Grand Parents Sponsorship

Sponsor your parents and grandparents

This is a program to sponsor parents and grandparents to become permanent residents of Canada.
You can sponsor your parents and grandparents to become permanent residents of Canada if

• you submitted the interest to sponsor form in 2020
• you’re invited to apply for the 2023 intake

Between October 10 and 23, 2023, we’ll send 24,200 invitations to apply to potential sponsors. Our goal
is to accept up to 15,000 complete applications.

If you’re invited to apply

You must submit 2 applications:

• the sponsorship application
• the permanent residence application

If we approve both applications, you’ll sign an agreement called an undertaking that starts on the day the person you’re sponsoring (and their family members, if this applies) becomes a permanent resident of Canada. This agreement is discussed under Who is eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent.

Check if you’re eligible

You can sponsor your own biological or adopted parents and grandparents if

• you’re invited to apply
• you’re at least 18 years old
• you live in Canada
• you’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
• you have enough money to support the people you want to sponsor
  • you have enough money to support the people you want to sponsor
  • you may have a spouse or common-law partner co-sign the application to combine your incomes
• you and your parents and grandparents meet all other requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations

If you live outside Quebec

To become a sponsor, you must commit to financially support the people you’re sponsoring for a period of time. We call this commitment an undertaking.

The undertaking commits you to

• providing financial support for your sponsored family members for 20 years, starting when they become permanent residents
• repaying any provincial social assistance (money from the government) your sponsored family members get during that time

Also, you and your sponsored family members need to agree to certain responsibilities during the undertaking period. We call this the sponsorship agreement.
The sponsorship agreement means that

• you’ll provide for the basic needs of your sponsored family members, including
  • food
  • clothing
  • utilities
  • personal requirements
  • shelter
  • fuel
  • household supplies
  • health care not covered by public health insurance, such as eye and dental care
• the person you sponsor will make every effort to support themselves and their family members

This agreement is still valid, and you must still cover basic needs for the period it covers, even in the case of

• marriage ending, separation or divorce
• family rifts
• unemployment
• change in finances
• death of the principal applicant, if you also sponsor their family members

When you apply, you’ll have to complete and sign a form that includes the undertaking and the sponsorship agreement.

If you live in Quebec

You must meet Quebec’s immigration sponsorship requirements after we approve you as a sponsor. The Quebec ministry in charge of immigration will assess your income.

If we approve you as a sponsor, we’ll send you information on what to do next.

You must also sign an undertaking with the province of Quebec. The length of the undertaking is 10 years for Quebec.
Who can’t sponsor a parent or grandparent
You can’t sponsor your parents and grandparents if

• you haven’t been invited to apply
• you’re less than 18 years old
• 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
  • Your primary residential address must be in Canada when you submit your application and until we make a decision on your application.
• you’re not a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
• you’re a temporary resident, that is you’re visiting, studying or working in Canada on a visa or permit
• your permanent residence application is still in process
  • You must have permanent resident status at the time you submit your sponsorship application
• your proof of income shows you don’t have enough money to support the people you want to sponsor

You may not be eligible to sponsor your parents and grandparents if you

• are in jail, prison or penitentiary
• didn’t pay back
  • an immigration loan
  • a performance bond
  • court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support
• didn’t give the financial support you agreed to when you signed a sponsorship agreement to sponsor someone else in the past
• declared bankruptcy and are not discharged
• receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability
• were convicted of a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence inside or outside Canada
• can’t legally stay in Canada and must leave the country because you received a Removal Order

There may be other reasons that make you ineligible to sponsor your parents and grandparents. If we determine you’re not eligible to sponsor, we’ll tell you why.

Who you can sponsor

You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption.

In case of divorce, you’ll need to submit separate applications if you sponsor divorced parents and grandparents. If your divorced parents or grandparents have a current spouse, common-law partner or a conjugal partner, these people become dependants on the application and can immigrate to Canada with your parents and grandparents, if approved.

