Parents and grandparents sponsorship is the family class route that lets a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian bring a parent or grandparent to Canada as a permanent resident. It runs through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), which Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) opens by invitation only. Every status, date, amount and rule on this page comes from IRCC’s pages on canada.ca, read on October 11, 2026. This page explains the published rules; it is not immigration advice, and IRCC’s own pages and the sponsor’s IRCC account are the final word on a specific file.
Is the Parents and Grandparents Program open in 2026?
No. IRCC lists the Parents and Grandparents Program as paused, with no new interest to sponsor forms accepted and no invitations being sent until further notice. The table sets out each part of the intake exactly as IRCC states it.
How to read this table: each row is IRCC's own wording from its program, invitation, application and Ministerial Instructions pages. The dates in the 2025 row are in the past; no later intake has been announced.
| Part of the intake | Status | What IRCC says |
|---|---|---|
| Program status | Paused | IRCC's program page says: "We've paused this program" and "We're not currently accepting applications". Existing applications keep being processed. |
| Interest to sponsor form | Closed | The form is closed and a new form cannot be submitted. IRCC will not accept new interest to sponsor forms until further notice. |
| Invitations to apply | None being sent | IRCC will not invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice. |
| Pool used for the last invitations | 2020 interest to sponsor forms | IRCC randomly selected and invited potential sponsors who submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020. |
| Last intake (2025) | Closed | Invitations started July 28, 2025. IRCC sent 17,860 invitations over approximately 2 weeks, with a goal of accepting 10,000 complete applications. The last day to apply was October 9, 2025. |
| Applications in 2026 | No new applications received | Ministerial Instructions 89: as of January 1, 2026, no new parent or grandparent applications are received for processing until further instructions. Up to 10,000 applications from the 2025 intake can be accepted into processing in 2026. |
| Next intake | Not announced | IRCC says details on the next intake will be shared when they are available. |
Source: Sponsor your parents and grandparents - Canada.ca (program status); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Find out if you're invited to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: How to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Submit your interest to sponsor form - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions 89 (MI89): Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: What it means to be a sponsor - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Check if you're eligible - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Income requirements for the sponsor - Canada.ca (family size); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Who you can sponsor - Canada.ca; Guide 5772 - Application to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee list - Canada.ca (parents and grandparents); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: After you apply - Canada.ca; How much income do I need to sponsor my parents and grandparents? - IRCC Help Centre; Super visa for parents and grandparents: Who can apply - Canada.ca. In effect from January 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
Three points follow from that table:
- Nobody can join the pool right now. The interest to sponsor form is closed. The last invitations went only to people who had submitted that form in 2020.
- The 2025 intake is over. Invitations started on July 28, 2025 and the last day to apply was October 9, 2025. A sponsor who was invited and missed that deadline cannot apply late: IRCC returns an application it did not get before the deadline in the invitation to apply.
- Files already in the system keep moving. IRCC says it will keep processing existing applications, and Ministerial Instructions 89 let it accept up to 10,000 applications from the 2025 intake into processing in 2026.
IRCC’s status tool for 2020 confirmation numbers is still on its invitation page for anyone checking whether an invitation was sent for the 2025 intake.
What is the minimum necessary income for parents and grandparents sponsorship?
The minimum necessary income is the amount a sponsor (plus a co-signer, if there is one) must meet or exceed in each of the 3 tax years before applying, and it rises with family size. The latest table IRCC publishes is the one for the 2025 intake, covering the 2024, 2023 and 2022 tax years.
How to read this table: find the family size for each tax year, then compare that year's income with the amount in the same column. All 3 years have to be met. The last row is added once for each person past 7. The table applies in every province and territory except Quebec.
| 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 past 7, add | $10,291 | $9,636 | $9,324 |
Source: Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Income requirements for the sponsor - Canada.ca; Guide 5772 – Application to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; How much income do I need to sponsor my parents and grandparents? - IRCC Help Centre; Sponsor your parents and grandparents - Canada.ca (program status); Guide 5196: Sponsorship of adopted children and other relatives - Canada.ca; Financial Evaluation Form (IMM 1283) - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions 89 (MI89): Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Super visa: Proof of financial support - Canada.ca. In effect from January 1, 2025; checked October 11, 2026.
