Parent And Grandparent Sponsorship

Canada has a tradition of welcoming immigrants with open arms. However, immigrating to Canada might mean separating from your loved ones including your parents and grandparents.

As a way of reuniting and keeping families together, Canada offers parent and grandparent sponsorship programs to permanent residents and citizens who wish to bring their loved ones over. 

To sponsor a parent or grandparent, permanent residents and citizens will have to demonstrate through their proof of income that they can support their family financially by meeting the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for the size of their family unit. 

Eligibility For Parent And Grandparent Sponsorship

For you to qualify for sponsorship, you will be required to meet the following eligibility criteria;

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be a permanent resident or Canadian citizen
• You must have permanent resident status at the time you submit your sponsorship application 
• Reside in Canada
• Be able and willing to provide for the basic financial needs of your family 
• Your primary residential address must be in Canada when you submit your application and until a decision is made on your application.

Note: You can sponsor both your biological or adoptive parents and grandparents.

If your brothers and sisters, or half brothers and sisters qualify as dependent children you can include them in your application to sponsor your parents. 

Who Cannot Be A Sponsor

As a resident or citizen of Canada, you may not be able to sponsor your parent and grandparent if; 

• You are less than 18 years
• You’re not a permanent resident, a citizen, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
• Your permanent residence application is still in the process

• You won’t live in Canada when you apply to sponsor your parents and grandparents and/or when your parents and grandparents become permanent residents
• You’re a temporary resident visiting, studying, or working in Canada on a visa or permit
• You do not have enough money to support your parents/grandparents
• You failed to pay back an immigration loan, made late payments, or missed payments
• You have previously sponsored another relative and failed to meet the terms of the sponsorship agreement
• Have been convicted of a violent crime, any offense against a relative, or any sexual offense, depending on details of the case

Inadmissibility

Your parents and grandparents may be inadmissible to Canada if;

• Their health condition will cause excessive demand on health or social services
• They have committed or been convicted of a crime in or outside Canada

Note: Sponsored individuals(parents and grandparents) must complete an immigration medical examination and the results must be submitted at the time of application. 

Read More:

• How You Can Immigrate To Canada Without IELTS
• Moving to Canada Checklist

Benefits Of The Parent And Grandparent Sponsorship Program 

Through the parent and grandparent sponsorship program, Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their parents and grandparents to come to Canada. 

Another perk is that if your parent or grandparent is approved under the program, they will be granted permanent residence and may in due time, be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship. 

Your parents or grandparents will also be able to access the benefits of being a Canadian permanent resident which includes having the right to work and health care in Canada and getting full protection under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Canadian law.

Income Requirement For Canadian Family Sponsorship

Minimum income requirements applies to parent and grandparent sponsorship applications. 

Sponsors are expected to meet Minimum Necessary Income, MNI required for the size of their family unit, and are also expected to provide Canada Revenue Agency-issued Notice of Assessment (NOA) as proof of financial responsibility. 

As a sponsor, you will sign an undertaking in which you promise to provide financial support for the basic needs of your sponsored parent/grandparent. A supplementary undertaking will need to be signed if you live in Quebec. 

The undertaking is a promise that

• You will provide financial support for your sponsored family members for 20 years, starting from the time they become permanent residents
• You will repay any provincial social assistance that is money from the government, your sponsored family members get during the period

Pro Tip:

You can determine your financial capacity to know if you meet the minimum income requirement by subtracting the following from your income;

• Debt
• Welfare Assistance
• Federal, provincial, and municipal financial assistance for employment training or social/welfare benefits
• Compensation board payments, excluding those for permanent disabilities

As a sponsor, you must meet the minimum necessary income 3 years preceding the application date. The table below show the MNI for 2020, 2019, and 2018. 

Family Size	2020	2019	2018
2 people	$32,270	$41,007	$40,379
3 people	$39,672	$50,414	$49,641
4 people	$48,167	$61,209	$60,271
5 people	$54,630	$69,423	68,358
6 people	$61,613	$78,296	$77,095
7 people	$68,598	$87,172	$85,835
If more than 7 people, for each additional person, add:	$6,985	$8,876	$8,740

How Long Does Sponsorship Applications Take?

Typically, sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents take about 12 months to process but they can take longer depending on the nature of your case.

Your application may experience some delays if your case has some complications like the visa officer requiring additional proof of your relationship with your parent/grandparent. 

To avoid any form of complications or delays, ensure that you take the right measures right from the start of your application. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Parent and grandparent sponsorship programs are one of the family sponsorship programs Canada offers to its citizens and permanent residents to reunite loved ones. 

Make sure you meet all the eligibility requirements including the Minimum Necessary Income to avoid delays or complications in your application process. 

We hope this article has been helpful. Kindly drop your questions and comments in the section below.