Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship in Canada

Canada’s Parents and Grandparents Program is paused: on July 15, 2026, IRCC stopped accepting interest to sponsor forms and sending invitations until further notice. Files already submitted keep moving. When it runs, sponsors need income of at least LICO plus 30% for 3 tax years and sign a 20-year undertaking. The super visa is the interim route. An IRCC officer decides.

Check the sponsor income with the Funds Calculator

Last verified: November 2026

$1,260
IRCC fee per parent or grandparent, RPRF included
$600
Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF), within that total
About 28 months
IRCC’s estimate for parents and grandparents, outside Quebec
Paused
New intake to the Parents and Grandparents Program, since July 15, 2026

Fees checked against the IRCC fee list on November 11, 2026. The wait is IRCC’s figure of October 9, 2026, and the Processing Times page shows the current figure.

Can you sponsor a parent or grandparent right now?

On July 15, 2026, IRCC paused the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP). In IRCC’s own wording on the program page: "We will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice." There is nothing you can submit to enter the queue while the pause holds.

Applications already in the system keep being processed, and IRCC plans to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the program in 2026.

Who can sponsor a parent or grandparent?

IRPA s.13 and IRPR s.130 set who may sponsor, and IRPR s.133 sets the requirements a sponsor must meet. A sponsor must:

Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (or a registered Indian under the Indian Act), at least 18 years of age
Live in Canada: your primary residential address must be in Canada when you apply and until IRCC decides (a Canadian citizen living abroad cannot sponsor a parent or grandparent; IRPR s.130(2) allows that only for a spouse, partner or dependent child)
Meet the minimum necessary income plus 30% (LICO + 30%) for each of the 3 consecutive taxation years immediately before the application (IRPR s.133(1)(j); Quebec applies its own test)
Not be subject to a removal order, not be in prison, and not have been convicted of certain criminal offences
Not be in default of a previous sponsorship undertaking
Not have declared bankruptcy (unless discharged)

The application may also include the parent's or grandparent's spouse or common-law partner and their dependent children as accompanying co-applicants.

How much income does a PGP sponsor need?

Sponsors must show income at least 30% above the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) for each of the 3 most recent consecutive tax years, not just the most recent one. The threshold depends on family size, and the exact figures change each year. The LICO income requirements guide has the table. Confirm the current amounts on canada.ca.

Family size includes you, your spouse or partner, any dependent children, anyone you have previously sponsored and are still responsible for, and the parents or grandparents (and their family members) you now want to sponsor.
The income counted is the income on your Notices of Assessment, minus the amounts the Regulations leave out, such as provincial social assistance, Employment Insurance other than special benefits, the guaranteed income supplement and the Canada child benefit (IRPR s.134(1.1)).
Receiving social assistance for a reason other than a disability bars you from sponsoring (IRPR s.133(1)(k)).
A co-signer (your spouse or common-law partner) can add their income. They sign the undertaking too and become jointly responsible for the full obligation.

What does the 20-year undertaking commit you to?

By signing the undertaking, the sponsor makes a legally binding commitment under IRPR s.132 to financially support the sponsored parent or grandparent. It runs for 20 years from the date the parent or grandparent becomes a permanent resident, not from the application date. In Quebec the period is 10 years.

If the sponsored person receives social assistance during the undertaking period, the sponsor has to repay the amount.
The undertaking continues even if the relationship changes, the sponsor has financial problems, or the sponsored person becomes a Canadian citizen.
Once the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident, there is no way to cancel or shorten it.
It still applies if you or the people you sponsor move to another province or country.
Sponsors who default on a prior undertaking cannot sponsor anyone else until they repay it.

The rule

For parents and grandparents the undertaking runs for 20 years, starting the day the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident.

IRPR s.132Verify on justice.gc.ca

How does the intake work when it runs?

Here is how the intake worked when it was running. If IRCC restarts it, IRCC will set the rules for the new intake.

Interest to sponsor (the pool)
Sponsors first submitted a short online interest to sponsor form. This was not the full application. It placed them in the pool.
Invitation by random selection
IRCC randomly selected a set number of potential sponsors from the pool and sent invitations to apply. For the 2025 round, IRCC sent 17,860 invitations (drawn from the 2020 pool) with a goal of accepting roughly 10,000 complete applications.
Full application
Invited sponsors submitted a complete package by the deadline in their invitation letter (October 9, 2025 for the 2025 intake): income documents, the documents on the sponsor's checklist (IMM 5771), the signed undertaking, and the parent's or grandparent's permanent-residence forms. If you hold a live invitation, its deadline governs.
Visa office processing
The sponsorship and the permanent-residence application are submitted together. IRCC then sends instructions for medical exams and asks for police certificates, and biometrics are needed unless the person is exempt. This step continues during the pause for files already in the system.

