Parents & Grandparents Sponsorship

Sponsor your parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption to become permanent residents of Canada.

To learn more about this program, your eligibility and to explore further options, schedule a consultation with our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) today!

Sponsor your parents and grandparents

Who is eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent

You can sponsor your own 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

    • to show that you have enough, you’ll have to provide your proof of income

    • you may have a spouse or common-law partner co-sign to combine your incomes

you 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 promise to financially support the people you are sponsoring for a period of time. We call this promise 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 main 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.

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.

Next Steps

To learn more about this program, your eligibility and to explore further options, schedule a consultation with our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) today!