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Parent and grandparent sponsorship lawyer in Brampton

Updated

The short answer

Canadian citizens and permanent residents have two main ways to bring parents or grandparents to Canada: the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), which leads to permanent residence, and the super visa, which allows long visits of up to five years at a time. As of October 2026, IRCC says the PGP is paused and is not accepting new interest to sponsor forms, so the super visa is the route most families can use today. Manny Hundal, Barrister & Solicitor, called to the Ontario Bar in 2013, reviews the income evidence and insurance before you apply and represents you if an application is refused.

Who this is for

This page is for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians in Canada who want their parents or grandparents to join them, either permanently or for long stays.

There are two separate programs, and they work very differently:

  • The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)

    leads to permanent residence. Your parents or grandparents could live in Canada permanently, work, and eventually apply for citizenship. You sign a long-term financial undertaking.

  • The super visa

    is a visitor visa. It lets parents and grandparents visit for up to five years at a time, with multiple entries over a period of up to ten years. It does not lead to permanent residence on its own, and visitors cannot work without separate authorisation.

Current status of the Parents and Grandparents Program

On July 15, 2026, IRCC paused new intake under the PGP. IRCC says it will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice. Applications already in the system continue to be processed. As of October 2026, IRCC has not announced a reopening.

When the program has been open in past years, it worked like this: sponsors submitted an interest to sponsor form during a set window, IRCC invited a limited number of sponsors to apply, and only invited sponsors could submit a full application. An invitation was only the right to apply; the full application was still assessed on its merits.

If you were invited before the pause and your application is in process, it continues. If you were not invited, IRCC itself points families to the super visa as the alternative.

Choosing between the two

For most families today the choice is made for them, because only the super visa is accepting applications. Even so, it helps to understand the trade-offs, because many families use the super visa now and plan for the PGP later.

  • Status. The PGP gives permanent residence. The super visa gives visitor status only, and the officer must be satisfied the visit is temporary.
  • Health care. Permanent residents can usually join the Ontario Health Insurance Plan after meeting its rules. Super visa holders rely on private insurance for the whole stay.
  • Work. Permanent residents can work. Visitors cannot work without separate authorisation.
  • Financial commitment. PGP sponsors outside Quebec sign a 20-year undertaking to repay any social assistance the sponsored person receives. It starts when the person becomes a permanent resident and cannot be cancelled. Super visa hosts sign a letter of support for the visit.
  • Holding a super visa does not stop you sponsoring later. A parent can visit on a super visa and still be sponsored if a future PGP intake opens.

How it works

Super visa

  1. Check the host’s eligibility. The child or grandchild hosting the visit must be at least 18, live in Canada, be a citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, and meet a minimum income set by IRCC for the size of the household.
  2. Write the letter of invitation. The host signs a letter promising financial support for the visit and listing the people in the household.
  3. Arrange medical insurance. The parent or grandparent needs private health insurance valid for at least one year from the date of entry, with at least $100,000 of emergency coverage for health care, hospital care and repatriation, from a Canadian insurer or an approved foreign insurer. It can be paid in full or in instalments with a deposit.
  4. Apply from outside Canada. The application is filed online with biometrics, and the applicant completes an immigration medical exam.
  5. Decision. The officer also has to be satisfied that the applicant is a genuine visitor and is admissible to Canada.

Parents and Grandparents Program (when open)

  1. Submit an interest to sponsor form during the intake window.
  2. Wait for an invitation. Only invited sponsors may apply.
  3. Submit the sponsorship and permanent residence applications with income proof, usually tax assessments from the Canada Revenue Agency for the three tax years before you apply. Under the current rules, your income must meet the minimum necessary income plus 30% in each of those years. The rules for any future intake may change.
  4. Biometrics, medical exams and background checks.
  5. Decision and landing.

Documents you'll typically need

For a super visa:

For a PGP application, expect similar relationship and identity documents plus Canada Revenue Agency income records, police certificates, and the sponsorship undertaking forms.

Timelines

Processing times and fees change often, so this page does not quote them. Check the current figures on the IRCC processing times tool (super visa times are listed by country) and the IRCC fee list.

