When will Canada’s parents and grandparents sponsorship open for 2022?

IRCC has yet to release details on the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) 2022 but here is what we know so far.

According to the Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is looking to welcome some 23,500 immigrants under the PGP in 2022.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, IRCC released details on the new PGP intake around January of each year. During the pandemic, however, IRCC has provided updates and held PGP lotteries in the autumns of 2020 and 2021.

It remains to be seen when IRCC will announce the launch of the PGP 2022. We also do not know what format it will take. In recent years, IRCC has stuck to a lottery whereby it has randomly selected sponsors who submitted expression of interest forms on the IRCC website. Prior to the pandemic, IRCC was exploring other ways to manage the PGP given that demand to sponsor parents and grandparents far exceeds the number of spots. For 2020 and 2021, IRCC received some 200,000 expression of interest forms. The department is processing 40,000 applications under the 2020 and 2021 PGP intakes.

There is certain information, however, that we do already have at our disposal. For example, IRCC continues to state its processing standard for PGP applications is between 20-24 months.

In addition, IRCC's eligibility criteria for PGP sponsors is:

Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or a registered Indian under the Canadian Indian Act;
Be at least 18 years old;
Be residing in Canada;
Meet the minimum necessary income level for the PGP (married and common-law partners can combine income if they want to co-sign the application) and provide proof of income to IRCC by submitting Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notices of Assessments;
Sign a legal undertaking that they commit to financially supporting the sponsored individuals for 20 years and to repay any social assistance claimed by the individuals within this period.

The minimum necessary income (MNI) requirement depends on the size of your family and where you reside in Canada. If you live outside of Quebec, you will be assessed based on your income in the 2021, 2020, and 2019 tax years. If you live in Quebec, you will only be assessed on your income over the past 12 months.

Consider the Super Visa as another option

The Super Visa is another option you can consider pursuing to reunite with your parents and grandparents in Canada. The Super Visa allows your parents and grandparents to enter Canada multiple times over a 10 year period.

Learn More about the Parents and Grandparents Super Visa