The table starts at 2 people because the count always includes the sponsor and at least one sponsored parent or grandparent. IRCC’s Guide 5772 says this table applies to sponsors who submitted an application from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. No table for a later intake has been published, so these figures show the level of the test, not a requirement anyone can newly apply under today.
For families larger than 7, the extra amount for that tax year is added for each additional person:
| Family size | 2024 tax year | 2023 tax year | 2022 tax year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 people | $111,366 | $104,294 | $100,906 |
| 9 people | $121,657 | $113,930 | $110,230 |
| 10 people | $131,948 | $123,566 | $119,554 |
How fast does the income requirement rise from year to year?
The bar is different for every tax year, which matters because a sponsor is measured against all 3 at once. On the 2025 intake table, every family size rose by nearly the same share between the 2022 and 2024 tax years (the 6-person row comes to 10.36%). For a family of 2 the increase works out to 10.37%:
| Family size | 2022 tax year | 2024 tax year | Increase | Increase in percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people | $43,082 | $47,549 | $4,467 | 10.37% |
| 3 people | $52,965 | $58,456 | $5,491 | 10.37% |
| 4 people | $64,306 | $70,972 | $6,666 | 10.37% |
| 5 people | $72,935 | $80,496 | $7,561 | 10.37% |
Guide 5772 says the figures are based on the most recent figures available from Statistics Canada. A household whose income stayed flat across those years could meet the 2022 column and still miss the 2024 one.
Who counts in family size for the parent sponsorship income requirement?
Family size is everyone the sponsor will be financially responsible for, on both sides of the application: the sponsor’s own household and the sponsored parent’s whole family. IRCC’s list has 7 groups.
How to read this table: add 1 for every person in every row that applies, separately for each of the 3 tax years, then read the income table for that total.
| Side | Who is counted | What IRCC says |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor's family | The sponsor | Always counted. |
| Sponsor's family | Spouse or common-law partner | A spouse is counted even when separated, in most cases. A co-signer is counted for all 3 years; a partner who is not co-signing is counted only for the years they meet the definition of a spouse or common-law partner. |
| Sponsor's family | Dependent children | The sponsor's dependent children, the partner's dependent children, and any dependent children of those children. |
| Sponsor's family | People under an earlier undertaking | Anyone the sponsor or co-signer sponsored or co-signed for whose undertaking is still in effect, plus that person's family members, whether or not they were included in the undertaking. |
| Sponsored family | The principal applicant | The parent or grandparent being sponsored. |
| Sponsored family | The principal applicant's spouse or common-law partner | A separated spouse is counted unless the principal applicant or the spouse is in a common-law relationship with another person. |
| Sponsored family | The principal applicant's dependent children | Their own dependent children, the partner's dependent children, and any dependent children of those children. All are counted even when they are not coming to Canada or are already permanent residents or citizens. |
Source: Sponsor your parents and grandparents - Canada.ca (program status); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Find out if you're invited to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: How to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Submit your interest to sponsor form - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions 89 (MI89): Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: What it means to be a sponsor - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Check if you're eligible - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Income requirements for the sponsor - Canada.ca (family size); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Who you can sponsor - Canada.ca; Guide 5772 - Application to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee list - Canada.ca (parents and grandparents); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: After you apply - Canada.ca; How much income do I need to sponsor my parents and grandparents? - IRCC Help Centre; Super visa for parents and grandparents: Who can apply - Canada.ca. In effect from January 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
Two rules make this count different from most other income tests:
- It is counted year by year. IRCC says to count each person in the year they became part of the family. A child born in the middle of the 3-year period raises the family size only from the year of birth.
- People who have left the family drop out of every year. If someone is no longer part of the family when the sponsor applies (IRCC’s examples are death, legal divorce and an expired undertaking), they are not included for any of the 3 tax years.
