Changes To Parent/Grandparent Sponsorship Canada In 2019
Big changes have arrived in Parent / Grandparent sponsorship immigration program! IRCC has announced they would terminate the much-debated existing selection process for Parent/Grandparent sponsorship. Instead of the randomized process (the so-called “lottery”), the new selection process will utilize the first-come first-served approach. IRCC has also increased the current cap from 17,000 to 20,000 application per year starting 2019.
To remind, at the beginning of 2018, the cap was at 10,000 applications and was increased to 17,000 in July, followed by the next round of invitations that same month, where another 7,000 applications were accepted.
If you are interested in sponsoring your parent/grandparent to immigrate to Canada in 2019, you must complete an Interest to Sponsor form online at the beginning. In 2018, IRCC started accepting the applications on January 2.
We highly recommend to consult us right now to be well-positioned for filing your Interest to Sponsor form in 2019!
Check eligibility, learn the pitfalls, make sure you have all the documents well in advance. We’ll prep you right.
Do not lose time!!! Start preparing today!
Overview
As a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident, you have an opportunity and a right to sponsor your parents or grandparents to become permanent residents of Canada for some given time. Eventually, the sponsored persons may even become Canadian citizens.
At Jane Katkova and Associates, we specialize in helping our clients navigate the IRCC and have a better chance of attaining their intended goal, in this case, securing permanent residence for their parents or grandparents. Let’s take a look into what the process entails.
Parents And Grandparents Sponsorship Requirements
To be able to sponsor your parents/grandparents for permanent residence in Canada, you must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Provide proof that you can support your parents financially while in Canada (proof of income)
- Be a Canadian citizen, Canadian permanent resident, or a registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
- Be at least 18 years of age
- You must reside in Canada
- For those living outside Quebec, you must agree to the Undertaking and Sponsorship agreement. The Undertaking agreement states that the sponsor will:
- Support the sponsored persons financially for 20yrs starting from the time they become Canadian permanent residents
- Refund all government social assistance offered to the person(s) you sponsored during their stay
The sponsorship agreement (sponsor and sponsored parties have to agree) states that:
- The sponsor will provide the sponsored family members with the necessary basic needs
- The sponsored family member(s) will make an effort to support the family members and themselves
- If you reside in Quebec, ensure that you meet Quebec’s sponsorship requirements. You’ll also be required to sign another Undertaking agreement with the Quebec province, and they will also assess your income.
If any of the following applies, you may not be eligible for the parent and grandparent sponsorship program:
- You’re in prison, penitentiary, or jail
- You failed to pay family support ordered by the court
- You were unable to pay back a performance bond or an immigration loan
- If you get social assistance for any reason apart from disability
- You’ve been ordered to leave Canada (Removal Order)
- You declared bankruptcy and haven’t been discharged
- You have a prior conviction(s) as a violent criminal, any offence against a family member, or any sexual assault within or outside Canada
- Failed to provide the required financial support when you sponsored someone else in the past
- Any other reason provided by the IRCC
How to Apply For Parents And Grandparents Sponsorship Program
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Confirm your Eligibility
Before you commit to the application process, ensure you meet the minimum requirements stipulated by the IRCC.
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Submit the Interest To Sponsor Request Form
The IRCC opens the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program at the start of each year for a limited time. During this period, the Interest to Sponsor Form is available on their website. Fill the form and submit it as soon as possible.
From 2019, the IRCC changed some of the program’s policies. One of the policies which involved randomly picking the applications was replaced by first-in first-serve. This means that the sooner you submit your Interest to Sponsor Form, the higher the chances of getting an invitation to sponsor your parents/grandparents.
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Receive an Invitation
If your Interest to Sponsor request is received and approved, the IRCC will invite you to submit a complete sponsorship application. The invites are typically rolled out in the same order the Interest to Sponsor Forms were received.
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Acquire, Fill and Submit the Application Package
Never complete your application package before receiving an invitation from the IRCC. This is to avoid the use of outdated application forms, which will waste your time and money as the application forms will be returned to you.
The application package provided by the IRCC typically consists of:
- An application guide
- A document checklist for the sponsor and the person being sponsored
- Application forms for the sponsor and the person being sponsored
After you (sponsor) and the family member(s) you want to sponsor complete the application forms, pay the required fees and send your forms to IRCC through the mail/courier service provided in the application guide before the given deadline (60 days after getting an invite).
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Submit Additional Documents
When processing the submitted application forms, the IRCC will request additional documents from the person you’re sponsoring. These include medical exams, police certificates, and biometrics.
Parents And Grandparents Sponsorship Processing Time
The IRCC takes between 20-24 months to process applications once they receive them.
Parents And Grandparents Sponsorship Checklist
As a sponsor, you need to make sure that:
- You’re eligible to become a sponsor before filling an Interest to Sponsor form
- You list all the family members being sponsored
- Complete the application forms as required
- Pay all the required fees and through the right channels
Program Cost
The table below shows how much the parent and grandparent sponsorship program costs:
| Type of Fee | Fee Required($CAN) |
| Sponsorship Fee | 75 |
| Applicant Processing Fee | 475 |
| Right of Permanent Residence Fee | 490 |
| Include Spouse or Partner of Parent or Grandparent |
1,040 (Processing Fee-$550- and Right of Permanent Residence fee-$490) |
| Include a Dependent Child of Parent or Grandparent | 150 per child |
| Biometrics Fee(If Required) | 85 per person |
Note that even though you can pay the right of permanent residence fee after your application has been approved, it’s in your best interest to pay it sooner to avoid any delays.
How Jane Katkova And Associates Can Help You
For more than two decades, we, at Canadian Immigration Experts, have been helping our clients reconnect with their parents and grandparents. We do this by offering our expertise on the program and helping you fill out and submit the interest to sponsor form and complete your sponsorship application once you receive an invite from IRCC.
Let’s work together and bring your parents/grandparents to Canada. Contact us, and we’ll be glad to offer you our services.
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