The Parents and Grandparents Program opens annually. It allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents to come to Canada.

Once you meet the eligibility criteria, your parents and grandparents can enjoy the full benefits of Canadian permanent residency, including the ability to work in Canada, access to healthcare, and full protection under Canadian law and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and apply for Canadian citizenship.

You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents if you are invited to apply if 

1) you are at least 18 years old 

2) you live in Canada 

3) you are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a person registered as an Indian in Canada under the Canadian Indian Act

4) you have enough money to support the people you want to sponsor. To prove that you have enough money, you must provide proof of your income. You may have a spouse or common-law partner co-signing to combine your income.

5) you meet all other requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations

6) If you live outside of Quebec to become a sponsor, you must commit to providing financial support to the person you are sponsoring for a period of time.

The commitment promises you

• 20 years of financial support for your sponsored family members, starting when they become permanent residents.

• Repay any provincial social assistance (funded from the government) your sponsored family members received during this period.

In addition, you need to agree to have certain responsibilities during the coverage period. We call this Sponsorship agreement. Sponsorship Agreement means that you will meet the basic needs of the sponsored family member, including

•Food

•Clothing

•Utilities

• Personal requirements

• Shelter

• Gasoline

• Household items

• Health care not covered by public health insurance, such as eye and dental care

How to apply

If you are invited to apply to sponsor your parents and grandparents, there are two types of applications:

1. You must apply to be a sponsor.

2. Your parents or grandparents must apply for permanent residency.

Submit your sponsorship and permanent residence applications online at the same time.

If you are invited to apply, IRCC will email you using the email address on the sponsorship form.

Step 1. Get an invitation to apply

IRCC randomly selects and invites potential sponsors to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents. For the 2021 process, IRCC sent enough invitations to apply to meet its goal of accepting 30,000 full applications.

Step 2. Apply online

Do not start filling out your application unless you have been invited to apply. If you apply and you are not invited to apply to the program, IRCC will deny your application and will not refund the sponsorship application processing fee.

Sponsors must complete these PDF forms

When applying online, sponsors must complete the following PDF form:

• Document Checklist - Sponsor [IMM 5771] (PDF, 1.59 MB)

• Application for Sponsor, Sponsor Agreement and Undertaking [IMM 1344] (PDF, 588.96 KB)

• Parent and Grandparent Sponsored Financial Assessment [IMM 5768] (PDF, 1.54 MB)

• Sources of Income for Sponsoring Parents and Grandparents [IMM 5748] (PDF, 1.53 MB), if applicable.

• Statutory Declaration of Cohabitation Union [IMM 5409] (PDF, 636.51 KB), if this applies. Sponsors must also

• Manually print and sign these forms

• Provide an electronic copy of the signed form to your sponsor (principal applicant) who will

▫ Upload them to their online app

▫ Electronically sign the entire application, including any other family members' applications

Use the User Guide [IMM 5772] to help you complete the form correctly.

The sponsored person (principal applicant) must complete these digital forms online

• Canadian Generic Application Form [IMM 0008]

• Schedule A – Background/Declaration [IMM 5669] (If applicable, you must complete a version of this form for yourself, your spouse, partner, or dependent children)

• Other Family Information [IMM 5406]

• Additional Information - Your Trip [IMM 5562]

Details of the surety

Log in or create a Permanent Residency Portal account.

Get your fingerprints and photos

If you are between the ages of 14 and 79, you are required to provide your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) for every permanent residence application you submit, even if you have provided your biometrics in the past and they are still valid.

• You must pay a biometric fee when you submit your application. Otherwise, you may experience delays.

• As soon as you receive a notice from us telling you to provide your biometric information, please do so immediately.

• You have 30 days from the date on the letter to do this.

Photo Specifications

You will need to provide a photo for each person on your application.

Step 3: Pay the application fee

In most cases, your fee will include:

• Processing fees for you, the person you sponsor and their dependents

• Permanent residency fees

• Biometric fees

You have to pay online(opens in a new tab).

biometric fee

In most cases, you must pay a biometrics fee when submitting your application. If you do not do this, your application may be delayed. Biometric fees include the collection of fingerprints and digital photos.

Third Party Fees

Depending on your situation, you may be required to pay a third party

• Medical exam

• Police certificate

Step 4. Submit your online application

Before you submit your application, please make sure that you

• Answer all questions

• Sign your application electronically (enter your full name exactly as it appears on your passport)

• Include your handling fee receipt

•Upload all supporting documents

If your application is incomplete, IRCC will email it back to you. You must correct any errors and resubmit by the deadline shown on your invitation.

Step 5. Send additional information during processing

During processing, IRCC will ask the person you sponsor to submit their

• Physical examination

• Police Certificate

▫ It is not necessary to provide a criminal certificate when applying. IRCC will ask you for it later in the process.

▫ You will need to provide a criminal clearance certificate for the sponsored person and each family member who is 18 years of age or older (not yet a Canadian citizen or permanent resident).

▫ Police certificates are generally valid for 1 year from the date of issue.

▫ Depending on the processing time, we may ask you to provide a new certificate.

•Biometrics

▫ After paying the biometric fee, IRCC will send a letter to your family requesting their biometric information.

▫Your family member must present this letter when providing biometric information.

▫ They have 30 days to provide their biometrics in person on their nearest collection point.

IRCC will send instructions and let your family know how much time they need to send us this information.

You must inform IRCC of any changes in your circumstances, such as:

• Birth or adoption of a child

• get married or divorced

• Death of applicant or family member

Step 6: Get updates online for your application

If you and your sponsor meet the eligibility requirements, IRCC will mail or email you a request to link your application to an online account.