What affects timing:

  • The visa office handling applications from your parent’s country
  • Whether the medical exam is done promptly and raises any concerns
  • How easily the income documents and the family relationship can be verified
  • Whether IRCC asks for more documents or an interview
  • For the PGP, the size of the intake and the overall backlog

Common reasons applications are refused or delayed

  • Income below the required minimum. The host’s income must meet the threshold for the household size, and household size is often counted wrongly. People you have sponsored before may still count.
  • Insurance that does not meet the rules. Wrong coverage period, a policy from an insurer that is not accepted, or missing proof of payment.
  • Doubts about the visit being temporary. For the super visa, the officer must believe the applicant will leave at the end of the authorised stay. Weak ties to the home country, or a past overstay, can lead to refusal.
  • Medical inadmissibility. A condition that could endanger public health, or in some cases cause excessive demand on health services.
  • Past refusals or misrepresentation. Any earlier refusal must be declared, and inconsistent information across applications causes problems.
  • For the PGP, missing the undertaking requirements. Unpaid support from an earlier sponsorship, or income records that do not match CRA’s.

How Manny helps

Manny Hundal is a Barrister & Solicitor, called to the Ontario Bar in 2013. His practice is focused on immigration law. On a parent or grandparent file he can:

  • Assess eligibility before you apply

    He checks the host’s income against the correct household size and reviews any past refusals or medical issues.

  • Prepare the file

    He organises the invitation letter, income proof and ties to the home country so the application answers the officer’s usual questions.

  • Respond to procedural fairness letters

    If IRCC raises concerns, he prepares a full written response.

  • Represent you if refused

    For a PGP refusal, the sponsor may have a right to appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division. A super visa refusal has no appeal, but judicial review at the Federal Court of Canada may be possible. At the Federal Court, only a lawyer can represent you, except in rare cases the court allows. See refusals and appeals.

Consultations are available in English, Punjabi and Hindi at the chambers in downtown Brampton.

This page is general information, not legal advice about your situation.

Frequently asked questions

No. As of the IRCC page dated August 2026, the program is paused. IRCC says it will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite sponsors to apply until further notice, though applications already submitted are still being processed. IRCC has not published a date for the next intake on that page. Intake rules have also changed from year to year, so when the program reopens the details may differ from past rounds. In the meantime, many families use the super visa so parents and grandparents can spend long periods in Canada. If you want to be ready for a future intake, keeping clean, complete tax records with the Canada Revenue Agency is a sensible step.

A super visa allows a parent or grandparent to stay for up to five years at a time, and it can be valid for multiple entries over a period of up to ten years. The actual length of each stay is set by the border officer when they enter, so check the entry stamp or visitor record. If your parent wants to stay longer than the authorised period, they must apply to extend their stay before it expires. The super visa does not allow work in Canada and does not give a path to permanent residence by itself.

The host must meet a minimum income that IRCC publishes for each household size. Household size includes you, your spouse or partner, your dependent children, the parents or grandparents you are inviting, and people you have sponsored in the past whose undertaking is still in effect. You can usually add a spouse’s or common-law partner’s income. Proof is typically a Notice of Assessment, T4 or T1, an employment letter and pay stubs. The figures change each year, so check the current table on the IRCC super visa page before you apply. Getting the household count wrong is a common and avoidable problem in these files.

Not necessarily. IRCC accepts private medical insurance from a Canadian insurance company, or from an insurer outside Canada that the minister has approved. The policy must be valid for at least one year from the date your parent or grandparent enters Canada and must meet IRCC’s minimum coverage and other requirements. Check the policy details carefully before you buy, including the coverage period, the deductible and how payment works. Keep proof of purchase and payment with the application. A policy that does not meet the rules is a common, avoidable reason for refusal.

Generally no. IRCC requires super visa applicants to be outside Canada when they apply. If your parents are already visiting Canada on a regular visitor visa, they may be able to extend their stay as visitors instead, but that is a different application with different rules. An extension request must be made before their current authorised stay ends, and the officer will still look at whether the stay is temporary and whether they can support themselves. If you want them to have the longer stays a super visa allows, they would generally apply from their home country before their next trip. Talk through the timing before they travel, because the order of applications matters.

There is no appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division for a super visa refusal. Your options are usually to reapply with a stronger file that answers the refusal reasons, or to seek judicial review at the Federal Court of Canada if the decision appears unreasonable or unfair. Judicial review has a short deadline, so do not wait. Before doing either, request the officer’s notes, which give more detail than the refusal letter. Manny can read the notes with you and explain which option fits.

You can sponsor your own parents and grandparents, and your spouse or partner can sponsor theirs. Each sponsor must meet the income test for their own sponsorship, and the household size grows with every person you sponsor. Past PGP rounds also required sponsors and co-signers to meet higher income thresholds over several tax years. The rules for the next intake are not yet published, so plan with that uncertainty in mind. If both of you hope to sponsor, keep your tax filings up to date and accurate, since past rounds relied on Canada Revenue Agency records rather than pay stubs, and late or amended returns caused problems for some sponsors.

This page is general information, not legal advice about your situation.

Sources

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