Parent and Grandparent (PGP) program will Re-Open January 2, 2014

Parent and Grandparent (PGP) program will Re-Open January 2, 2014

After a pause on new applications, Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s  Parent and Grandparent Program will re-launch with tighter admission criteria and an application cap. This is part of Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s steps to reduce the backlog and improve processing times for families. The program was temporarily suspended in November 2011 due to a large backlog of applications that are taking several years to process. New applications will be accepted as of January 2, 2014.

Chris Alexander, Minister of Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration said:

“Our government understands the importance of spending time with family and loved ones, especially during the holiday season. Our government is making improvements to the immigration system so that families can be reunited more quickly. Because of our changes, Canada is on track to welcome more than 50,000 parents and grandparents in 2012-2013—the highest number in nearly a decade.”

What to expect for the new Parent and Grandparent Program:

• Maintain High Admissions: In 2014, Canada plans to admit 50,000 applications  (approximately 90,000 persons) under parent and grandparent program.
• Super Visa will be Permanent: the Super Visa Program is now a permanent program, allowing parents and grandparents to apply for a 10 year multiple entry visa where they can stay for up to 2 years at a time. This program remains a popular option for parents or grandparents wishing to visit their families in Canada for an extended period of time.
• Implement New Qualifying Criteria: Under the new Parent and Grandparent Program in 2014, the qualifying criteria will include:
  • Increase minimum necessary income (MNI) for sponsoring parents and grandparents equivalent by 30 percent
  • Lengthen period for demonstrating the MNI from one year to three years
  • Evidence of income confined to documents issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
  • Extend the sponsorship undertaking period to 20 years instead of 10 years
  • Changing the maximum age of dependents to 18 years
• Accept 5,000 Applications in 2014: Parent and Grandparent Program 2014 will accept 5,000 applications in total in the year of 2014.  This cap is to avoid another backlog of applications

The new requirements aim to maintain faster processing times, prevent future backlogs, make sure families can support their sponsored family member financially, and protect taxpayers interests.

If you are interested in applying, please contact us.