Sponsor a parent or grandparent

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their own parents and grandparents for permanent residence in Canada under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).

Who can sponsor their parents and grandparents?

Sponsoring your parents or grandparents under the PGP requires you to:

Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or an Indian registered under the Indian Act of 1876.

Received an invitation to apply

Must be 18 years of age or older

Live in Canada

To be sponsored, you must have sufficient income to meet the needs of your parents and grandparents

Comply with all other requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

What are the obligations of a sponsor?

To become a sponsor, one must commit to financially supporting the people they sponsor for a period of time. This commitment is called an undertaking. 

Providing your sponsored family members with financial support for 20 years, starting when they become permanent residents

You must repay any provincial social assistance (government money) your sponsored family members received during that period

During the undertaking period, you and your sponsored family members need to agree on certain responsibilities. It is called a sponsorship agreement.

The sponsorship agreement means that the sponsor will provide for the basic needs of the sponsored family members that includes food, clothing, utilities, personal requirements, shelter, fuel and household supplies.