Canadian Parents and Grandparents Program opens for applications

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has begun handing out Invitations to Apply to those who had completed an interest to sponsor form in October and November of 2020 for the Canadian Parents and Grandparents Program.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be handing out 10,000 invitations to apply to those who completed an interest to sponsor form in 2020 for the Canadian Parents and Grandparents Program and met the program requirements. These invitations will be sent via e-mail, to the e-mail address used on the interest to sponsor form. Those who receive invitations to apply will have 60 days to submit their full application to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence. Those who receive an Invitation to Apply will see the required date of submission on their invitation. Failure to submit the application within the required 60 days will result in you having to submit a new interest to sponsor form when they re-open.

Those who submit a full application under the Canadian Parents and Grandparents Program for permanent residence will need to ensure that they meet all of the requirements as a sponsor and that their parents/grandparents meet all of the requirements as an applicant. Failure to do so will result in the application being refused. Applicants and sponsors can find the required documents for the application here. The application fees are  $75 for the sponsorship fee,  $475 for the principal applicant processing fee and $500 for the right of permanent residence fee. Any accompanying spouses will also have to pay the $475 for the applicant processing fee and $500 for the right of permanent residence fee. If the applicant has not completed biometrics for Canada before, they will also have to pay $85 for biometrics.

Processing times are currently 20 – 24 months, but Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have said that they will update these processing times once they start to process this year’s Canadian Parents and Grandparents Program applications. Processing times can be checked here.