Deadline for Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program Set at 24th July
If the IRCC invites you to submit your application to sponsor a parent or grandparent into Canada, you have until the 24th of July, 2017, to submit all the required applications, duly signed and completed together with the supporting documents. This year, the IRCC will process 10,000 applications that have been invited to apply under the parent and grandparent sponsorship program. Under this program, Canadian citizens or permanent residents can bring their parents or grandparents to Canada to live with them as permanent residents.
The 10,000 applicants who received invitations to apply for the parent and grandparent program were selected from a pool of more than 95,000 applications. If you would like to sponsor your relative to be admitted to Canada as a permanent resident, you begin by filling an application to become a sponsor. This “Interest to Sponsor” application is reviewed by the IRCC earlier in the year after which they will send invitations to apply for those who qualify to become sponsors. As a sponsor, you may apply to sponsor more than one person under the parent and grandparent program.
Once you receive an invitation to apply, the IRCC gives a 90-day period to submit your application. This means that you have to be quick in gathering the required documents, going for any medical examinations if required and fully completing all the application forms.
Are you eligible for the parent and grandparent program?
Each program under the family class sponsorship program has its own eligibility criteria. For instance , if you want to sponsor a parent or grandparent into Canada, you should meet the following conditions:
- The sponsored person should be a member of the family class (In this case, it should be a grandparent or parent of the Canadian citizen or permanent resident).
- You must be 18 years and older
- You must be a permanent resident or citizen of Canada
- You must reside in Canada
- You must sign an undertaking which will require you to be responsible for the needs of the sponsored person during a specific period of time.
- You must sign an agreement indicating that both parties agree to their responsibilities and obligations of the contract.
- You must fulfill the income requirements that are set by the Canadian government. This income requirement is determined every year. For parents and grandparents, it is 30% more than the low income cut off (LICO). The income requirement for parents and grandparents is usually higher than that of dependent children.
The IRCC may need you to attach supporting documents to proof your income for the past 12 months. The immigration officer will only approve your application if he/she is confident that you are financially able to sponsor your parent or grandparent under the family sponsorship programs. Should you be financially incapable, the immigration department may ask you to provide a co-signer who will also sign the undertaking. You may not qualify as a sponsor if you have been declared bankrupt, convicted of certain crimes, are under a removal order or you are in receipt of social assistance.