IRCC publishes 7 worked examples, all written for an application submitted in 2025:
How to read this table: each example comes from IRCC's income requirements page. Match each year's family size to the same year's column in the income table.
| Situation | How IRCC counts it | Family size by tax year |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor with a co-signing spouse (married in 2023), sponsoring a father with no dependants | Sponsor + co-signing spouse + father, in all 3 years because co-signers are counted for every year | 3 in 2024, 2023 and 2022 |
| Sponsor and co-signing spouse with a child born in 2023, sponsoring 2 parents | Sponsor + spouse + 2 parents, plus the child from the year of birth | 5 in 2024 and 2023; 4 in 2022 |
| Sponsor and co-signing spouse whose son turned 22 in 2023, sponsoring 2 parents | Sponsor + spouse + 2 parents; the son is not a dependent child at application, so he is left out of every year | 4 in 2024, 2023 and 2022 |
| Single sponsor sponsoring a mother whose husband and 15-year-old stepson are not coming to Canada | Sponsor + mother + mother's husband + his dependent son, even though 2 of them stay abroad | 4 in 2024, 2023 and 2022 |
| Sponsor separated in 2024 (not divorced) with a child born in 2022, sponsoring a mother with no dependants | Sponsor + separated spouse + child + mother; the spouse counts until a divorce | 4 in 2024, 2023 and 2022 |
| Sponsor with no dependants sponsoring a mother who separated in 1995 and has no new partner | Sponsor + mother + mother's separated spouse | 3 in 2024, 2023 and 2022 |
| Sponsor with no dependants sponsoring a father who separated in 2010 and has had a common-law partner since 2018 | Sponsor + father + father's common-law partner, who counts instead of the separated wife | 3 in 2024, 2023 and 2022 |
Source: Sponsor your parents and grandparents - Canada.ca (program status); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Find out if you're invited to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: How to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Submit your interest to sponsor form - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions 89 (MI89): Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: What it means to be a sponsor - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Check if you're eligible - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Income requirements for the sponsor - Canada.ca (family size); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Who you can sponsor - Canada.ca; Guide 5772 - Application to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee list - Canada.ca (parents and grandparents); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: After you apply - Canada.ca; How much income do I need to sponsor my parents and grandparents? - IRCC Help Centre; Super visa for parents and grandparents: Who can apply - Canada.ca. In effect from January 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
The fourth example is the one that surprises sponsors: a mother’s husband and his dependent son are counted even though neither is coming to Canada, which moves a single sponsor from a family of 2 to a family of 4. On the 2024 column that is the difference between $47,549 and $70,972, a gap of $23,423.
How does IRCC check a sponsor’s income?
IRCC checks income through Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) notices of assessment for each of the 3 tax years before the date of the application. Bank balances, job letters and pay stubs are not what the federal test is built on, and IRCC’s Help Centre says a sponsor or co-signer who does not submit 3 years of notices of assessment will not meet the requirements to sponsor.
How to read this table: a sponsor uses one method. A co-signer has to prove income for the same 3 tax years.
| Method | Form | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Consent for IRCC to get the tax information from the CRA | Financial Evaluation for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (IMM 5768), question 8, Sponsor Statement of Consent | Check Yes and give a social insurance number, signature and date. IRCC calls this the easiest way to prove income. |
| Paper copies of the notices of assessment | Income Sources for the Sponsorship of Parents and Grandparents (IMM 5748) | Include a CRA notice of assessment for each of the 3 tax years. Copies are available in CRA My Account. |
Source: Sponsor your parents and grandparents - Canada.ca (program status); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Find out if you're invited to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: How to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Submit your interest to sponsor form - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions 89 (MI89): Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: What it means to be a sponsor - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Check if you're eligible - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Income requirements for the sponsor - Canada.ca (family size); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Who you can sponsor - Canada.ca; Guide 5772 - Application to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee list - Canada.ca (parents and grandparents); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: After you apply - Canada.ca; How much income do I need to sponsor my parents and grandparents? - IRCC Help Centre; Super visa for parents and grandparents: Who can apply - Canada.ca. In effect from January 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
Take a hypothetical sponsor with a co-signing spouse who sponsors both parents: a family of 4 in every year. With combined incomes of $72,000 for 2024, $69,000 for 2023 and $63,000 for 2022, the household clears the 2024 amount of $70,972 and the 2023 amount of $66,466, but is $1,306 short of the 2022 amount of $64,306. One short year is enough to miss the test, because IRCC asks for each of the 3 years.
