The Parents and Grandparents Program PGP operates on a randomized lottery system, meaning you generally must first submit an Interest to Sponsor form and wait for a government invitation. Because the chances of selection can be unpredictable, most applicants choose to apply for a Super Visa, which is an excellent alternative that allows parents to visit Canada for up to five years at a time.
Bringing your family together in Canada is a beautiful goal, but navigating the Parents and Grandparents Program PGP can sometimes feel overwhelming. 💗 Many Canadians and permanent residents dream of reuniting with their elders to share their new lives, but the federal immigration system uses a unique lottery model to manage the incredibly high demand for family class sponsorship.
Instead of a standard first-come, first-served application line, the government randomly selects potential sponsors from a massive candidate pool. 📋 This guide will explain exactly how the sponsorship lottery works, what financial documents you typically need to prepare, and why the temporary Super Visa is often the fastest and most reliable alternative for families living in cities like Mississauga, Ontario.
Step-by-Step Parents and Grandparents Program PGP Process in Mississauga, Ontario
Step 1: Calculating Your Minimum Necessary Income (MNI)
Before you even consider submitting an interest form, you should ensure you meet the strict federal financial requirements. 💵 To sponsor under the PGP, you generally need to prove you have met the Minimum Necessary Income (which is the Low Income Cut-Off plus 30%) for three consecutive tax years before the date you submit your full application.
You will typically need to provide your official Notice of Assessment (NOA) from the Canada Revenue Agency to prove your earning history. 📝 If your independent salary falls short of the required threshold, you may be able to include your spouse or common-law partner as a co-signer to combine your incomes and meet the strict threshold for your total household size in Mississauga, Ontario.
Step 2: Submitting the Interest to Sponsor Form
Historically, the actual lottery process begins when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) opens an online intake window. 💻 During these brief periods, prospective sponsors would submit a short web form called the Interest to Sponsor, which placed their names and profiles into a massive candidate pool. However, it is critical to note that IRCC has not accepted new Interest to Sponsor submissions since late 2020, conducting recent selection draws exclusively from the remaining pool of candidates who registered in 2020.
When the intake was open, this initial form was not the full permanent residence application, and was free to submit. 🚨 While new profiles are currently blocked from being created, understanding how this digital system works remains essential, as any future structural changes to the program will likely continue to rely on some form of randomized registration to manage intake volumes.
Step 3: Waiting for the Random Selection (The Lottery)
For active pools, the government conducts a randomized lottery to select a specific quota of sponsors. 🎰 If you are chosen from the entries remaining in the 2020 pool, you will receive an official Invitation to Apply (ITA) via email, granting you a strict deadline—often 60 days—to gather and submit the complete legal sponsorship package.
If you are not selected in a given draw, your 2020 registration remains in the digital pool for future rounds, depending on IRCC’s specific operational policies for that period. 🕐 Because the number of interested sponsors heavily outweighs the available immigrant visas, many families wait several years without being selected.
Step 4: Applying for the Super Visa Alternative
Because the PGP lottery can be highly unpredictable and emotionally taxing, the Super Visa is widely considered the best immediate alternative for families. 🍁 This specialized multi-entry visa allows your parents or grandparents to travel to Canada and visit for up to five consecutive years per trip, without needing to cross the border to renew their temporary status.
To obtain a Super Visa, you only need to meet the standard LICO threshold for one recent year (not three), and your parents must successfully pass an immigration medical exam. 🩺 Under updated rules in effect since January 28, 2025, you must purchase a valid private medical insurance policy either from a Canadian provider or from an approved foreign insurance company that is authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) to provide accident and sickness insurance in Canada. Many of these temporary applications are processed by visa offices abroad (or CPC-Ottawa and CPC-Edmonton for in-Canada extensions), while permanent sponsorship files under the PGP are managed by the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.
How Much Does the Sponsorship Process Cost?
Proper budgeting is a critical part of family reunification, as the costs differ significantly between the permanent PGP route and the temporary Super Visa route. 💳 Here is a general breakdown of the federal processing fees and peripheral expenses you can expect as of June 2026:
| Type of Application or Service | Estimated Cost (CAD) |
|---|---|
| PGP: Sponsorship processing fee | $90 |
| PGP: Principal applicant processing fee | $570 |
| PGP: Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) | $600 |
| Super Visa: Application fee (per person) | $100 |
| Biometrics fee (per person, if required) | $85 |
| Super Visa: Medical Insurance (Annual) | $1,500 – $3,000+ |
For a single parent immigrating permanently under the PGP, the total basic IRCC government fee generally amounts to exactly $1,260 (excluding the $85 biometrics fee). 💵 Conversely, while the Super Visa government application fee is relatively cheap at just $100, the mandatory health insurance requirement creates a substantial ongoing annual expense that you must carefully budget for.
How Long Does the Process Take?
Timelines vary drastically depending on which immigration program you pursue to bring your family over. 📅 If you are successfully invited to apply for the PGP lottery and submit a flawless package, the official processing time for permanent residency generally takes approximately 32 months (for provinces outside Quebec) and up to 67 months (for Quebec) to be fully finalized by the government.
On the other hand, the Super Visa is designed to be processed much faster, which is precisely why it is so popular among newcomers. 🚀 Depending on the processing times at your parents’ local visa office abroad, a complete Super Visa application is typically approved in just 2 to 4 months, allowing your family to safely travel to Mississauga, Ontario much sooner while waiting for a future PGP lottery draw.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I apply for the PGP and a Super Visa at the same time?
Yes, you generally can. Canadian immigration law allows for “dual intent.” This means your parents can hold a temporary Super Visa to live with you in Canada while they simultaneously wait in the digital pool for the permanent Parents and Grandparents Program PGP lottery selection.
Can my sibling act as a financial co-signer for the PGP?
No, siblings, friends, or other extended relatives cannot co-sign your sponsorship application. The only person legally permitted to act as a co-signer to help you meet the Minimum Necessary Income threshold is your official married spouse or your recognized common-law partner.
Do parents get free provincial healthcare on a Super Visa?
Generally, no. Because the Super Visa is a temporary resident document, visitors are typically excluded from free provincial healthcare systems like OHIP in Ontario. This is exactly why the government legally mandates you to purchase private Canadian medical insurance to cover any potential emergency hospital visits.
What happens if my income drops after I am invited to apply?
It is crucial to maintain your financial stability. IRCC requires you to meet the Minimum Necessary Income not only for the three years before applying but also consistently throughout the entire 32-month processing period (or up to 67 months in Quebec). If you lose your job and your income drops below the LICO threshold before your parents land, the application could be refused.
Does living in Canada on a Super Visa lead to permanent residence?
No, holding a Super Visa does not automatically convert into permanent residence over time. It is strictly a temporary visitor status. To obtain permanent resident status, they must formally apply through a program like the PGP or find another independent economic pathway if they qualify.
How often does the government run the PGP lottery?
Historically, IRCC has conducted a randomized lottery draw once a year. However, since late 2020, the department has not accepted new Interest to Sponsor forms and has instead run subsequent annual selection draws exclusively from the pool of remaining candidates who registered in 2020. The exact timing and the number of invitations issued each year depend entirely on the annual immigration levels plan set by the federal government.
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