Among the key highlights of the program for 2019 is that it will be on a first-in-first-served basis. This means that getting your applicant in as early as possible will be very important, because only 20,000 applications will be accepted. Once that cap is reached, no more applications will be accepted for 2019. Invitations will be sent out to selected sponsors who will have 60 calendar days to submit a complete application for sponsorship.
Interested sponsors are therefore advised to submit an interest to sponsor form as soon as it becomes available online. In 2018, more than 90 thousand interest to sponsor forms were submitted. It is likely that the quota for 2019 will be met very quickly, so preparation ahead of time is very important to maximize your chance of being selected. The interest to sponsor form will open at noon EST on January 28, 2019. The form will remain available only until enough submissions have been received.
To be eligible to sponsor your parents or grandparents to come to Canada permanently, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be at least 18 years old
- You live in Canada
- You’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act
- You have enough money to support the persons you want to sponsor (you have to provide proof of income)
- You must sign an undertaking, which is a commitment to:
- provide financial support for your sponsored family members for 20 years, starting when they become permanent residents
- repaying any provincial social assistance (money from the government) your sponsored family members get during that time
- You and your sponsored family members must also sign a sponsorship agreement which indicates:
- You’ll provide for the basic needs of your sponsored family members
- the person you sponsor will make every effort to support themselves and their family members