The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has not posted details on the 2023 PGP. In previous years, IRCC has utilized a lottery system to randomly select which interested sponsors would receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) through the PGP.
Since 2020, the timeline for receiving all ITAs to applicants who expressed interest to sponsor through the PGP were given between the month of October and November of 2020. The last PGP lottery was in October of 2022. At the time of the lottery, there were still approximately 155,000 potential sponsors remaining in the pool.
Parent and Grandparent Super Visa
Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens as well as permanent residents have a new option for visiting Canada. The Super Visa allows parents and grandparents to come to Canada as visitors for up to five consecutive years from their initial visit without having to renew their status.
Those parents and grandparents who already have a Super Visa will be able to apply for an extension that can allow them to remain in Canada as a visitor for up to seven years. In addition, they can enter Canada multiple times for up to 10 years. The Super Visa is available all year round.
The Super Visa is an option for parents and grandparents who live in a country that require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) for entry into Canada. With the Super Visa, they will be able to travel between Canada and their country of residence without having to continuously reapply for the TRV.
The benefit of the Super Visa also extends to parents and grandparents from countries that are exempt from a TRV, like the United States. US citizens can enter and remain in Canada for up to 6 months per entry. With the Super Visa, visitors can enter Canada and stay for up to 5 years per entry.
To apply for Super Visa, additional documentation is required to show that parents and grandparents will be supported during their stay in Canada. These include:
- A letter of invitation from the child or grandchild residing in Canada.
- Documents that prove the child or grandchild meets the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) minimum.
- Proof of parental relationship with child or grandchild, such as a birth certificate that names him or her as a parent.
- Proof of medical insurance coverage for at least one year with a Canadian insurance company
