this page as soon as IRCC announces anything new.
Who can sponsor
You can sponsor your parents or grandparents if you:
- have been invited to apply by IRCC
- are at least 18 years old
- live in Canada (your primary residence must be in Canada when you apply and until IRCC decides)
- are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act
- meet the income requirement for each of the 3 tax years before you apply (see below). Your spouse or common-law partner can co-sign to combine incomes.
- sign an undertaking to support the people you sponsor
You may not be able to sponsor if you:
- are in jail, prison or a penitentiary
- haven’t repaid an immigration loan, a performance bond, or court-ordered family support (child support or alimony)
- didn’t meet the terms of a previous sponsorship undertaking
- are in bankruptcy and not discharged
- receive social assistance for a reason other than disability
- were convicted of a violent offence, an offence against a relative, or a sexual offence, in or outside Canada
- are subject to a removal order
Living in Quebec? You must also meet Quebec’s own requirements and, once IRCC approves you, file an undertaking with Quebec’s immigration ministry. Don’t send it to Quebec until IRCC tells you to.
Who you can sponsor
You can sponsor:
- your own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption
- their dependent children (for example, your younger siblings, half-siblings or step-siblings), only if they meet the definition of a dependent child
- if your parent or grandparent is divorced, their current spouse, common-law or conjugal partner
A few rules that often catch families out:
- One parent is the principal applicant. When you sponsor a couple, you name one as the principal applicant and the other as their dependant. You can’t change this after you submit.
- A step-parent can’t be the principal applicant. Your own parent must be, with the step-parent listed as their dependant.
- Separated isn’t divorced. Separated parents who are still married go on one application. Divorced parents need separate applications.
- No in-laws. You can’t sponsor your spouse’s parents. If your spouse receives their own invitation, you can co-sign their application. Invitations can’t be transferred.
- Everyone is checked. Your parents or grandparents and their dependants need medical exams, police certificates and biometrics, and must not be inadmissible to Canada.
How much income you need
You must show income at or above the minimum necessary income (MNI) plus 30% for each of the 3 tax years before you apply. Meeting it in the most recent year alone isn’t enough.
These are the figures IRCC published for the most recent (2025) intake. IRCC updates the table when it opens a new intake, so the years and amounts will change.
| Family size | 2024 tax year | 2023 tax year | 2022 tax year |
| 2 people | $47,549 | $44,530 | $43,082 |
| 3 people | $58,456 | $54,743 | $52,965 |
| 4 people | $70,972 | $66,466 | $64,306 |
| 5 people | $80,496 | $75,384 | $72,935 |
| 6 people | $90,784 | $85,020 | $82,259 |
| 7 people | $101,075 | $94,658 | $91,582 |
| Each additional person | $10,291 | $9,636 | $9,324 |
Source: IRCC – Income requirements for the sponsor
How to count your family size
Family size is counted year by year, and it’s where most sponsors go wrong. Count:
- yourself
- your spouse or common-law partner (a co-signing spouse counts in all 3 years, even if you married more recently)
- your dependent children, and your spouse’s
- anyone you’ve sponsored before whose undertaking is still in effect, plus their family members
- the parents or grandparents you’re sponsoring
- all of their family members, including a spouse and dependent children who aren’t coming to Canada
Example: Maria is single with no children. She’s sponsoring her mother, whose husband and 15-year-old son will stay behind. Maria’s family size is 4 (Maria, her mother, her stepfather and her stepbrother), so she needs at least $70,972 for 2024.
Proving your income
IRCC uses your Canada Revenue Agency notices of assessment. The easiest route is to give consent on the financial evaluation form (IMM 5768) with your SIN, so IRCC gets the information directly from the CRA. Otherwise, you submit your notices of assessment with the income sources form (IMM 5748).
Quebec residents must meet Quebec’s own income requirements instead.
Your commitment: the 20-year undertaking
When you sponsor a parent or grandparent, you sign an undertaking to support them financially for 20 years (10 years in Quebec), starting the day they become permanent residents.
You agree to cover their basic needs, including food, clothing, shelter, everyday living costs, and dental, eye and other health care not covered by public health insurance. They, in turn, agree to make every effort to support themselves.
If they receive social assistance during those 20 years, you must repay it, and you can’t sponsor anyone else until you do.
The undertaking can’t be cancelled or shortened once they become permanent residents, even if:
- they become Canadian citizens
- your relationship with them changes
- you or they move to another province or country
- you lose your job or run into financial trouble
You can only withdraw a sponsorship before your family members become permanent residents.
Applying once you’re invited
This is how the process worked in the 2025 intake. Expect a similar process when the program reopens, but always follow the instructions in your invitation. Never start an application without an invitation. IRCC returns uninvited applications.
There are two applications, submitted together:
- The sponsorship application (you, the sponsor)
- The permanent residence application (your parent or grandparent)
Your parent or grandparent (the principal applicant) submits both online through IRCC’s Permanent Residence (PR) Portal. A paid representative uses the Representative PR Portal. Paper or other alternate formats are available only as an accommodation, such as for a disability.