In the application, you can include your brothers and sisters, half-brothers and half-sisters, or step-brothers and step-sisters only if they qualify as dependent children.

You must meet the income requirements for all the people you want to sponsor and their dependants (spouse, partner and dependent children).

The people you sponsor must also be eligible

To show they meet the eligibility requirements, your parents and grandparents and their dependants must provide

• all required forms and documents with their application
• any additional information we request during processing, including
  • medical exams
  • police certificates
  • biometrics

Who you can’t sponsor

You can’t sponsor

• your spouse’s parents and grandparents (your in-laws)
  • however, you can be a co-signer on your in-laws’ application
• someone who is inadmissible to Canada (someone who is not allowed to come to Canada)

Submit your interest to sponsor form

How the 2023 intake will work
For the 2023 intake, we’ll invite potential sponsors from the remaining pool of interest to sponsor forms submitted in 2020.
Between October 10 and 23, 2023, we’ll send 24,200 invitations to apply to potential sponsors. Our goal is to accept up to 15,000 complete applications.
If you submitted your interest to sponsor form in 2020
If you submitted the interest to sponsor form in 2020, you were given a confirmation number. We asked you to write down this number so you can use it later.

We also sent you an email with the confirmation number to tell you we received your interest to sponsor form. You’ll be able to use this confirmation number to find out if you’re invited to apply for the 2023 intake.

Find out if you’re invited to apply

How the 2023 intake will work
For the 2023 intake, we’ll invite potential sponsors from the remaining pool of interest to sponsor forms submitted in 2020.
Between October 10 and 23, 2023, we’ll send 24,200 invitations to apply to potential sponsors. Our goal is to accept up to 15,000 complete applications.

If you’re invited to apply
We’ll send your invitation to the email address you put on your 2020 interest to sponsor form. To make sure you don’t miss our invitation

• check the same email account you used on your 2020 interest to sponsor form
• check your junk mail or spam folder to see if an email from us is there

If your email address has changed or you have lost your confirmation number
You’ll be able to use the Find your lost confirmation number page to

• get the confirmation number you received when you submitted your 2020 interest to sponsor form
• receive a copy of your invitation to apply letter, if you have been invited
• tell us your new email address if you’re no longer using the one you put on your 2020 interest to sponsor form

We’ll post a link to the Find your lost confirmation number page on October 23, 2023.

If you’re not invited to apply

Parents and grandparents can visit for extended periods
If you’d like your parents and grandparents to come to Canada, they may be eligible to apply for a super visa which could let them stay in Canada for 5 years at a time.

Parents and grandparents visiting on a super visa can also apply for 2-year extensions to their stay while still in Canada.

How to apply

If you’re invited to apply to sponsor your parents and grandparents, there are 2 applications:

1. You must apply to become a sponsor.
2. Your parents or grandparents must apply for permanent residence.

Submit both the sponsorship and the permanent residence applications online at the same time.

You must submit your application by the deadline stated in your invitation to apply letter.

Check application processing times

Step 1. Get an invitation to apply
We randomly select and invite potential sponsors to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents.

For the 2023 intake, we’ll invite potential sponsors from the remaining pool of interest to sponsor forms submitted in 2020.

Between October 10 and 23, 2023, we’ll send 24,200 invitations to apply to potential sponsors. Our goal is to accept up to 15,000 complete applications.

If you’re invited to apply, we’ll email you using the email address you put on your 2020 interest to sponsor form.

