Details for the opening of the Parents and Grandparents Program-2020 are given by the Government of Canada. It will soon be possible for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada.
The Immigration Department of Canada says it will accept interest to sponsor forms for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) over a period of 3-weeks starting from 12:00 PM EDT On 13 October, 2020 till 12:00 PM EST on November 3, 2020. These are not applications for the PGP itself, but are an opportunity for individuals to demonstrate their interest in sponsoring Canadian immigration for their family members.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will then pick prospective sponsors at random and send them an invitation to apply. It is to ensure that applicants have a fair, open, and equal opportunity. In order to apply for sponsorship, the selected applicants will have up to 60 days.
Accommodation for people with disabilities who are unable to use the online form is available. They may express an interest in an alternate format. Paper copy, braille, or large print may be used as alternate methods. It can be availed by calling the IRCC Customer Service Centre or by email until November 3, 2020.
The introduction of the 2020 Parents and Grandparents Program builds on government efforts to prioritize the approval of 49,000 family sponsorship applications, by the end of this year.
In 2020, the IRCC will consider up to 10,000 applicants. A new intake of interest will be opened to the sponsor process to approve a total of 30,000 new applicants in 2021.
The registration process was scheduled to take place earlier this year but was postponed due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
This year, IRCC planned to accept 21,000 new immigrants through the parents and grandparents scheme, as per the immigration level goals of the departments. The goals were revealed just days before coronavirus travel restrictions were imposed by Canada in March. Since then, immigration levels have declined dramatically in Canada.
How’s the 2020 PGP intake process going to work?
Stage 1: Prospective sponsors demonstrate their interest
Stage 2: Prospective sponsors will receive invitations to apply (ITA)
Applications will be checked, redundant entries excluded and the forms will be randomized by IRCC.
In 2020, there will be one round of invitation, with a limit of 10,000 applications approved for processing. These invitations are non-transferable.
Stage 3: Application submission
There will be 60 days for prospective supporters who obtain an invitation to apply to file their completed application.
Who are eligible to sponsor?
According to the government’s website, Canadian nationals, permanent residents, and registered First Nations can sponsor their own parents or grandparents.
Sponsors must be 18 years of age or older, residing in Canada, and must have ample funds to support the individuals they wish to sponsor. The eligibility criteria are different for people living in Quebec and the rest of Canada.
Who can receive sponsorship?
Eligible for sponsorship is the biological or adoptive parents and grandparents of eligible Canadians, as well as step-parents in divorce or separation situations. Brothers, sisters, and half-siblings are eligible for sponsorship only if they are dependent children under the age of 22.
If applicants wish to support more than one person or pair, all the income conditions for everyone on the list and their dependants must be fulfilled by them.
Medical examinations, Police Clearance Certificates, and biometrics need to be provided by approved family members.
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