What are the options for my parents and grandparents to come 1

To enable your parent(s) or grandparent(s) to reside with you in Canada on a long-term basis, you have two primary options: the Parent(s) and Grandparent(s) Program (PGP) and the Super Visa.

While both programs allow your relatives to live with you in Canada, there are important distinctions between them:

Super Visa	PGP
Accessibility	Can apply at any time
Typical wait time	Approximately 3 months
Status granted	Visitor status
Maximum length of stay	Up to 5 years

The wait time is based on the 2020 intake, where invitations were issued in 2024, and the current processing time by IRCC is 24 months.

The Super Visa permits your parent(s) or grandparent(s) to visit you for up to five years at a time. This visa allows for multiple entries over a 10-year period (as of June 2023).

In contrast, the Parent(s) and Grandparent(s) Program (PGP) enables you to sponsor your parent(s) or grandparent(s) for permanent residency in Canada.

The wait time mentioned reflects the 2020 intake, during which invitations were issued in 2024, and the current processing time for IRCC is 24 months.

The Super Visa allows your parent(s) or grandparent(s) to visit you for up to five years at a time. This visa also permits multiple entries over a 10-year period (effective June 2023).

On the other hand, the Parent(s) and Grandparent(s) Program (PGP) allows you to sponsor your parent(s) or grandparent(s) for permanent residency in Canada.

Size of Family Unit	Minimum Necessary Gross Income
1 person	$29,380
2 people	$36,576
3 people	$44,966
4 people	$54,594
5 people	$61,920
6 people	$69,834
7 people	$77,750
More than 7 persons	For each additional person, add $7,916

Health Insurance Requirements

The Super Visa mandates that your parents or grandparents obtain a health insurance policy from either:

A Canadian insurance company, or
An insurance company outside Canada that is approved by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

The health insurance policy must:

Be valid for a minimum of one year from the date of entry.
Be paid in full or in installments with a deposit (quotes are not accepted).
Cover health care, hospitalization, and repatriation.
Provide at least $100,000 in emergency coverage.

PGP Eligibility

According to IRCC, you are eligible to apply to sponsor your parents or grandparents through the PGP if the following criteria are met:

You have received an invitation to apply.
You are at least 18 years old.
You reside in Canada.
You are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act.
You meet the minimum income requirements based on your family size.
You commit to supporting the individuals you are sponsoring by signing a sponsorship agreement known as an undertaking.

Income Requirements for PGP

To sponsor your parents or grandparents under the PGP for the 2024 intake, the host must meet the following minimum income requirements over the past three years:

Family Size	2021	2022	2023
2 people	$32,898	$43,082	$44,530
3 people	$40,444	$52,965	$54,743
4 people	$49,106	$64,306	$66,466
5 people	$55,694	$72,935	$75,384
6 people	$62,814	$82,259	$85,020
7 people	$69,934	$91,582	$94,658
For more than 7 people:	$7,120	$9,324	$9,636

What are the options for my parents and grandparents to come to Canada?

Application Process for Super Visa

To apply for the super visa, your parents or grandparents must:

Be located outside Canada
Have their visa issued by a visa office
Undergo a medical examination

It’s important that your parents or grandparents are not inadmissible to Canada. They must also convince Canadian officials that they will voluntarily leave the country at the end of their stay.

Application Steps

Invitation Requirement:

For the Parent(s) and Grandparent(s) Program (PGP), you must complete an interest to sponsor form, and the IRCC will decide whether to invite you to apply.
You do not need an invitation for the super visa, but you must write a letter inviting your parent(s) or grandparent(s) to Canada.

According to the IRCC, a super visa invitation letter should include:

A commitment to provide financial support for the duration of their visit
A list of family members (including names and dates of birth) for the family size calculation
The total number of people in the family size calculation

Application for Quebec Residents:
If your sponsorship application is approved, you’ll need to submit an undertaking application to the Quebec ministry responsible for immigration. Ensure you meet Quebec’s immigration sponsorship requirements and wait for IRCC’s confirmation before submitting your application, as it won’t be processed otherwise.

Status Granted

Visitor Status:

The super visa provides visitor status, which does not permit holders to work or study in Canada.
Visitors may still be considered residents of Canada for tax purposes and must file Canadian income tax returns annually. For guidance, they can consult the Income Tax Folio: S5-F1-C1: Determining an Individual’s Residence Status or contact the CRA.

Permanent Resident Status:

A successful PGP application grants permanent residence status, allowing sponsors to enjoy many of the same privileges as Canadian citizens, such as:
The ability to work and study in Canada
Permanent residency in Canada
Access to provincial health insurance programs
Eligibility for Canadian social programs

However, sponsors must cover any social assistance received by their sponsored parents or grandparents during the undertaking period (20 years outside Quebec; 10 years in Quebec).

Wait Times

The cutoff date to apply for the 2024 PGP intake was August 2, 2024. Applicants selected from those who submitted interest forms in 2020 are being processed, with IRCC reporting a processing time of 24 months. There’s no guarantee of receiving an invitation to apply for the PGP after submitting the interest to sponsor form.

For the super visa, there is no annual application cutoff. Processing usually takes about three months or less after submission.

Calculating Family Size

For PGP:
When calculating a sponsor’s family size, include:

The sponsor
The sponsor’s spouse or common-law partner (if applicable)
Dependent children of the sponsor and their spouse or common-law partner
Any previously sponsored individuals still under an undertaking agreement
The individuals being sponsored and their family members, including the principal applicant, their spouse, and dependent children

For Super Visa:
To calculate minimum necessary income for the super visa, include:

The host
The host’s spouse or common-law partner (if applicable)
Dependent children of the host and their spouse or common-law partner
Any super visa applicants applying at the same time
Previously approved super visa applicants who were part of another applicable invitation letter
Any individuals previously sponsored by the host or co-signer with an ongoing undertaking

Definition of a Dependent Child

IRCC defines a dependent child as someone who:

Is under 22 years old
Does not have a spouse or common-law partner

Children 22 or older may qualify as “over-age” dependents if they have been financially dependent on their parents since before reaching the age limit and cannot support themselves due to a mental or physical condition.