In 2022, the Parents and Grandparents Program in Canada is expected to welcome a record number of new permanent residents.

According to data from Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), 14,020 new permanent residents entered Canada through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) in just the first half of this year.

That is already 2,280, or more than 19.4%, higher than the 11,740 new permanent residents who were granted residency under the PGP last year as a whole.

By the end of 2022, 28,040 new permanent residents would have come to Canada through this program, more than double the number from the previous year, if projections for the remainder of the year were made based on the present pattern.

Free Canada Immigration Assessment Form

Through the PGP, Canada received 22,010 new permanent residents in 2019, the final full year before the pandemic.

Accordingly, there may be 6,030 more new permanent residents admitted under the PGP this year, which is more than a quarter higher than in the previous record-setting year.

PGP's Popularity Increased Consistently From 2015 to 2019

Since 2015, when the nation welcomed 15,490 new permanent residents under the PGP, the program to sponsor parents and grandparents has progressively expanded.

According to IRCC data, the total number of new permanent residents who entered the country through the PGP increased by 1,550, or more than 10%, to reach 17,040 in 2016.

The next year, that number increased by 3,455, or about 20.3%, to 20,495.

After that, there was a decline in 2018. Prior to increasing the following year, the number of new permanent residents through the PGP fell by 12%, or 2,465 new permanent residents, to 18,030.

The number of new permanent residents covered by the PGP increased by 3,980, or 22.1%, in the year prior to the pandemic.

In 2020, Canada closed its borders to all but essential travel as COVID-19 swept across the globe. Due to tests, quarantine, and the requirement to wear face masks, public health rules made foreign travel extremely challenging. Many businesses in Canada were closed for a significant portion of that year.

In 2020, there were only 184,585 new permanent residents, a loss of 45.9%, while the number of sponsorships through the PGP also fell that year, by 52.5%, or 11,555 new permanent residents, to 10,455.

Also read:

Sponsor your spouse or partner to Canada with Canada Spouse Visa

How to sponsor your child for Canadian immigration

Last year, public health restrictions were loosened and the border was reopened as more and more Canadians received the COVID-19 vaccine. Ottawa also implemented a number of initiatives to increase immigration.

406,025 foreign nationals became new permanent citizens of Canada in 2021 as immigration to the country flared back to life.

PGP Expects Record Amounts Of New Permanent Residents to Arrive In the Following Year

However, due to the PGP's intrinsic lag, these only had a very slight growth that year. Under this scheme, there were just 1,245, or little more than 11.9%, more new permanent residents.

Only this year has the significant increase in the number of parents and grandparents entering Canada through this program been noticed, and it is anticipated to continue through 2023.

By the end of 2022, Canada will have received 463,250 new permanent residents, an all-time high. The country has already accepted 231,625 new permanent residents this year.

This will increase the number of Canadian citizens who can sponsor their parents and grandparents to reunite with them in the country in the upcoming years.

Through the PGP, Canadian citizens and permanent residents living outside of Quebec can apply to sponsor their parent's or grandparents' immigration to Canada as permanent residents.

According to the federal government's Immigration Levels Plan for 2022–2024, between 19,000 and 31,000 new permanent residents could be admitted annually under the PGP, while the present objective is 25,000.

The PGP objective for 2023 is 28,500 new permanent residents, according to the Immigration Levels Plan.

28,500 new permanent residents are the goal under that strategy for the PGP in 2019, with a range of 22,000 to 38,000.

Therefore, there will be several opportunities in the upcoming years for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to enter the country via the PGP.

This is how the program functions.

The PGP lottery is run by Canada's immigration department, and to enter, citizens and permanent residents must first fill out an Interest to Sponsor form.

From the pool, the IRCC conducts random draws and awards Invitations to Apply (ITA). The sponsors' complete application must be submitted within 60 days along with that of their parents and grandparents.

The sponsors must meet the following requirements:

  • be Canadian;
  • own a valid Canadian passport, be a permanent resident, or be recognized as an Indian by the Canadian Indian Act;

They satisfy the minimum income standards for the last three years and have sufficient funds to support the individuals they choose to sponsor. Candidates may submit an application with a co-signer so that the joint income can be taken into account.

Along with these requirements, sponsors must:

  • Agree to provide the parent or grandparent with financial support for 20 years beginning on the day they receive approval for permanent residence; and
  • Repay the government for any social assistance that was provided to the parent or grandparent during that time. 

After receiving IRCC sponsorship approval, sponsors who reside in Quebec must adhere to the province's immigration sponsoring criteria. The sponsor's income is also evaluated by the Ministry of Immigration, Francization, and Integration (MIFI), and an undertaking is required.

Sponsors can bring their own parents and grandparents—whether connected by blood or adoption—to Canada through the PGP. The spouses or common-law partners of parents and grandparents are also eligible in circumstances of divorce or separation.

Online processing time estimates are provided by IRCC.

Only dependent children who are also a sponsor's brothers, sisters, or half-siblings are eligible.

IRCC lists estimates of the present processing timeframes for several application categories, including PGP sponsorships, on its website.

The current processing time for applications for sponsorship of parents and grandparents is three years due to the backlog of applications before the IRCC.

The time required to provide biometrics is included in the expected processing time.

Also read:

Canada will extend the Super Visa to 5 years per entrance

Canada to allow super visas for parents and grandparents of Canada PR and citizens

How can I demonstrate to the IRCC my relationship with my spouse or partner?