Canada: Invitations to Apply Under 2020 Intake of Parents and Grandparents Program Under Way

The government of Canada has announced that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will accept up to 15,000 applications for sponsorship for the Parents and Grandparents Program this year, allowing those sponsors to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada as permanent residents. IRCC is sending out invitations to apply to 23,100 interested potential sponsors, selected randomly from the pool of those who submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020. Those who are invited to apply will be able to submit online applications using the Permanent Residence Portal or the Representative Permanent Residence Portal. As a reminder, the minimum income requirement for sponsors is the minimum income for the 2020 and 2021 tax years (instead of the usual minimum necessary income plus 30%), and employment insurance benefits and temporary COVID-19 benefits can be counted toward this income.