The Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) is scheduled to reopen this month, as the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) prepares to send invitations to potential sponsors.

The IRCC confirmed that starting from May 21, 2024, it will send 35,700 invitations with the hope of approving 20,500 complete applications.

The IRCC announced its intention to invite candidates from applications submitted in 2020, which means that individuals receiving invitations in the next round will have submitted their applications in 2020.

This will be the fourth consecutive year that the PGP only considers applications submitted in 2020, and under the PGP system, applicants are set to be invited randomly through a lottery system.

Sponsors are advised to check their email starting from May 21, with all invitations delivered within about two weeks from this date.

To obtain permanent residency (PR) through the PGP, applicants must ensure that they meet all relevant eligibility criteria (including being eligible to sponsor, residing in Canada, signing an undertaking, meeting the minimum required income levels, etc.)

It is necessary to complete the sponsorship interest form on the IRCC website, and to qualify for the 2024 round, applicants must not have received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in 2023 for 2021 or 2022, or once the PGP lottery reopens, they must check the email provided in the sponsorship interest form for an invitation. Upon receiving the ITA invitation, sponsors must submit their applications through the permanent residency portal by the deadline mentioned in the invitation email.

Between 2022-2023, the Canadian immigration department processed 67% of the applications submitted for this program.

The PGP allows Canadian citizens or permanent residents who meet the required eligibility criteria to sponsor their parents or grandparents for Canadian permanent residency.

The program is also part of family reunification initiatives under the IRCC, and parents and grandparents arriving in Canada through the program receive permanent residency upon landing in Canada.

Sponsors must sign an undertaking stating that they will provide support for their parents and grandparents while they are in Canada for 20 years, whereas sponsors applying from Quebec will need to sign an undertaking for 10 years.