Parents and Grandparents sponsorships to hit record high in 2022

The Parents and Grandparents (PGP) of Canada is all set to hit a record high this year, as the country will be welcoming 27.4 percent more permanent residents through the program, compared to the pre-pandemic period. According to the data from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada already welcomed 14,020 new permanent residents through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) in the first six months of the current year.

Last year, the total number of permanent residents admitted through PGP was just 11,740. It means 2280 more people were admitted in the first half of 2022, compared to the total number of people admitted through PGP in 2021.  If the current pace continues, the total number of permanent residents to be admitted through PGP this year would be 28040. It is more than double the number of persons admitted last year. It is 6030 more compared to 22,010, which is the total number of persons admitted in 2019, the first full year before the onset of the pandemic.

Steady increase in number of persons admitted through PGP

Ever since 2015, the parents and grandparents program has witnessed a steady increase in the number of permanent residents admitted. In that year, a total of 15,490 were admitted under the PGP.  In 2016, the number of persons admitted was 17040. The number of admitted persons jumped even more to 20,495, which marked an increase by almost 20.3 per cent. It was followed by a slump in 2018, when only 18,030 persons were admitted. The numbers surged to 22,010 in 2019 which was followed by a hiatus next year owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the restrictions related to COVID-19 lifted, more number of candidates were admitted in 2021.

How to sponsor parents or grandparents under Parents and Grandparents Program?

In the coming years, Canada’s immigration levels are all set to hit record high, which would naturally reflect in the number of persons to be admitted through PGP.  Canada is planning to welcome 28500 new permanent residents through PGP in 2023. It means more Canadian citizens and permanent residents would get a chance to sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residence in Canada.  In order to sponsor a parent or grandparent, a person must first submit an Interest to Sponsor form to the IRCC. The IRCC would conduct draws from the pool and issue Invitations to Apply to the selected candidates. The invited candidates can submit the complete application within 60 days.

To be eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent for Canada PR, a person must meet the following requirements.

-Be at least 18 years old

– Residing in Canada

-Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident

-Have the financial capacity to support the sponsored persons. The sponsoring persons must have met the minimum income requirements in the previous three years. If they add a co-signer in their application, their combined income will be considered.

The sponsoring person must agree that they would support their parent or grandparent for 20 years from the date of their approval of permanent residence. They must also agree that they would reimburse to the government any social assistance paid for the parent or grandparent during that period.