Imagine your parents watching your children grow up. Grandparents sharing holidays and birthdays instead of video calls across time zones. Family dinners where everyone is actually at the table. Parents and grandparents sponsorship makes this possible.
When approved, your parents or grandparents become permanent residents of Canada. They can live with you, access healthcare, and eventually apply for citizenship. After years of separation, your family can finally be together in the same country.
Your Family's Future in Canada Begins Now
No misstep or missing document should stand between you and your family's reunion in Canada. At Gurdian Immigration Solutions, our experienced consultants streamline every detail of your sponsorship application, giving you clarity, confidence, and the best chance for success.
Parents and grandparents sponsorship is invitation-only. Normally, you first submit an interest to sponsor form, and IRCC then invites some sponsors to submit a complete application.
The program is currently paused. On July 15, 2026, IRCC announced that it will not accept interest to sponsor forms or send invitations until further notice, because interest in the program exceeds the available spaces. Applications already in process continue to be processed, and IRCC plans to approve up to 15,000 people through this program in 2026. No reopening date has been announced.
Who Can Be Sponsored
You may sponsor your biological parents, adopted parents, biological grandparents, or adopted grandparents. The relationship must be by blood or through legal adoption.
When you sponsor a parent or grandparent, you can include their spouse or common-law partner and any dependent children in the same application.
Eligibility Requirements for Sponsors
Sponsoring parents or grandparents requires meeting strict criteria.
Basic requirements:
Be at least 18 years old
Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person registered under the Indian Act
Live in Canada with your primary residence here throughout the entire application process
Receive an invitation to apply
Financial requirements are significant for this program. Unlike spousal sponsorship, you must prove you have enough income to support your parents or grandparents. This means meeting Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) thresholds for three consecutive tax years. You can combine your income with a spouse or common-law partner to meet the requirement.
The sponsorship undertaking is a legal commitment to financially support your parents or grandparents. You are responsible for ensuring they do not need government social assistance. If they do receive assistance, you must repay it.
When You Cannot Sponsor
Certain situations make you ineligible.
You cannot sponsor if you:
Are currently incarcerated
Have failed to repay immigration loans, performance bonds, or court-ordered family support
Breached a previous sponsorship agreement
Have undischarged bankruptcy
Receive social assistance for reasons other than disability
Have convictions for violent crimes, offences against relatives, or sexual offences
Have a removal order against you
Meeting all requirements does not guarantee an invitation. Demand for this program far exceeds available spaces.
Quebec Has Additional Rules
If you live in Quebec, you must also meet Quebec's sponsorship requirements on top of the federal rules. If IRCC approves your sponsorship application, it will ask you to submit an undertaking application to Quebec's immigration ministry. Do not submit it before IRCC tells you to, because Quebec will not process it.
The Super Visa Alternative
While sponsorship is paused, the Super Visa is the most direct alternative.
Super Visa benefits:
Stay in Canada for up to 5 years per visit
Multiple entries allowed
Valid for up to 10 years
Extensions of up to 2 years also available
The Super Visa is not permanent residence. Your parents or grandparents remain visitors and cannot access the same benefits as permanent residents. But it allows much longer visits than a regular visitor visa, which typically limits stays to 6 months.
Super Visa applications start at $100 CAD and processing times vary by country.
Why Preparation Matters
When the program is open, parents and grandparents sponsorship is competitive. Spaces are limited, invitations are sent randomly or based on selection criteria, and preparation requirements are detailed.
Getting your income documentation right is critical. IRCC examines your tax returns closely. Errors, missing years, or income that falls just below the threshold can disqualify your application after you have already received an invitation.
Processing times depend on how complete your application is, how quickly information can be verified, how fast you respond to requests, and overall immigration intake levels. Applications that exceed available spaces may face delays due to the Immigration Levels Plan.
Prepare While the Program Is Paused
There is no reopening date, and the rules may change when it reopens. Even so, it makes sense to have your tax returns in order, confirm that your income meets the thresholds, and gather the documents that prove your relationship. That way you can act quickly if IRCC starts accepting interest to sponsor forms again.
We help families understand their options and prepare documentation that meets IRCC's requirements. Whether your application is already in process, you want to be ready for a possible reopening, or you are looking at the Super Visa in the meantime, we can guide you through the process.
Talk to us about reuniting with your parents or grandparents.