Forms for the sponsor (PDFs uploaded to the portal)
- Document Checklist – Sponsor (IMM 5771)
- Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking (IMM 1344). Signed digitally by you, any co-signer and the principal applicant.
- Financial Evaluation for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (IMM 5768)
- Income Sources for the Sponsorship of Parents and Grandparents (IMM 5748), if you aren’t giving CRA consent
- Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union (IMM 5409), if a common-law partner co-signs
Forms for your parent or grandparent (completed in the portal)
- Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008)
- Schedule A – Background/Declaration (IMM 5669)
- Additional Family Information (IMM 5406)
- Supplementary Information – Your Travels (IMM 5562)
Every dependant aged 18 or older completes their own IMM 5669, IMM 5406 and IMM 5562, whether or not they’re coming to Canada. Other forms (for example, military or government service details) apply only in some cases.
Also expect
- Biometrics: pay the fee when you apply. Applicants aged 14–79 get a letter and have 30 days to give fingerprints and a photo.
- Medical exams: IRCC sends instructions after the application is submitted.
- Police certificates: for everyone 18 or older who isn’t already a citizen or PR. They’re generally valid for one year.
- Missing documents: if something is missing, IRCC gives you 30 days to send it. After that, the application is returned unprocessed.
- Proof of your citizenship: citizens give their citizenship date and UCI. If you’ve lost your certificate, start replacing it now. It’s needed by the deadline.
Fees and processing times
Government fees from IRCC’s fee list, in Canadian dollars. These amounts reflect the fee increase of April 30, 2026.
| Fee | Amount (CAD) |
| Sponsor a parent or grandparent (sponsorship fee + processing fee + right of permanent residence fee) | $1,260 |
| Same, without the right of permanent residence fee | $660 |
| Include their spouse or partner (with right of permanent residence fee) | $1,260 |
| Include their spouse or partner (without right of permanent residence fee) | $660 |
| Include a dependent child | $180 per child |
| Biometrics | $85 per person, or $170 per family |
The right of permanent residence fee ($600 per adult) must be paid before the application is approved. It’s refunded if the application is withdrawn or refused. Medical exams and police certificates are paid separately to the providers.
Example: sponsoring both parents, paying everything upfront, costs $1,260 + $1,260 + $170 biometrics = $2,690 in government fees.
Processing times change often. Check IRCC’s processing times tool for the current estimate.
While the program is paused: the Super Visa
The Super Visa lets your parents or grandparents stay with you for up to 5 years at a time, with multiple entries over up to 10 years. They can also apply from inside Canada to extend their stay by 2 years at a time. It’s available now, and IRCC recently changed the income and health insurance rules to make it easier to qualify.
| Parents and Grandparents Program | Super Visa | |
| Status | Permanent residence | Long-stay visitor |
| Open now? | No, paused since July 15, 2026 | Yes |
| Income test | MNI + 30%, for 3 tax years | Minimum necessary income (host) |
| Commitment | 20-year undertaking (10 in Quebec) | Letter of invitation promising support |
| Health coverage | Provincial health insurance once they’re PRs | Private insurance for at least 1 year, from a Canadian insurer or an approved foreign insurer |
| Government fees | $1,260 per adult (with RPRF) | $100 visa fee + $85 biometrics |
Super Visa basics: the host must be the applicant’s child or grandchild, aged 18+, living in Canada, and a citizen, PR or registered Indian. The parent applies from outside Canada and needs an immigration medical exam. If your parents already have a PGP application in process, they can apply for a Super Visa while they wait.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Undercounting family size. Forgetting the parents themselves, or a parent’s spouse or child who isn’t coming to Canada, is the most common error. It makes the income bar look lower than it is.
- Meeting the income test in only one year. You must meet it for each of the 3 tax years.
- Counting a separated spouse out. Until you’re divorced, a separated spouse usually still counts toward family size.
- Choosing the wrong principal applicant. When sponsoring a couple, it can’t be changed later, and a step-parent can’t be the principal applicant.
- Applying without an invitation. Uninvited applications are returned.
- Missing IRCC emails. Invitations and requests go to the email address on file. Check spam and junk folders.
- Letting documents expire. Police certificates and medical exams have limited validity, so respond to IRCC requests promptly.
- Underestimating the undertaking. It lasts 20 years and can’t be cancelled once your parents become permanent residents.
Related guides
- Super Visa
- How to Complete Form IMM 1344
- How to Complete Form IMM 0008
- How to Complete Form IMM 5669
- My application has been refused – now what?
Want to bring your parents or grandparents to Canada?
Every case has its own wrinkles — let’s talk through yours.
This guide is for general informational purposes and isn’t a substitute for advice from a licensed immigration professional. For current official forms and instructions, refer to IRCC’s website.
