Family reunification is a priority for the Government of Canada. This year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be accepting a record number of up to 30,000 applications under the Parents and Grandparents (PGP) Program, the largest ever single intake. IRCC is now sending invitations to apply to selected potential sponsors who submitted their interest in sponsoring their parents and grandparents last year.

Potential sponsors who submitted interest to sponsor forms in the fall of 2020 are encouraged to check the email account they provided on the form, as invitations to apply will be sent via email.

Those who submitted interest to sponsor forms in 2020 but have lost the confirmation number they received, or who are now using a different email address from the one originally submitted on their form, will be able to retrieve their confirmation number and invitation status and enter a new email address using the Lost My Confirmation Number tool. This tool will become available once all invitations to apply have been sent out.

Those invited to apply as part of this process will have 60 days to submit their application, and must do so by using IRCC’s new Permanent Residence Portal. Those who are invited, but are unable to apply online for accessibility reasons, can request a paper version of the application package by sending IRCC an email by October 21, 2021. Further details and instructions can be found on the How to Apply web page.

For the 2020 tax year, the income requirement will continue to be the minimum necessary income, instead of the minimum necessary income plus 30%, and will allow regular Employment Insurance benefits and temporary COVID-19 benefits, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, to be included towards the sponsor’s income. This measure will ensure that applicants are not penalized for losing income during the pandemic.

Those not invited to apply may consider applying for a super visa, which allows parents and grandparents to visit Canada for up to 2 years at a time, without the need to renew their status. A super visa allows multiple entries for up to 10 years. As always, visitors to Canada are advised to ensure they have adequate health insurance, given the ongoing pandemic.

Learn more at www.canada.ca