Deadline for Parents and Grandparents Program’s Interest to Sponsor form is February 1

Canadian citizens and permanent residents interested in sponsoring their parents or grandparents for permanent residence have until February 1 to submit their Interest to Sponsor form. (Pixabay photo)

Canadian citizens and permanent residents interested in sponsoring their parents or grandparents for permanent residence have until February 1 to submit their Interest to Sponsor form.

The form will be available until 12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 1.

The Interest to Sponsor form is not an application but completing it is the first step in the sponsoring process. Once the February 1 deadline has passed, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin randomly selecting and inviting interested sponsors to apply to the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).

IRCC says its aim is to receive 10,000 new sponsorship applications in 2018.

Through the PGP, Canadian citizens and permanent residents over the age of 18 can sponsor their parents and grandparents for Canadian permanent residence.

All interested sponsors are asked to first review the eligibility requirements to ensure they qualify for the PGP, including its income requirements. In order to complete the Interest to Sponsor form, interested sponsors must declare that they have the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) to support those they hope to sponsor.

The MNI is as follows for interested sponsors in every Canadian province and territory other than Quebec, which has its own income requirements. Interested sponsors must provide proof that they meet the minimum income requirements for each of the last three taxation years.

All sponsors invited to apply will have 90 days to submit their complete application package from the time they receive an invitation.

Those who aren’t selected will also be notified and will have another opportunity to sponsor their parents and grandparents in 2019.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents who would like to bring their parents or grandparents to Canada for an extended visit can also apply for a Super Visa, a multiple-entry visa that allows holders to stay in Canada for up to two years after they first arrive in Canada and is valid for up to 10 years.