It just got harder to sponsor parents and grandparents in Canada
If you’re planning to sponsor your parents or grandparents to come to Canada, be sure to check the updated requirements.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recently updated the annual income requirement for sponsoring parents or grandparents. IRCC states that you (and a co-signer if you have one) must have enough money to support the people you’ll be financially responsible for.
“To show that you have enough money, you’ll have to prove that you meet the income requirements for each of the three tax years before the date you apply,” states the website.
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According to Canadian Immigration Law Firm, in 2023, the minimum income required was $44,530. Now that requirement has gone up by around $3,000. According to IRCC, you’ll need to have made at least $47,549 in 2024 to be able to sponsor two people.
Here are the income requirements below if you plan to sponsor your parents or grandparents in Canada this year:
| Family size | 2024 | 2023 | 2021 |
| 2 people | $47,549 | $44,530 | $43,082 |
| 3 people | $58,456 | $54,743 | $52,965 |
| 4 people | $70,972 | $66,466 | $64,306 |
| 5 people | $80,496 | $75,384 | $72,935 |
| 6 people | $90,784 | $85,020 | $82,259 |
| 7 people | $101,075 | $94,658 | $91,582 |
| If more than seven people, for each additional person, add: | $10,291 | $9,636 | $9,324 |
Before you apply, you must prove that you meet the income requirements by including your and your co-sponsor’s notice of assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for the last three years. You can also permit IRCC to obtain your notices of assessment from the CRA.
Applications for 2025 open on July 28, and IRCC will send out 17,860 invitations for potential sponsors to apply. In March, IRCC stated that in 2025, it intends to accept up to 10,000 complete applications for sponsorship under the PGP.
If you’re planning to apply, please note that the process can take some time. As of Feb. 5, it takes approximately 24 months to process applications. However, processing time in Quebec is double that — around 48 months. You can find the complete list of requirements here.
“Family reunification is an important part of Canada’s immigration system, helping Canadian citizens and permanent residents sponsor their loved ones to live and work alongside them in Canada,” reads a press release. “Through the Parents and Grandparents (PGP) Program, the government is committed to reuniting as many families as possible.”