Four more rules sit behind the table:
- Only a spouse or common-law partner can co-sign. Guide 5772 says the combined gross income may help meet the requirement, that the co-signer must meet the same eligibility requirements as the sponsor, and that the co-signer is equally liable if obligations are not performed.
- Tax returns have to be filed and assessed. A notice of assessment exists only after the CRA assesses a return. The Canadian income tax calculator estimates income and tax by province for a year that has not been assessed yet.
- The test continues after the application. Guide 5772 says the sponsor and co-signer must meet the income requirements from the date IRCC receives the application until the day the family members become permanent residents, and that income can be reassessed at any time during processing.
- Quebec uses its own test. For Quebec residents, the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) assesses the sponsor’s income instead of IRCC.
The family sponsorship estimator works through family size and IRCC fees for a specific household.
Who can sponsor under the Parents and Grandparents Program?
A sponsor has to be invited to apply and meet every requirement in IRCC’s list. The invitation comes first: IRCC returns any application sent without one.
How to read this table: every row has to be met. A co-signer must meet the same eligibility requirements as the sponsor.
| Requirement | What IRCC requires |
|---|---|
| Invitation | The sponsor must be invited to apply. An application sent without an invitation is returned. |
| Age | At least 18 years old. |
| Residence | Lives in Canada. The primary residential address must be in Canada when the application is submitted and until IRCC makes a decision. |
| Status | Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act. |
| Income | Enough money to support the people being sponsored, shown with proof of income for each of the 3 tax years before the application. A spouse or common-law partner may co-sign to combine incomes. |
| Undertaking | Signs a sponsorship agreement and an undertaking to support the sponsored people. |
| Other law | Meets all other requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. |
Source: Sponsor your parents and grandparents - Canada.ca (program status); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Find out if you're invited to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: How to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Submit your interest to sponsor form - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions 89 (MI89): Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: What it means to be a sponsor - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Check if you're eligible - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Income requirements for the sponsor - Canada.ca (family size); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Who you can sponsor - Canada.ca; Guide 5772 - Application to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee list - Canada.ca (parents and grandparents); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: After you apply - Canada.ca; How much income do I need to sponsor my parents and grandparents? - IRCC Help Centre; Super visa for parents and grandparents: Who can apply - Canada.ca. In effect from January 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
Guide 5772 adds that there is no requirement to have been a citizen, permanent resident or Status Indian for the 3 years before applying; the status has to be held, with the sponsor living in Canada, when the application is submitted. A permanent resident who is considering citizenship can check the Canadian citizenship application requirements.
IRCC also lists situations that can make a person ineligible to sponsor:
How to read this table: IRCC says a person may not be eligible if any row applies, and that there may be other reasons. IRCC tells a sponsor why if it finds them ineligible.
| Situation | Quebec residents |
|---|---|
| In jail, prison or penitentiary | Applies everywhere |
| Did not pay back an immigration loan or a performance bond | Applies everywhere |
| Did not pay court-ordered family support such as alimony or child support | Does not apply to Quebec residents (Quebec has its own requirements) |
| Did not provide the financial support agreed to in an earlier sponsorship agreement | Does not apply to Quebec residents (Quebec has its own requirements) |
| Declared bankruptcy and is not discharged | Does not apply to Quebec residents (Quebec has its own requirements) |
| Receives social assistance for a reason other than a disability | Applies everywhere |
| Convicted of a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence, inside or outside Canada | Applies everywhere |
| Cannot legally stay in Canada and must leave because of a Removal Order | Applies everywhere |
Source: Sponsor your parents and grandparents - Canada.ca (program status); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Find out if you're invited to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: How to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Submit your interest to sponsor form - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions 89 (MI89): Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: What it means to be a sponsor - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Check if you're eligible - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Income requirements for the sponsor - Canada.ca (family size); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Who you can sponsor - Canada.ca; Guide 5772 - Application to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee list - Canada.ca (parents and grandparents); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: After you apply - Canada.ca; How much income do I need to sponsor my parents and grandparents? - IRCC Help Centre; Super visa for parents and grandparents: Who can apply - Canada.ca. In effect from January 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
Who can be sponsored as a parent or grandparent?