Step 2. Fill out the application online
If you’re invited to apply, the principal applicant (or your representative) must apply online using the

• Permanent Residence (PR) Portal (if you’re applying by yourself)
• Representative Permanent Residence (PR) Portal (if you’re using a representative)

Documents you’ll need for your application

Before you submit your application

You (the sponsor) must download and fill out these PDF forms:

• Document Checklist — Sponsor [IMM 5771] (PDF, 1 MB)
• Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking [IMM 1344] (PDF, 588.96 KB)
  • You, your co-signer (if applicable) and the person you’re sponsoring must sign this form electronically
• Financial Evaluation for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship [IMM 5768] (PDF, 1.54 MB)
• Income Sources for the Sponsorship of Parents and Grandparents [IMM 5748] (PDF, 1.53 MB), if this applies.
• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union [IMM 5409] (PDF, 636.51 KB), if applicable
  • You, your common-law partner and the person who administers the declaration must all sign and date this form by hand

The person you’re sponsoring (principal applicant) will

• upload the forms to their online application
• electronically sign the entire application, including for their family members

Tips for downloading and filling out the PDF forms

• Make sure you have Adobe Reader 10 or higher and JavaScript is turned on. If you have trouble downloading, right-click the link and choose “Save target as…”
• Fill out the form on your computer instead of by hand. It’s easier and reduces mistakes that can cause delays. Printing can reduce the quality of the forms, which can also cause delays.
• Complete, sign and date your application forms.

Step 3. Pay your application fees

Fees: from $1,080
You have to pay your fees online(opens in a new tab) .

Step 4. Submit your online application

Before you submit your application, make sure you

• answer all questions on the forms
• electronically sign your application (type your full name exactly as shown on your passport)
• include your processing fee receipt
• upload all the supporting documents
  • upload a copy of your invitation to apply letter for the 2023 intake under the section “Required documents” in your online application

If your application is incomplete, we’ll send you a request letter to submit any missing documents. You’ll have 30 days to submit the missing documents.
Follow the instructions in the request letter you received for details on how to submit the missing documentation. After 30 days, if your application is still incomplete, we’ll return the application to you and it won’t be processed.

Step 5. Send us additional information during processing

During processing, the person you’re sponsoring must submit their

• medical exams
• police certificates
• biometrics within 30 days of receiving the biometric instruction letter

If the people you’re are sponsoring can’t give their biometrics on time

Book a biometric collection appointment as soon as you receive the biometric instruction letter to avoid processing delays. If the people you’re sponsoring can’t give biometrics within 30 days, use the web form to tell us why they need more time.

After you apply

Keep your information up to date

To avoid delays in processing, make sure your contact information and your application details are up to date.
Use our web form to tell us of changes in your application, such as

• a change in relationship status (for example, marriage, divorce, new common-law relationship)
• birth or adoption of a child
• death of an applicant or dependant
• contact information updates, including
  • email
  • phone number
  • mailing address

Don’t mail us changes to your contact or application information. If you do, we won’t acknowledge your request and we won’t update your application. This could lead to a delay in processing your application.

If you change your contact information, make sure you check your old contact information until we update your application.

How we process your application

We’ll review your sponsorship application and return it to you if

• it’s incomplete
• fees are missing
• you weren’t invited to apply
• we didn’t get it before the deadline in your invitation to apply

If we begin to process your application, we’ll

• send you an application number
• send you an acknowledgment of receipt
• assess your eligibility as a sponsor
• assess if the person you’re sponsoring (and their dependants, if applicable) is eligible for permanent residence

Track and update your application

During processing, track your application and make sure it’s up to date by

• checking the status of your application
• updating your address or other information, if necessary
• adding or changing your representative or getting access to your family’s information, if necessary
• withdrawing your application, if desired
• paying the right of permanent residence fee or requesting a refund

Check the status of your application

For sponsors

Sponsors can check the status of their application by using our online tool. You can do this after we start processing your application and we’ll send you a letter with your application number. This can also take several weeks or even months. Unfortunately, we can’t give an exact time because every case is different.

Our telephone and social media agents also won’t be able to tell you the date you’ll get the letter with your application number. They don’t have this information.

If you want to manage your parents’ and grandparents’ application for them

As the sponsor, if you want to check on your parents’ and/or grandparents’ application status, you must first request access to their information.

To protect your parents’ and grandparents’ privacy, they need to give us their written consent before we’ll share any of their personal information with you, or give anyone access to their application information.

