The Parents & Grandparents lottery begins today. Between October 10 & October 23, IRCC will send ITAs to 24,200 potential sponsors. These invitations will be sent to randomly selected potential sponsors from the pool of submissions from 2020. IRCC’s goal is to obtain over 15,000 applications.  

In addition, if you submitted an interest to sponsor form for the parents & grandparents lottery but did not obtain an ITA, then you must continue to check your email, which you provided when you submitted your interest to sponsor in 2020.

Eligibility For Parents & Grandparents Lottery Program 

The MNI, i.e., the Minimum Necessary Income, is a vital eligibility factor for the parents & grandparents lottery program. It shows evidence that the sponsor is financially stable to support the people they would like to bring to Canada via the program.

Moreover, in every province/ territory except Quebec, sponsors who are invited to apply must provide Notices Of Assessment from CRA for each of the three taxation years preceding the application. 

In addition, if you are residing in Quebec & wish to sponsor your parent/ grandparent, then your income will be assessed by Quebec’s immigration ministry depending upon the income requirements. IRCC & Quebec’s government need a signed undertaking from a potential sponsor. 

Well, the length of the undertaking in all provinces, except Quebec, is 20 years. In Quebec, the duration is ten years. 

In case you do not end up getting an invitation, another alternative is Super Visa.

Super Visa 

The Super Visa enables permanent residents & Canadian citizens to bring their parents & grandparents to Canada from abroad. The Super Visa is a temporary visa allowing parents & grandparents to visit their family in Canada for up to five years. During these years, they don’t have to renew their visitor status.

Super Visa holders can arrive in Canada multiple times for up to ten years. In addition, those with a Super Visa might be able to apply for an extension, which will help them stay in Canada for up to seven years as visitors. 

The main benefit of Super Visa is that there is no lottery system. Thus, it is offered all year round & is available to eligible individuals. 

Well, in order to be eligible, an applicant should: 

  • Be a parent/ grandparent of a Canadian citizen/ permanent resident. 
  • Not be inadmissible to Canada on the basis of health/ criminality.
  • Prove that they can easily meet the income requirements given by LICO. 
  • Offer a signed letter from their child/ grandchild inviting them to Canada. It includes a promise of financial support for the length of the visit along with the list & number of people in the household. 
  • Offer proof of medical insurance coverage for a minimum of one year with an insurance company in Canada.