The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) allows eligible Canadians and permanent residents to sponsor their biological or adopted parents and grandparents for permanent residence. Because demand is high, the program operates through an invitation-based intake process when IRCC opens a round.
If you want your parents or grandparents to become permanent residents, the process can involve invitations, sponsor eligibility, income documents, family size, and careful timing. You may also be considering a Super Visa while waiting for sponsorship opportunities.
This service is for families who want help understanding the sponsorship process and preparing documents clearly when the opportunity to apply is available.
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) allows eligible Canadians and permanent residents to sponsor their biological or adopted parents and grandparents for permanent residence. Because demand is high, the program operates through an invitation-based intake process when IRCC opens a round.
If IRCC opens a new round, you generally need to be invited before you can submit a complete PGP application. The sponsor must show the required income for the relevant tax years and the parents or grandparents being sponsored must still meet medical, criminal, and security requirements.
| Program Step | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Invitation to apply | You must usually be invited by IRCC before submitting a full PGP application. |
| Income review | Your income is assessed against the current sponsor requirements for your family size and the applicable tax years. |
| Undertaking | You commit to financially support your parents or grandparents for 20 years outside Quebec. |
| Admissibility | Your parents or grandparents must pass medical, criminal, and security screening. |
If the PGP intake is closed or you are not invited, the Super Visa is often the best alternative. It currently allows eligible parents and grandparents to visit Canada for up to 5 years at a time and can be valid for up to 10 years. Learn more about the Super Visa.
Parent and grandparent sponsorship files require careful attention to sponsor eligibility, family composition, income documents, civil status evidence, and deadlines. RA Migration helps families prepare in an organized way when sponsorship is possible.
We help review sponsor and applicant documents, identify missing records, organize forms, and explain what should be prepared before submission. Where a Super Visa may be more practical, we help clients understand that option too.
If reuniting with your parents or grandparents is your goal, RA Migration can help you plan the process with care and realistic expectations.
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) gives your parents or grandparents permanent residence in Canada. It’s the long‑term solution, but IRCC limits intake sharply, invitations go out by lottery, and many families wait years for a chance. The income requirement is LICO plus 30% for three consecutive tax years, and sponsors sign a 20‑year financial undertaking.
The Super Visa is faster and more accessible. It’s a multiple‑entry visitor visa valid for up to 10 years, allowing stays of up to 5 years at a time. Your parent or grandparent keeps their status abroad. They just get to visit for long stretches. It’s the most practical path for most families.
Yes, and this is big news. Effective March 31, 2026, IRCC made two changes that help a lot of families who didn’t qualify before.
Two‑year lookback: You can now meet the minimum income requirement using your income from either of the two preceding tax years, not just the most recent one.
Visitor income counts: Your visiting parent or grandparent’s independent income (pensions, rental income, savings) can now partially count toward meeting the threshold.
The base requirement is still LICO (with the 30% uplift that applies to PGP sponsorship), $100,000 minimum medical insurance for the visiting parent, a medical exam, and proof of the relationship. If you were refused under the old rules, it’s worth reapplying. Applications already in processing before March 31, 2026 are being reassessed automatically.
The Immigration Levels Plan is the federal government’s annual plan setting out how many permanent residents Canada will welcome each year. The 2026 to 2028 plan reflects a significant shift: overall PR targets have been reduced compared to previous plans, with a stronger focus on economic immigration (projected to reach 64% of PR admissions by 2027 and 2028) and candidates already in Canada.
Key signals in the plan:
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allocations were increased by roughly 66% (to about 91,500 spots). Provinces now have more say in who gets PR.
A continued focus on French‑speaking candidates outside Quebec.
Targeted support for physicians, graduate students, skilled trades, and researchers.
Reduced temporary resident admissions to bring the TR share below 5%.
Should you be worried? If you’re already in the system with a clear pathway, the plan is a signal to move sooner rather than later, and to consider provincial nomination routes in addition to federal ones. If you’re still choosing your path, expect the bar to be higher than it was two or three years ago, but also expect faster processing for priority categories. Strategy matters more than ever.
Canada’s family class is narrow: spouses, partners, dependent children, parents and grandparents, and a few specific other relatives. Siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and nieces/nephews generally don’t qualify unless a rare exception applies (for example, if you have no other qualifying family and they’re your closest living relative).
There is one remaining avenue: Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) considerations. An H&C application asks the Minister to grant permanent residence despite not meeting normal criteria, based on exceptional circumstances, establishment in Canada, hardship if separated, best interests of children involved, medical needs, or other compelling factors. These applications are discretionary, heavily scrutinized, and rarely approved without a strong, well‑documented case.
No. And be cautious of anyone who does. It’s actually against the CICC’s professional rules to guarantee an outcome. Approvals rest with IRCC officers, visa offices, and tribunals, not with your consultant.
What we can commit to is careful, professional work: we help identify the right program, prepare a complete and persuasive file, flag risks early, and represent you professionally.