Your Family's Future in Canada Begins Now
No misstep or missing document should stand between you and your family's reunion in Canada. At Gurdian Immigration Solutions, our experienced consultants streamline every detail of your sponsorship application, giving you clarity, confidence, and the best chance for success.
Imagine your parents watching your children grow up. Grandparents sharing holidays and birthdays instead of video calls across time zones. Family dinners where everyone is actually at the table. Parents and grandparents sponsorship makes this possible.
When approved, your parents or grandparents become permanent residents of Canada. They can live with you, access healthcare, and eventually apply for citizenship. After years of separation, your family can finally be together in the same country.
How the Program Works
Parents and grandparents sponsorship is invitation-only. Normally, you first submit an interest to sponsor form, and IRCC then invites some sponsors to submit a complete application.
The program is currently paused. On July 15, 2026, IRCC announced that it will not accept interest to sponsor forms or send invitations until further notice, because interest in the program exceeds the available spaces. Applications already in process continue to be processed, and IRCC plans to approve up to 15,000 people through this program in 2026. No reopening date has been announced.
Who Can Be Sponsored
You may sponsor your biological parents, adopted parents, biological grandparents, or adopted grandparents. The relationship must be by blood or through legal adoption.
When you sponsor a parent or grandparent, you can include their spouse or common-law partner and any dependent children in the same application.
Eligibility Requirements for Sponsors
Sponsoring parents or grandparents requires meeting strict criteria.
Basic requirements:
Be at least 18 years old
Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person registered under the Indian Act
Live in Canada with your primary residence here throughout the entire application process
Receive an invitation to apply
Financial requirements are significant for this program. Unlike spousal sponsorship, you must prove you have enough income to support your parents or grandparents. This means meeting Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) thresholds for three consecutive tax years. You can combine your income with a spouse or common-law partner to meet the requirement.
The sponsorship undertaking is a legal commitment to financially support your parents or grandparents. You are responsible for ensuring they do not need government social assistance. If they do receive assistance, you must repay it.
When You Cannot Sponsor
Certain situations make you ineligible.
You cannot sponsor if you:
Are currently incarcerated
Have failed to repay immigration loans, performance bonds, or court-ordered family support
Breached a previous sponsorship agreement
Have undischarged bankruptcy
Receive social assistance for reasons other than disability
Have convictions for violent crimes, offences against relatives, or sexual offences
Have a removal order against you
Meeting all requirements does not guarantee an invitation. Demand for this program far exceeds available spaces.
Quebec Has Additional Rules
If you live in Quebec, you must also meet Quebec's sponsorship requirements on top of the federal rules. If IRCC approves your sponsorship application, it will ask you to submit an undertaking application to Quebec's immigration ministry. Do not submit it before IRCC tells you to, because Quebec will not process it.
The Super Visa Alternative
While sponsorship is paused, the Super Visa is the most direct alternative.
Super Visa benefits:
Stay in Canada for up to 5 years per visit
Multiple entries allowed
Valid for up to 10 years
Extensions of up to 2 years also available
The Super Visa is not permanent residence. Your parents or grandparents remain visitors and cannot access the same benefits as permanent residents. But it allows much longer visits than a regular visitor visa, which typically limits stays to 6 months.
Super Visa applications start at $100 CAD and processing times vary by country.
Why Preparation Matters
When the program is open, parents and grandparents sponsorship is competitive. Spaces are limited, invitations are sent randomly or based on selection criteria, and preparation requirements are detailed.
Getting your income documentation right is critical. IRCC examines your tax returns closely. Errors, missing years, or income that falls just below the threshold can disqualify your application after you have already received an invitation.
Processing times depend on how complete your application is, how quickly information can be verified, how fast you respond to requests, and overall immigration intake levels. Applications that exceed available spaces may face delays due to the Immigration Levels Plan.
Prepare While the Program Is Paused
There is no reopening date, and the rules may change when it reopens. Even so, it makes sense to have your tax returns in order, confirm that your income meets the thresholds, and gather the documents that prove your relationship. That way you can act quickly if IRCC starts accepting interest to sponsor forms again.
We help families understand their options and prepare documentation that meets IRCC's requirements. Whether your application is already in process, you want to be ready for a possible reopening, or you are looking at the Super Visa in the meantime, we can guide you through the process.
Talk to us about reuniting with your parents or grandparents.
