Income calculation for PGP sponsorship

Find out how much money is required to sponsor your parents and grandparents for Canadian immigration

You must demonstrate that you have earned enough money to fulfil the income criterion when applying to sponsor your parents or grandparents for Canada immigration. The minimum income criterion for Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) applicants varies based on the size of your family, the number of individuals you’re sponsoring, and whether you’re supporting family members in Quebec or another Canadian province. The size of the family unit is determined by you, the number of sponsored persons, and who you want to sponsor in the future.

IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) would like to verify that you and your family have enough money to move to Canada and live there comfortably. You should include the following members while calculating the total number of members in your family, including you, for PGP:

• your spouse or common-law partner
• your dependent children
• your spouse or partner’s dependent children
• any other person you previously sponsored in the past for whom you are still financially responsible
• the parents and grandparents you want to sponsor and

your parents’ and grandparents’ spouse, partner, and dependent children even if they are not coming to Canada with them.

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Keep in mind that you can only sponsor your parents or grandparents, as well as any dependent children they may have, for the PGP. They will have to apply for Canada immigration under a different scheme if their children are beyond 22 or otherwise; the children will not be considered dependent.

Income requirement criteria for PGP sponsorship (for sponsorship outside of Quebec)

Before you apply, IRCC examines your income for the previous three taxation years. That indicates your yearly income from 2018, 2019, and 2020 for this year. You, the sponsor, are subject to the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI), not your parents or grandparents. If you cannot satisfy the income criteria, you may add your spouse or common-law partner as a co-signer to assist you in meeting the undertaking’s requirements.

Each year’s MNI is generally computed using the IRCC’s Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) statistics + 30%. If your family grew or shrank throughout these years, the MNI would be applied to the number of people living in your home for that year. For example, if you and your spouse had your first child in 2019, you’d have to fulfil the MNI criteria for a three-person family unit in 2019 and 2020. In addition, you must produce your Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency for each of the three taxation years to establish your income for these years.

In Quebec, there are income restrictions for PGP sponsorship. If you live in Quebec, your income criteria will be different. This is because, in comparison to other provinces, Quebec has more control over its immigration system, even if the IRCC has the final decision on permanent resident status. If you have reached a specific income criterion in the preceding 12 months as a sponsor from Quebec, you are considered to be able to assist your family financially. If you cannot satisfy the criteria on your own, your spouse or common-law partner may be a co-signer.

A gross income more than or equal to the sum of the two tables below is required. The first table refers to the sponsor’s needed minimum income to maintain their family. So, if you want to sponsor your parents for immigration this year, you’ll need at least $24,602 in yearly income. In addition, you’ll need $33,209 if it’s just you and your spouse. Those applying for the PGP 2021 must pay the following fees. In addition, you must have earned the following sums in the 12 months prior to your application to be eligible:

The basic annual income required (for one to five persons) varies from $24,602 to $52,482, with $5,326 for each additional person thereafter.

Co-signer Guidelines for Canada Immigration

You may be allowed to include your spouse or common-law partner as a co-signer if you are having difficulties fulfilling the income criteria on your own. However, along with the PGP application, common-law partners will be required to submit a document confirming their common-law status. In addition, IRCC will look at the co-signer’s salary for the previous three years if they are from outside Quebec and for the past 12 months if they are a Quebec resident, regardless of how long you have been together.

The co-signer must also fulfil the same criteria as you, the sponsor, and agree to support your sponsored parent or grandparent for some time financially. They must be at least 18 years old and live in Canada as Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or individuals with Indian status, among other requirements. You and your co-signer will be held equally responsible if you fail to meet your financial commitments.