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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to Reopen Program for January 2018
Thankfully for many parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada, the parent and grandparent program will reopen on January 2 of 2018. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has finally made the decision to reopen the program due to popular demand and the “Interest to Sponsor” online form will become available at 12 p.m. EST on January 2. For those Canadian citizens and permanent residents that wish to sponsor their parents or grandparents to Canada, they must fill out this form. The online form will only be available until February 1 of 2018 at 12:00 p.m. EST. Therefore, in this article, I will address the recent news with regards to the parents and grandparents program reopening at the beginning of January of 2018.
Parent and Grandparent Program
The first step in applying for the parent and grandparent program is filling out the “Interest to Sponsor” form. The intention of this form is essentially to show that a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada is interested in sponsoring their parent(s) and/or grandparent(s) to immigrate to Canada and obtain permanent residency. The selection process for this specific program is based on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) choosing potential Canadian sponsors randomly from the “Interest to Sponsor” submissions they receive and ultimately invite the selected sponsors to apply to sponsor their parent(s) and/or grandparent(s). Luckily, all sponsors that have submitted the “Interest to Sponsor” form will be duly notified by IRCC on whether or not they are invited. If and once the Canadian sponsor is invited to sponsor their parent(s) and/or grandparent(s), they will have a total of 90 days to submit the completed application with any additional supporting documentation or information to IRCC.
Eligibility Requirements for the Parent and Grandparent Program
Similar to any other immigration application in Canada, the sponsor must ensure that they are in fact eligible to apply to sponsor their parent(s) and/or grandparent(s) before submitting the “Interest to Sponsor” application form. In other words, only sponsors who are eligible to sponsor their parent(s) and/or grandparent(s) should apply that way the online application system can be as efficient as possible for all potential sponsors. Furthermore, in order to sponsor your parent(s) and/or grandparent(s) for permanent residency in Canada, the sponsor must:
Additionally, it is important to note that for Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada that reside in the province of Quebec, they must also meet Quebec’s immigration sponsorship requirements once IRCC confirms them as a sponsor.
Furthermore, in order to have an idea of what the Low Income Cut off (LICO) requirements are, I have included the Federal Income Table for the Parents and Grandparents Program from the year of 2016.
|
Family Unit Size |
Minimum Income 2016 |
|
2 people |
$39,371 |
|
3 people |
$48,404 |
|
4 people |
$58,768 |
|
5 people |
$66,654 |
|
6 people |
$75,174 |
|
7 people |
$83,695 |
|
For families of more than 7 people, for each additional person, you must add: |
$8,522 |
An Alternative Option – Super Visa
An alternative option that many Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada have been utilizing while the parent and grandparent program has been closed is the Super Visa option. The Super Visa is a great alternative as it allows parents and grandparents of the sponsor to be issued a multi-entry visa that permits multiple entries into Canada for up to ten years. This is very beneficial for parents and grandparents who would like the opportunity to stay with their family members for more than just a couple of months.
Many parents and grandparents may ask what the eligibility requirements are for the Super Visa. Therefore, in order to be eligible to apply for the Super Visa, you must be either a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a Registered Indian of Canada. It is important to note that you cannot include your dependent children on the Super Visa application. The only family members that you may include in this application are your spouse or common-law partner.
Additionally, the sponsor, in this case your child or grandchild, must submit a written commitment indicating that they will support you financially and must meet the minimum income requirements for the Super Visa.
Contact Akrami & Associates
It is essential that you have taken all of the aforementioned important information in consideration if you are interested in applying for Parent and Grandparent Program. Additionally, if you are unsure which option to choose from, either the Parent and Grandparent Program or the Super Visa, it is best to consult with your sponsor and see which one they can do. Applying under the Parent and Grandparent Program for permanent residency in Canada is a difficult task to do on your own; therefore, it is highly recommended that you seek out professional and experienced help before attempting to submit the application. Here, at Akrami & Associates, we work and have experience with many different immigration issues. We have helped many of our clients become reunited with their family members in Canada and successfully obtain permanent residency. If you believe that you might be eligible, then please feel free to contact Akrami & Associates at our office at 416-477-2545 for more information or if you would like to book a consultation with an immigration professional for more advice.
With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!
