On August 20, Canadian time, the Liberal government announced that starting in 2019, the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) will move away from the current lottery system and return to the original first-come, first-served model. The quota will increase to 20,000-20,500, with an expected increase to 21,000 in 2020.
This means that all applicants for the Parents and Grandparents Program can submit their applications next year in 2019, and these applications will be processed in the order they are received.
This news has been met with great excitement from the vast number of family sponsorship applicants. Undoubtedly, restoring the original application model and increasing the number of sponsorship spots makes the immigration policy fairer and more humane.
I. Policy Review:
In 2017, the Parents and Grandparents Program changed from the original first-come, first-served model to a lottery system. The 2018 quota was originally set at 10,000, and at the end of July, it was announced that an additional 7,000 spots would be added (reaching 17,000). In 2019, the quota will increase from 17,000 to 20,000-20,500, and it will increase to 21,000 in 2020.
II. Requirements for Sponsors:
The current requirements for sponsoring parents (and grandparents) are:
The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada at the time of submitting the sponsorship. They must have filed tax returns in Canada for at least three consecutive years prior to submitting the application (these three years can include time spent in Canada before becoming a permanent resident, such as while holding a work permit) and must meet the Minimum Necessary Income (LICO) requirements. If the sponsor is a resident of Quebec, only the tax income from the previous year is considered.
III. Processing Time:
The current processing time for sponsoring parents is approximately two years.
Experts at WorldWay Group advise interested clients to plan early to get ahead and secure a spot! As a leading institution in investment immigration, WorldWay Group will continue to provide investors with the latest information.
WorldWay Group offers high-quality Canadian investment immigration programs, including the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) which has a low threshold and provides a direct path to a PR card, the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) and Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) for entrepreneurs which allow for quick entry, as well as the Prince Edward Island (PEI) and New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Programs for entrepreneurs which provide a direct path to a PR card. We help investors realize their dreams of moving to the Great White North and establishing a second home abroad. For details, please call: 400-138-2929.