Canadian citizens and permanent residents have another 3 weeks to express their interest in sponsoring their parents or grandparents for Canadian permanent residence. The Canadian government will be accepting online "interest to sponsor" forms until February 1, 2018 at noon EST.
For the second year in a row, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will use a lottery system to fill the 10,000 spots available in the popular Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship program. After February 1, 2018, the government will review the list of interested sponsors and issue Invitations to Apply for permanent residence using a randomized selection process.
To be eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
- be at least 18 years old;
- meet certain income requirements; and
- undertake to financially support the sponsored relative for up to 20 years.
The lucky applicants who receive an Invitation to Apply will have 90 days to submit a complete immigration application, including forms, documents and applicable government processing fees.
At this time, it takes about four years for an application under the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship program to be processed, although processing times can change without notice. In the meantime, parents and grandparents may be able to visit Canada for an extended period of time by applying for a Super Visa.
Last year, approximately 90,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents expressed an interest in the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship program. Although many were disappointed not to receive an Invitation to Apply, the Canadian government believes that this lottery system is fairer than the previously used "first-come, first-served" system.
Would you like to sponsor your parent or grandparent for Canadian immigration? Please contact me to discuss your eligibility.