A sponsor can bring their own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption, plus certain family members of those parents. In-laws are not on the list.
How to read this table: the parent or grandparent related to the sponsor is the principal applicant; their spouse or partner and dependent children are listed as dependants.
| Person | IRCC rule |
|---|---|
| Parents and grandparents | The sponsor's own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption. |
| Their dependent children | Dependent children of the parents or grandparents (for example the sponsor's siblings, half-siblings or step-siblings) and their dependent children, only if they qualify as dependent children. |
| A divorced parent's current partner | If the parents or grandparents are divorced, their current spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner. Divorced parents need separate applications. |
| Separated parents | Parents who are separated and not divorced go on one application because they are still married. |
| In-laws | Cannot be sponsored. A spouse or partner's parents and grandparents need the spouse or partner's own invitation; the sponsor can then be a co-signer. |
| Inadmissible people | Someone who is not allowed to come to Canada cannot be sponsored. |
Source: Sponsor your parents and grandparents - Canada.ca (program status); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Find out if you're invited to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: How to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Submit your interest to sponsor form - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions 89 (MI89): Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: What it means to be a sponsor - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Check if you're eligible - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Income requirements for the sponsor - Canada.ca (family size); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Who you can sponsor - Canada.ca; Guide 5772 - Application to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee list - Canada.ca (parents and grandparents); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: After you apply - Canada.ca; How much income do I need to sponsor my parents and grandparents? - IRCC Help Centre; Super visa for parents and grandparents: Who can apply - Canada.ca. In effect from January 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
When parents apply together as a couple, one is designated as the principal applicant and the other as a dependant. IRCC warns that the choice cannot be changed once the application is submitted. A step-parent cannot be the principal applicant, because the principal applicant has to be the person related to the sponsor. Adult siblings who do not qualify as dependent children cannot be included and would have to immigrate on their own.
The sponsored people also have to pass IRCC’s own checks during processing: medical exams, police certificates for everyone 18 or older who is not already a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and biometrics for people between the ages of 14 and 79.
How long is the undertaking for sponsoring parents and grandparents?
The undertaking lasts 20 years, or 10 years when the sponsor lives in Quebec. Those are the periods IRCC states on its page about what it means to be a sponsor, and the clock starts on the day the sponsored people become permanent residents.
How to read this table: the undertaking is a signed commitment to IRCC. The sponsorship agreement is the matching agreement between the sponsor and the sponsored people.
| Part of the undertaking | What IRCC says |
|---|---|
| Length outside Quebec | 20 years |
| Length for Quebec residents | 10 years |
| When it starts | The day the sponsored people become permanent residents. |
| Financial support | The sponsor provides for basic needs: food, clothing, shelter and other needs for everyday living, plus dental care, eye care and other health needs not covered by public health services. |
| Social assistance | If a sponsored person receives social assistance during the undertaking, the sponsor has to repay the amount and cannot sponsor anyone else until it is repaid. |
| Cancelling | Once the sponsored family members become permanent residents, there is no way to cancel or shorten the undertaking period. |
| What does not end it | The sponsored people becoming Canadian citizens, a change in the relationship, a move to another province or country, or the sponsor's financial problems such as job loss or debt. |
| Co-signer | A co-signer must meet the same eligibility requirements as the sponsor, co-signs the undertaking and is equally liable if obligations are not performed. |
| Withdrawal | A sponsorship application can be withdrawn only before the sponsored people become permanent residents of Canada. |
Source: Sponsor your parents and grandparents - Canada.ca (program status); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Find out if you're invited to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: How to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Submit your interest to sponsor form - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions 89 (MI89): Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: What it means to be a sponsor - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Check if you're eligible - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Income requirements for the sponsor - Canada.ca (family size); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Who you can sponsor - Canada.ca; Guide 5772 - Application to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee list - Canada.ca (parents and grandparents); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: After you apply - Canada.ca; How much income do I need to sponsor my parents and grandparents? - IRCC Help Centre; Super visa for parents and grandparents: Who can apply - Canada.ca. In effect from January 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
The length is what sets this sponsorship apart. A parent who becomes a permanent resident at age 62 remains the sponsor’s financial responsibility until age 82 outside Quebec. Any provincial, territorial or municipal social assistance paid to the sponsored person in that time becomes a debt the sponsor has to repay, and Guide 5772 says the sponsor is then in default and cannot sponsor other family class members until it is repaid.
