The Parents and Grandparents Program began issuing ITAs on May 21. IRCC has begun issuing ITAs to sponsors who successfully submitted “Interest to Sponsor” forms via PGP. The department plans to send 35,700 ITAs for two weeks beginning today. In addition, it expects to approve 20,500 complete Permanent Residence applications. IRCC will issue the invitations via email, and sponsors must check the email they provided in their form.
Parents and Grandparents Program began issuing ITAs on May 21
To qualify to receive an ITA under the Parents and Grandparents Program in 2024, sponsors include the following:
- Have sent an Interest to Sponsor form on IRCC’s website in 2020. However, they must not have received an invitation in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
- Become a Canadian citizen or PR holder or a registered Indian according to the Canadian Indian Act.
- Be 18 years old and above.
- Must be living in Canada and potential sponsors must demonstrate a status proof during the phase of Interest to Sponsor.
- Surpass the least essential income level for the program. If the person is married or has a common-law relationship, the sponsor and spouse’s income proof must be given to IRCC.
Signing an Undertaking
- Provide financial support to sponsored applicants for twenty years (when they gain Permanent Residence). However, applicants in Quebec will need to sign an undertaking for a period of 10 years.
- Repayment of social assistance benefits provided to sponsored family members for 20 years.
- If the sponsor lives in Quebec, they must sign an additional undertaking with Quebec.
What should you do after obtaining an ITA under PGP?
After obtaining an invitation, sponsors must send an application via email within the given deadline. They must also pay the application fees, beginning at $1,205 CAD. IRCC recommends the sponsors review the instruction guide and fulfill the application package requirements. Notably, they must submit the complete application to IRCC within the deadline in the email. In the case of an incomplete application, late submission, or inaccurate application, applicants might face challenges. They might even have to take rejections or refusals based on their individual applications.
The department will return the applications in the following cases:
- Incomplete applications;
- Missing fees;
- Application submission after the deadline provided in the ITA email;
- If the applicants did not get an ITA;
- The application details don’t match the details provided in the Interest to Sponsor form.
Applicants must note that they must submit their applications using the PR portal or Representative PR portal (PR: Permanent Residence) if the applicant is taking the assistance of a Representative.
What if sponsors don’t receive an ITA in 2024?
2024 is the fourth consecutive year that IRCC will acknowledge candidates under the Parents and Grandparents from the intake of 2020. However, the immigration system in Canada offers a different pathway for the reunion of Canadian citizens and PR holders with their parents and grandparents. This route is the Super Visa.
Super Visa is a stream of temporary residence that enables parents or grandparents of those with permanent residence or Canadian citizenship to be sponsored to visit and reside temporarily in Canada.
From June 2022 onwards, the Super Visa permits family members to arrive in Canada for up to five years at once. There will also be no need for status renewal.
Super Visa holders must apply for visa extensions for at least two years, permitting them to stay for at least seven years at a time.
The Super Visa provides temporary resident status exclusively to parents and grandparents. However, it is an accessible avenue for reuniting family members in Canada. Moreover, it remains available year-round, with IRCC processing applications without restriction on numbers.
Looking for more information on the Parents and Grandparents Program? Get all your doubts clarified with our Make Home Canada expert guides through their years of knowledge in this field. Email us your queries at [email protected].
