Canada Reintroduces Parents and Grandparents Program for 2024 with New Conditions

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their parents and grandparents for immigration to Canada. Those approved through this program gain Canadian permanent residence. The sponsorship program operates via a lottery system, where a preset number of applicants are randomly selected every year. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada will resume the Parents and Grandparents Programme (PGP) on May 21, 2024. This year, the IRCC plans to deliver 35,700 invitations to possible sponsors and approve 20,500 complete applications for Canadian permanent residency. Additionally, you can explore cheap tickets to India from Canada on Tripbeam to help your parents and grandparents.

Who is eligible for the 2024 Presidential Graduate Program?

The upcoming invitation program round will focus on candidates who submitted their profiles in 2020, during the intake period of PGP 2020. It marks the fourth consecutive year that the PGP is restricted to profiles from the 2020 pool, using a lottery-based system. The invitations will be sent to the email address entered on the “interest to sponsor” form. Starting May 21st, sponsors should regularly check their emails, as all invitations are expected to be sent out within approximately two weeks.

Tip: You can purchase Business class flight tickets to India if you are a frequent business traveller to India.

Permanent Residence through the PGP

Acquiring permanent residence (PR) via the PGP involves the following steps for sponsors and applicants:

1. Sponsors must meet specific eligibility criteria, like residing in Canada, demonstrating financial capability, and meeting minimum income thresholds. They must also commit to supporting their parents or grandparents for 20 years.
2. Applicants aiming for the 2024 round must have submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020 and should not have received any invitation in 2021, 2022, or 2023.
3. Sponsors need to monitor the email provided in their interest to sponsor form for an invitation after the PGP lottery recommences. Invitations will be dispatched over two weeks starting from May 21st.
4. Upon receiving an invitation to apply (ITA), sponsors must promptly submit their complete application via the Permanent Residence Portal (or the Representative Residence Portal, if utilizing an authorized representative) by the deadline specified in the invitation email.

Regarding the PGP

Through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), citizens or permanent residents of Canada can apply for permanent residency (PR) on behalf of their parents or grandparents. This program is part of IRCC’s family reunification initiatives, which are central to the department’s mission. Parents and grandparents sponsored through the program receive PR upon their arrival in Canada.

As part of the process, sponsors are required to sign an undertaking, committing to support their parents and grandparents in Canada for 20 years. Sponsors applying from Quebec will need to sign an undertaking for 10 years.
The PGP operates on a lottery basis, and application intake (along with issuance of invitations) occurs once a year.

Find Out More: Visa Rules Explained for Those Traveling from India to Canada

What happens if you’re not chosen?

If you are not selected through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), an alternative option is the Super Visa pathway offered by IRCC. This pathway enables Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents to visit Canada on an extended visitor visa, rather than obtaining permanent residence as with the PGP. Awarded candidates under the Super Visa program may enter Canada for a maximum of five years at a time. And with the possibility to remain an extra two years. Furthermore, applicants can reapply for the Super Visa once their status expires.

Unlike the PGP, the Super Visa program operates year-round, allowing sponsors to apply at any time. IRCC strives to process all complete Super Visa applications within 112 days from the date of receipt, with 67% of applications meeting this standard between 2022 and 2023.

Lastly, we recommend you last minute flights from Canada to India through Tripbeam if you are looking for a vacation in India this summer. We offer the best and most affordable pricing. For further information, you can contact our toll-free number: 1 888 536 1436 any time.