The parent and grandparent sponsorship program is currently open for 2018. The program requires all those interested in sponsoring their parents or grandparents to submit an Expression of Interest through the IRCC website. The Expression of Interest must be submitted by noon on February 1, 2018. After it closes on February 1, 2018, IRCC will randomly select 10,000 applicants from those who have submitted their expression of interest. The applicants that are chosen will then have the opportunity to prepare and submit an application to sponsor their parents or grandparents to come to Canada as permanent residents. Those that are not chosen will have the opportunity to submit a new expression of interest for 2019.

The lottery style method used for selecting those eligible to apply to sponsor their parents or grandparents first came into effect in 2017. Prior to this change applicants were required to perfect their applications in advance of the deadline and were accepted on a first come, first serve basis. The current lottery system removes the requirement of having the application prepared in advance but is completely random and does not favour those that are prepared.

To be eligible to sponsor you must meet several criteria including being 18 years of age or older, being a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, be living in Canada and proving that you have the necessary income to support your parent or grandparent. The income requirement is set and updated by IRCC each year and is based on your family size. The sponsor must meet this requirement for the three (3) years preceding the application. For the 2018 intake period this would include your income from 2017, 2016 and 2015. Please see below for the current minimum income requirement:

If you are interested in confirming your eligibility to sponsor your parent or grandparent, please contact us to schedule a consultation.