The undertaking also affects seniors’ benefits. The Old Age Security guide explains how a sponsorship agreement limits access to the Guaranteed Income Supplement for sponsored immigrants.
The only exit is before landing. A sponsorship application can be withdrawn any time before the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident of Canada; after that, IRCC says there is no way to cancel or shorten the period. A co-signer who wants out has to tell IRCC before the sponsored people are issued a permanent resident visa.
How much does it cost to sponsor parents and grandparents?
IRCC’s fee to sponsor one parent or grandparent is $1,260 with the right of permanent residence fee included. The fee list sets out each line:
How to read this table: amounts are in Canadian dollars from IRCC's fee list. Fees are paid only for people coming to Canada, not for family members who are listed on the application but staying abroad.
| Fee | Amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor your parent or grandparent | $1,260 | Sponsorship fee, processing fee and right of permanent residence fee |
| Sponsor your parent or grandparent (without the right of permanent residence fee) | $660 | Sponsorship fee and processing fee |
| Include the spouse or partner of your parent or grandparent | $1,260 | Processing fee and right of permanent residence fee |
| Include the spouse or partner of your parent or grandparent (without the right of permanent residence fee) | $660 | Processing fee |
| Include a dependent child of your parent or grandparent | $180 | Per child |
| Right of permanent residence fee | $600 | Already inside the 2 bundled amounts above; does not apply to dependent children |
| Biometrics - per individual | $85 | Fingerprints and a digital photo |
| Biometrics - per family of 2 or more eligible people | $170 | Maximum for a family applying at the same time |
Source: Sponsor your parents and grandparents - Canada.ca (program status); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Find out if you're invited to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: How to apply - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Submit your interest to sponsor form - Canada.ca; Ministerial Instructions 89 (MI89): Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: What it means to be a sponsor - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Check if you're eligible - Canada.ca; Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Income requirements for the sponsor - Canada.ca (family size); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Who you can sponsor - Canada.ca; Guide 5772 - Application to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents - Canada.ca; Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee list - Canada.ca (parents and grandparents); Sponsor your parents and grandparents: After you apply - Canada.ca; How much income do I need to sponsor my parents and grandparents? - IRCC Help Centre; Super visa for parents and grandparents: Who can apply - Canada.ca. In effect from January 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
The $1,260 bundle is built from 3 fees: a $90 sponsorship fee, a $570 processing fee for the sponsored person and the $600 right of permanent residence fee, which add up to $1,260. The right of permanent residence fee can be paid later, but it must be paid before the person can become a permanent resident, and IRCC suggests paying it up front to avoid delays.
Three common cases, using the fee list amounts:
| Who is being sponsored | IRCC fees | Biometrics | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 parent | $1,260 | $85 | $1,345 |
| 2 parents on one application | $2,520 | $170 | $2,690 |
| 2 parents and 1 dependent child | $2,700 | $170 | $2,870 |
Medical exams and police certificates are paid to third parties and are not in these totals. Quebec residents also pay a separate provincial processing fee to Quebec when they submit the undertaking application to MIFI. The Canada PR fees guide compares these amounts with the fees for other permanent residence programs.
Is the super visa the alternative while PGP Canada is paused?
