Great news for families in Canada! The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is set to reopen this month, with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) preparing to dispatch invitations to potential sponsors. Starting May 21st, 2024, IRCC will send out 35,700 invitations, aiming to approve 20,500 completed applications.
Eligibility for the Upcoming PGP Round
IRCC has announced that it will invite candidates from the 2020 pool of the PGP. Therefore, those who receive invitations in this round must have submitted their profiles in 2020. This marks the fourth consecutive year that the PGP will consider only those profiles submitted in 2020.
Under the PGP system, invitations will be issued randomly through a lottery. These invitations will be sent to the email addresses provided in the interest to sponsor forms. Sponsors should start checking their emails from May 21st onwards, with all invitations expected to be sent within approximately two weeks.
Steps to Obtain Permanent Residence Through the PGP
To obtain permanent residence (PR) via the PGP, applicants need to:
- Meet all relevant eligibility criteria: This includes being eligible to sponsor, residing in Canada, signing an undertaking, and meeting the necessary income requirements.
- Complete an interest to sponsor form: For the 2024 round, applicants must not have received an invitation to apply (ITA) in 2021, 2022, or 2023.
- Check their email for an invitation: Once the PGP lottery opens, sponsors should monitor their emails for an invitation during the opening day and the following two weeks.
- Submit their application: Upon receiving an ITA, sponsors must submit their application through the Permanent Residence Portal or the Representative Residence Portal (if using an authorized representative) by the deadline stated in the invitation email.
Overview of the PGP
The PGP allows Canadian citizens or permanent residents (who meet the necessary criteria) to sponsor their parents or grandparents for Canadian PR. This program is part of IRCC’s family reunification initiatives, a key element of the department’s mission. Parents and grandparents arriving in Canada through the PGP will receive PR upon their arrival.
Sponsors are required to sign an undertaking, committing to provide for their parents and grandparents while in Canada for 20 years. Those applying from Quebec must sign an undertaking for 10 years. The PGP selects applicants through a lottery system and opens for application intake (and issues invitations) once a year.
Alternatives If Not Selected
If you are not chosen for the PGP, there is an alternative: the Super Visa program. This allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents for an extended visitor visa. Approved applicants can stay in Canada for five years at a time, with the option to extend their stay by another two years. Applicants can also reapply for the super visa after their current status expires.
Unlike the PGP, the Super Visa program operates year-round, allowing sponsors to apply at any time. IRCC aims to process complete Super Visa applications within 112 days. Between 2022 and 2023, the department processed 67% of applications within this timeframe.
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