Note: Potential sponsors, who have received an invitation to apply for sponsorship between April 24 and April 27, 2019, must submit a complete application to the Canadian government on or before June 28, 2019.
Under Canada’s Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) expression of interest system, potential sponsors must first complete and submit the ‘Interest to Sponsor’ form online once it becomes available.
Potential sponsors who receive an invitation to submit a sponsorship application will have to submit a complete application package, including supporting documents and fees on or before the specified deadline.
Supporting documents include income tax records, documents relating to civil status, and other material.
Given this short application window, it is highly recommended that all interested sponsors prepare the supporting documents in advance of receiving an invitation to apply.
If an interested sponsor receives an invitation to apply to the PGP, they must complete a number of forms.
It is crucial that applicants complete all forms honestly and meticulously. Any errors could lead to an application being refused.
A complete application package includes completed forms andall supporting documents.
The Government of Canada accepted 27,000 Interest to Sponsor Forms during a brief submission period on January 28, 2019.
The Interest to Sponsor Form itself is not an application form; rather, it allows Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to gather the contact details and personal information of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who wish to sponsor a family member.
In the 2019 application cycle, individuals looking to sponsor their parent(s) or grandparent(s) were required to provide the following information on the Interest to Sponsor form:
During application processing, IRCC will ask persons being sponsored to provide information, such as their biometrics fee, medical exams, police certificates or any other documents that are required.
The processing time for complete PGP applications that are submitted on time is set to 20 to 24 months.