Parental Sponsorship Canada

Parental Sponsorship Canada is a key family immigration pathway. Canadian citizens and permanent residents may sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence so families can reunite and build their lives in Canada.

The sponsor submits a sponsorship application while the parent(s) or grandparent(s) apply for permanent residence. Sponsors must meet minimum necessary income (MNI) requirements that depend on family size and published low-income cut-off tables, and must sign an undertaking to provide for basic needs. For sponsors living outside Quebec, the undertaking for parents and grandparents is typically 20 years (Quebec uses different undertaking lengths and financial rules — confirm current instructions).

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) assesses sponsor and permanent residence portions together. Federal parents and grandparents sponsorship often begins with an interest to sponsor submission when the program is open, followed by invitations to apply within annual caps and published selection rules — always verify on Canada.ca whether intake is open and which tax years count for your invitation.

Parental sponsorship supports multi-generational families and reflects Canada’s emphasis on family reunification. Processing times vary by volume and case complexity.

Eligibility criteria

Sponsor eligibility

• Status — Canadian citizen or permanent resident, at least 18 years old.
• Financial responsibility — Demonstrate ability to support sponsored parents or grandparents and meet minimum necessary income for the taxation years specified in current IRCC instructions, based on your family size. Sign the undertaking for the required support period.
• No default on past sponsorships — Must not have breached a prior sponsorship undertaking in a way that affects eligibility.
• Social assistance — Must not receive social assistance for reasons other than disability, unless instructions except your situation.

Sponsored parent(s) eligibility

• Relationship — Must be the sponsor’s biological or adoptive parent or grandparent (verify current definitions for your case).
• Admissibility — Medical, criminal, and security requirements apply unless a separate legal pathway exists in exceptional cases.
• Intent to reside in Canada — Sponsor and sponsored person(s) must intend for the parent(s) or grandparent(s) to live in Canada as permanent residents.
• Prohibitions — Must not be ineligible to enter or be sponsored where the law applies.
• Dependents — Dependent children included in the application must also meet admissibility requirements.

Additional considerations

• Documentation — Birth certificates, marriage certificates where relevant, proof of relationship, police certificates if required, medical exam instructions, translations, and other documents listed in the current guide.
• Application process — Use the correct forms and fee list from IRCC (or VAC directions), complete every section accurately, and keep copies of what you submit.

How to apply

1. Check eligibility — Confirm sponsor income, status, relationship, and that your parent(s) or grandparent(s) meet admissibility and program rules.
2. Gather sponsor documents — Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence, identity, relationship to the sponsored person(s), and proof of income (for example notices of assessment for the years IRCC requires).
3. Gather sponsored parent documents — Identity, proof of relationship to you, civil status documents, police certificates if applicable, and medical exam steps when IRCC instructs you.
4. Complete forms — Use the most current IRCC application kit and instructions; answer consistently across sponsor and principal applicant forms.
5. Pay fees — Processing fees, right of permanent residence fee where applicable, and biometrics per the fee list in effect at submission.
6. Submit — Online through your IRCC account when permitted, or by mail if you apply on paper, with a full supporting document package.
7. Biometrics — Provide fingerprints and photo if required for applicable applicants.
8. Processing — IRCC may take many months; respond to any request for additional information by the deadline.
9. Interview — Attend if invited, with application and evidence reviewed in advance.
10. Decision and landing — If approved, follow instructions for Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) or electronic equivalents and complete landing steps.

General information only — not legal advice. MNI tables, caps, tax years, forms, and undertaking rules change; use official IRCC and Quebec sources for your submission.