What does it cost, and how long does it take?

PR-application fees increased on April 30, 2026, and the figures below reflect the current amounts. Reconfirm on the official IRCC fee list before you pay.

IRCC fees to sponsor one parent or grandparent
Fee item	Amount (CAD)	Who pays
Sponsorship and processing fees (IRCC publishes one combined amount)	$660	Paid with the application
Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)	$600	Principal applicant (paid before becoming a PR)
Biometrics (if required)	$85 ($170 family max)	Per person
Medical examination	Varies by country/clinic	Principal applicant (paid to the panel physician)
Approximate IRCC total (per principal applicant)	~$1,260	Both parties

An accompanying spouse or partner of your parent or grandparent is charged at the same level, and each accompanying dependent child costs $180. Translations and police certificates are extra. The Immigration Fee Calculator totals everyone in your application.

IRCC's current estimate for parents and grandparents outside Quebec is about 28 months. It counts from the day IRCC receives a complete application to the decision, and IRCC updates it monthly.

Which free tool checks your own case?

Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.

What do people ask?

Is parent and grandparent sponsorship open in 2026?

No. IRCC paused the Parents and Grandparents Program on July 15, 2026, and it will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice. IRCC has not announced a date for a new intake. Applications already in the system keep being processed. Our Super Visa vs Parent Sponsorship guide covers the interim route.

What is the parent and grandparent sponsorship income requirement?

You need income of at least the minimum necessary income plus 30% (LICO plus 30%) for each of the 3 most recent consecutive tax years, not just the latest one (IRPR s.133(1)(j)). The threshold depends on family size, including the people you sponsor. You can let IRCC get your tax information directly from the Canada Revenue Agency or send your Notices of Assessment, and a spouse can co-sign. Our Family Sponsorship Income Requirements guide has the table.

What is the parent and grandparent sponsorship processing time?

IRCC published about 28 months for parents and grandparents outside Quebec, in its figures of October 9, 2026. That is an estimate, not a maximum or a guarantee, and IRCC says times may vary with how many applications it gets and whether a file is complex. The pause stops new intake, but files already submitted keep being processed. Our Processing Times page shows the current figure for every family route.

How much does it cost to sponsor parents and grandparents?

IRCC charges $1,260 per parent or grandparent, which includes the $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee. An accompanying spouse or partner pays the same, and each dependent child $180. Biometrics add $85 per person, to a family maximum of $170, and the medical exam is paid to the clinic. Our Immigration Fee Calculator totals the fees for your family.

What documents do I need to prove my income?

IRCC asks for Canada Revenue Agency Notices of Assessment for each of the 3 tax years before you apply. You can send them, or give IRCC permission on the Financial Evaluation form (IMM 5768) to get your tax information directly from the CRA. If your spouse or common-law partner co-signs to add their income, their income is counted the same way (IRPR s.134). Our Document Checklist tool builds the full list for your family.

Can I include my parent’s spouse or partner in the application?

Yes. If your parent or grandparent has a spouse or common-law partner, that person can be included as an accompanying co-applicant, along with their dependent children. Each added person counts toward the family size for the income test and pays their own fees: $1,260 for a spouse or partner and $180 per dependent child. Our Immigration Fee Calculator adds them up.

How is the super visa different from sponsoring my parents for PR?

The super visa is a long-stay visitor visa, not permanent residence. It can let a parent or grandparent stay up to 5 years per entry and stay valid for up to 10 years, and it needs private medical insurance for at least 1 year and a host who meets a LICO-level income. Sponsorship leads to permanent residence, with the higher LICO plus 30% test and a 20-year undertaking. Our Super Visa vs Parent Sponsorship guide compares them.

Is parent and grandparent sponsorship a lottery?

When intake runs, it is invitation-based with random selection. Sponsors first submit an interest to sponsor form, IRCC randomly invites a set number of them, and only invited sponsors can send a full application, by the deadline in their invitation letter. IRCC has sometimes drawn from an older pool, such as the 2020 forms, instead of opening a new one. IRCC sets each intake. Our Family Sponsorship guide explains the other family routes.

Part of:Sponsoring family

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.