x
Contact us

Contact Information

1 (403) 452-9515

1 (800) 932-1190

Learn how we can help you

More Options...

When will the Parents and Grandparents Program reopen to new applications?

Blog posted on by Evelyn Ackah in Family Class, Parents and Grandparents Program and Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship

When will the Parents and Grandparents Program reopen to new applications?

On January 2, 2018 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) reopened its Parents and Grandparents Program (“PGP”) to Canadian citizens and permanent residents who wish to sponsor their parents or grandparents for Canadian Permanent Residence in 2018.

The Interest to Sponsor form was made available on January 2, 2018 and will remain open until February 1, 2018 at 12:00 PM (EST). The submission of an Interest to Sponsor is the first step for those who would like to participate in the PGP.

After the February 1, 2018 deadline, IRCC will review all submissions and will randomly invite potential sponsors to submit Permanent Resident application to sponsor their parents and grandparents. Those not invited to apply will have another opportunity to show interest in 2019 when the PGP reopens.

All potential sponsors must review the eligibility requirements to ensure they qualify for the program prior to submitting the Interest to Sponsor. The updated Interest to Sponsor form now requires sponsors to declare that they have the Minimum Necessary Income (“MNI”) to support their parent or grandparent.

If you are sponsoring a parent or grandparent, you must meet the MNI requirement for each of the three years immediately preceding the date of the application. The MNI is equal to the Low Income Cut offs (LICOs) plus 30%, considering the member of family members for whom they will be financially responsible.


Evelyn L. Ackah, BA, LL.B.

Founder/Managing Lawyer

Ms. Ackah is passionate about immigration law because it focuses on people and relationships, which are at the core of her personal values. Starting her legal career as a corporate/commercial ...

More About Evelyn L. Ackah, BA, LL.B.

How Family Sponsorship Can Bring Your Loved Ones Home

Being apart from your loved ones can make even the most exciting immigration journey feel incomplete. Whether it's a spouse, child or parent, distance affects your plans and your ...

Read More

Spousal Sponsorship 2024: A Guide to Bringing Your Partner to Canada

Spousal sponsorship remains one of the most popular immigration pathways for families in Canada. In 2024, the process continues to offer a way for Canadian citizens and permanent ...

Read More

Canada Pledges to Prioritize Family Reunification Despite Provincial Hurdles

In a move emphasizing the human element of immigration, Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) Minister, Marc Miller, has announced a renewed focus on family reunification. ...

Read More

Episode 71: Family Reunification Made Easy: Family Program In Canada

Calgary immigration lawyer Evelyn Ackah discusses family reunification in Canada through family immigration programs. On the Ask Canada Immigration Lawyer Evelyn Ackah podcast, ...

Read More

Episode 68 Family Class Sponsorship: Reuniting Loved Ones

On the Ask Canada Immigration Lawyer Evelyn Ackah podcast, Calgary immigration lawyer Evelyn Ackah discusses reuniting loved ones in Canada through family class sponsorship. ...

Read More

IRCC is still working through backlogs from the pandemic, and some groups are paying the price, says Calgary Immigration Lawyer Evelyn Ackah

Calgary immigration lawyer Evelyn Ackah told CBC Calgary the frustrating delays a local Calgary man is experiencing waiting 5 years to reunite with his parents as their permanent ...

Read More

It is one thing to earn a living; it is another thing to make a difference in the world.

This is our formal thank you note to Evelyn Ackah and the Ackah Law Team for all the effort they put into helping us navigate and finally resolve the hurdle that was Canadian Immigration back in the spring of 2012.

A friend referred us to Evelyn; he assured us that Evelyn would take good care of us. Our friend was confident we were in good hands and said Evelyn would do her very best to help us and she did! At the time we did not know that his referral would go far beyond finding us help. Slowly we realized that it would become our own personal story of how we received grace and were reminded of the power in paying it forward

We wrote a detailed page of our dilemma, explaining how we came to be in the position we were in (overwhelmed with the hurdle that was Canadian Immigration and the uncertainty that we faced as a young family in Calgary). Evelyn agreed to take on our file with her team. They found the time to personally call us and listened intently and understood the details of what we were dealing with. They gave us their time, an honest opinion and provided clear direction which proved to be invaluable advice. Months went by but in time, we received word from Ackah Law that the Immigration office had finally reviewed our file and a decision had been made allowing our family to finally put the immigration matter to rest. We were finally able to focus again to live our lives without fear or pending doom.

Looking back now, even the sun appeared to shine a little brighter that day. At first we didn’t know whether to bake them a cake, drive out to meet their team, find their offices and personally thank them with a mighty hug or simply cry out to the heavens in thankful relief. Instead we emailed them to express our heartfelt thank-you and we hoped that they would know deep in their hearts just how grateful we were for all of their help.

Even though we relied on emails and phone conversations to communicate with them that year, we will always remember their constant professionalism, their kindness and understanding at a time that brought us so much pain not to mention fear. As if all their hard work wasn’t enough, Evelyn then then casually mentions that all their work was done pro-bono! We were thoroughly humbled!

To this day we are still eager to share how wonderful they all are as human beings but even more than that, we continue to pay it forward in honour of them, their service to us and their continued dedication in helping others.

Eternally thankful

– The Brummunds

View All Testimonials