Maple News reports that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will continue using a randomized lottery system to select sponsors for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) in 2021. The process follows the same model used during the 2020 intake period, aiming to ensure fairness and manage high demand.
According to IRCC, there will only be one round of invitations linked to the 2020 intake. The selection process began after the three-week window for submitting Interest to Sponsor forms, which closed on November 3, 2020. IRCC will now randomize and assess the received submissions, eliminate duplicates, and issue invitations to apply.
Due to the timing of the intake and selection process, actual sponsorship applications from eligible candidates will not be accepted until early 2021. This means that approved sponsors will begin submitting complete applications for permanent residency only in the new year.
The federal government has capped intake for the 2020 PGP at 10,000 applications. Sponsors invited to apply this round must submit their documents by the deadline to be included within this quota. For 2021, IRCC plans to increase the intake limit to 30,000 sponsorship applications, although this number remains subject to change based on any future instructions from the Minister of Immigration.
IRCC also clarified that submitting an Interest to Sponsor form is not a final application. If selected, sponsors will have 60 days from the date of their invitation letter to submit all required documents, including permanent residence applications for their parents or grandparents. Invitations cannot be transferred to other individuals, and those not selected may reapply in future intakes.
As part of fraud prevention efforts, sponsors must include proof of their legal status in Canada when submitting interest forms. This allows IRCC to detect and discard duplicate entries during the selection round.
Applications will continue to be processed on a first-in, first-out basis. New submissions in 2021 will be placed in a queue behind those still pending from prior years.
The intake dates for the 2021 PGP have not yet been announced. Prospective sponsors are encouraged to regularly check for updates from IRCC and be ready to submit their Interest to Sponsor form once the intake period opens.
Maple News will continue to monitor updates to the PGP and provide timely coverage to help families navigate the Canadian immigration system.