Find out how the people you’re sponsoring can give you access to their information.

You can ask for permission just to check their status, or you can ask to act as what we call a “representative” if you want to

• fill out and submit your parents’ and grandparents’ application for them
• communicate with us on their behalf

To become your parents’ and grandparents’ representative, you must complete, sign and save the form (PDF, 264 KB) to appoint or change a representative and include it with your sponsorship application.

The people you’re sponsoring must also sign the form.

If you’ve already submitted your sponsorship application, send it to us through our web form. Include your

• full name
• date of birth
• country of birth
• application number (if you know it)
• UCI, if you know it

You can upload the form after you’ve completed all the required fields.

For the people being sponsored

The people you’re sponsoring can check their application in 2 ways. They can

• create an IRCC secure online account and link their application to it
  • This includes either a paper application or one submitted online through the Permanent Residence Portal.
  • They can do this only when we’ve started processing their application and we’ve sent them their application number
• use the online tool, which is updated daily

Linking the parent and/or grandparent application to an online account

When we start processing your family members’ application, we’ll send them a letter with their application number.

It can take several weeks or even months to get this letter. Unfortunately, we can’t give an exact time because every case is different. Our telephone and social media agents also won’t be able to tell you the date when your family member(s) will get the letter.

After they get this letter, the principal applicant can link their application to their online account. This way, they can communicate with us quickly and securely and get updates and messages about their application online.

Find out how to create an online account and link an application.

You (the sponsor) can link their application for them if you’re managing your family members’ application and you’re designated as their representative.

See the top questions about linking your application.

If your processing time has passed

If the normal processing time for your application has passed, you can contact us using our web form.

Withdraw your sponsorship application

You can withdraw your sponsorship application at any time before the person you’re sponsoring becomes a permanent resident of Canada.

You may be able to get a refund if we haven’t started processing your application.

Use our web form to request the withdrawal of your sponsorship application.

In your request, include your

• full name
• date of birth
• country of birth
• application number (if you know it)
• UCI, if you know it

Submit your right of permanent residence fee or request a refund

The right of permanent residence fee must be paid before the people you’re sponsoring can become permanent residents. If it wasn’t paid at the time of application, we’ll contact the people you’re sponsoring to explain how they can pay the right of permanent residence fee online.

You can request a refund for the right of permanent residence fee if

• you’re withdrawing your sponsorship
• your parent or grandparent was refused
  • We can only issue refunds once you decline your right of appeal.

To send us the proof of payment or to request a refund, use our web form. In your request, include the

• full name
• date of birth
• country of birth
• application number (if you know it)
• UCI, if you know it
• copy of the official receipt
• copy of signed right of appeal (if you have one)

You can upload the official receipt after you’ve completed all the required fields in the web form.

Prepare for arrival

When your sponsored family members arrive at the port of entry to Canada, they must show the border services officer their:

• Confirmation of Permanent Residence
  • this is the document we sent when we approved their application
• valid passport or travel document
• permanent resident visa (if we issued you one), which must be valid
• Quebec Selection Certificate, if they’re going to live in Quebec
• any other document we issued to you and told you to bring with you

If your family members are already in Canada

They’ll have to meet an immigration officer to receive their permanent residence. We call this a landing interview. We’ll send them instructions about what documents to bring with them, and the time and place of their interview.
What happens at the border
The border officer will:

• check that your permanent resident visa and Confirmation of Permanent Residence haven’t expired
• ask your family members to confirm information that they gave in their application

Your sponsored family members must tell the officer of any funds they’re bringing into Canada, including:

• cash
• stocks
• bonds
• money orders
• traveller’s cheques

Get more information on the documents your parents and grandparents need and the interview process when crossing the Canadian border.

If satisfied that they meet the requirements to enter Canada, the officer will:

• allow them to enter Canada as a permanent residents
• start the process to mail their permanent resident card to the address on their Confirmation of Permanent Residence
  • Make sure their Canadian address is correct.