The super visa is the option IRCC names on its own parents and grandparents pages for people who were not invited. It lets a parent or grandparent stay in Canada for 5 years at a time, but as a visitor, not a permanent resident.
| Parents and grandparents sponsorship | Super visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Open to new applicants today | No, paused until further notice | Yes |
| What the parent gets | Permanent residence | Visitor status, 5 years at a time |
| Income test for a family of 2 | $47,549 for the 2024 tax year (2025 intake table) | $38,002 |
| Income test for a family of 4 | $70,972 for the 2024 tax year (2025 intake table) | $56,724 |
| Tax years checked | Each of the 3 before applying | Either of the 2 before applying, or the last one under the 75% option |
| Commitment by the family in Canada | Undertaking of 20 years (10 in Quebec) | Letter of invitation |
| IRCC fee per person | $1,260 with the right of permanent residence fee | $100, plus $85 biometrics where required |
| Private health insurance | Not among the sponsor requirements IRCC lists | Private insurance with at least $100,000 of emergency coverage |
| Work or study | Allowed as a permanent resident | Not authorized |
For a family of 2, the sponsorship amount for the 2024 tax year is $9,547 higher than the super visa minimum, and it has to be met in 3 years instead of 1. The super visa income requirement guide covers the host’s income table, the family size count and the 75% option, and the super visa insurance comparison covers the mandatory medical policy and what it costs.
The two routes are not exclusive. IRCC says a person with a sponsorship application already submitted can apply for a super visa while waiting for a decision. Sponsoring a husband, wife or partner is a separate program that usually has no income test; the spousal sponsorship guide covers it.
What happens to applications already submitted?
IRCC keeps processing them. For a sponsor who applied in the 2025 intake, IRCC’s published process runs like this:
- Completeness check. IRCC returns an application that is incomplete, is missing fees, came from someone who was not invited or arrived after the deadline. If documents are missing, IRCC sends a letter and gives 30 days to submit them.
- Sponsor assessment. IRCC sends an application number and an acknowledgment of receipt, then assesses the sponsor’s eligibility, including income.
- Assessment of the parents. IRCC assesses whether the sponsored people are eligible for permanent residence and asks for medical exams, police certificates and biometrics. Biometrics are due within 30 days of IRCC’s letter.
- Quebec step. A Quebec sponsor waits for IRCC’s instruction, then sends an undertaking application to Quebec. IRCC cannot approve the permanent residence application until Quebec issues the undertaking.
- Approval. The parents send passports or copies, a photo and the right of permanent residence fee receipt, and receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence and, if required, a permanent resident visa.
If IRCC refuses the sponsor, the sponsor can choose to have IRCC keep processing the parents’ permanent residence application, with no guarantee of approval, or withdraw. If the parents’ application is refused, IRCC explains why and how to appeal.
Changes during processing go through IRCC’s web form, not the mail: a marriage, divorce, birth, death or new contact details. Sponsors can check status with IRCC’s online tool after they receive an application number, and IRCC’s application page gives 1-888-242-2100 (from within Canada only) for more information.
When will the next PGP intake open?
IRCC has not announced one. Its page on Ministerial Instructions 89 says only that details on the next intake will be shared when they are available, and the program page says the pause runs until further notice.
Past practice gives some idea of how an intake is announced, without predicting a date. The 2025 intake was run by invitation from an existing pool, with a fixed number of invitations and a deadline printed in each invitation letter. Any new intake would appear first on IRCC’s parents and grandparents pages on canada.ca. A new intake would also be assessed on a different set of 3 tax years, so the 2025 intake table would not carry over unchanged.
This page is checked against IRCC’s pages and will show the new status, dates and income table when IRCC publishes them.
What are the common mistakes with parents and grandparents sponsorship?
- Assuming the program is open. No interest to sponsor forms or applications are being accepted until further notice.
- Paying for an application without an invitation. IRCC returns applications from people who were not invited.
- Leaving out the parent’s family abroad. A parent’s spouse and dependent children count in family size even when they are not coming to Canada.
- Averaging the 3 years. Each tax year has its own amount and each has to be met.
- Using the super visa income table. The sponsorship table is higher than the super visa table and covers 3 tax years.
- Missing a tax return. Without a CRA notice of assessment for each of the 3 years, the income requirement is not met.
- Trying to sponsor in-laws. A spouse or partner’s parents need the spouse or partner’s own invitation; the sponsor can only co-sign.
- Underestimating the undertaking. It lasts 20 years (10 in Quebec) and cannot be cancelled once the parents are permanent residents.