Reuniting family in Canada – Parents and Grandparents Program
Come October 13, 2020 Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be able to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents (PGP) to migrate to Canada. This is one of the main initiatives undertaken by the government of Canada’s commitment to reunite families. The PGP program will be open for a period of three weeks, it will commence on October 13, 2020, at 12 P.M. EDT to November 03, 2020 till 12 P.M. EST. This is an opportunity for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to express their interest to sponsor their family members for Canadian immigration.
With the aim to provide fair chance to the applicants, the Immigration Refugees Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will randomly select eligible sponsors and send them an invitation to apply. Applicants will have 60 days to submit their application. A total of 10,000 applications will be accepted for the year 2020 and 30,000 total applications will be accepted by immigrants who are interested to sponsor their parents and grandparents for the new intake in 2021.
Given that the many sponsors may have been financially impacted due to exceptional circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic, IRCC is introducing a temporary public policy which will reduce the income requirement for 2020 tax year to the minimum necessary income, instead of the minimum necessary income plus 30%. This is to accommodate applicants who have been adversely affected financially by COVID-19.
Quotes
“Our government strongly believes in the importance of keeping families together—particularly during difficult times. The Parents and Grandparents Program is a dedicated pathway to reuniting more families in Canada. Our government has strengthened the program by increasing the number of people who can apply for this program. The intake process is fair and steadily increasing the number of families who will be able to reunite. Now more than ever, family reunification is an important component of Canada’s immigration system. It plays a key role in attracting, retaining and integrating the best and the brightest from around the world.”
– The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Quick facts
The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that the PGP Program is accessible and fair for all Canadians and permanent residents. IRCC worked with stakeholders on ways to better accommodate persons with disabilities in developing the 2020 program design.
Due to COVID-19, the launch of the 2020 PGP Program was delayed to allow the Government of Canada to prioritize its efforts to contribute to the whole-of-government response to the global pandemic. Source: Immigration, R. (2020, October 05). Government of Canada announces details for opening of 2020 Parents and Grandparents Program. Retrieved October 07, 2020, from https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2020/10/government-of-canada-announces-details-for-opening-of-2020-parents-and-grandparents-program.html
