Canada Updates Family Sponsorship Rules As Income Requirement Hits ₦46m

Canada’s federal immigration authority has released the minimum income requirements for people sponsoring their parents and grandparents under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), with the amount varying according to the sponsor’s family size.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the income thresholds published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) apply to the 2025 PGP intake and are based on the sponsor’s income during the three consecutive tax years preceding the application. For the 2025 intake, the relevant tax years are 2024, 2023 and 2022.

For sponsors living outside Quebec, a person responsible for a family size of two was required to have incomes of $47,549 in 2024, $44,530 in 2023 and $43,082 in 2022. For a family size of three, the requirements were $58,456, $54,743 and $52,965 respectively.

Sponsors with a family size of four needed incomes of $70,972 in 2024, $66,466 in 2023 and $64,306 in 2022, while those with five family members were required to have earned $80,496, $75,384 and $72,935 during the three years.

For a family size of six, the required figures were $90,784 for 2024, $85,020 for 2023 and $82,259 for 2022. Sponsors responsible for seven people needed $101,075, $94,658 and $91,582 respectively. For every additional person above seven, sponsors were required to add $10,291 for 2024, $9,636 for 2023 and $9,324 for 2022.

The income requirement applies to sponsors and, where applicable, their co-signing spouse or common-law partner. Sponsors living in Quebec are subject to separate provincial income requirements.

Canada calculates family size by considering the sponsor, their spouse or common-law partner, dependent children and other people covered by an existing sponsorship undertaking. The family members of the parent or grandparent being sponsored must also be included in the calculation, even if they are not travelling to Canada or already have Canadian permanent residence or citizenship.

Sponsors are required to demonstrate their income through Notices of Assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency for each of the three relevant tax years. They can either authorize immigration officials to obtain their tax information directly from the CRA or submit copies of their Notices of Assessment with the required sponsorship documents. Those who do not have physical copies can access their tax information through the CRA’s online My Account portal.

However, prospective sponsors should note that Canada’s 2025 PGP intake is already closed. IRCC said it sent 17,860 invitations to potential sponsors from the existing 2020 pool, with the goal of accepting 10,000 complete applications. The deadline for those invited to apply was October 9, 2025.

Canada subsequently announced in July 2026 that it was pausing the intake of new PGP applications and would continue processing applications already received. The government said it plans to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the PGP in 2026.

The federal government has also pointed prospective sponsors toward the super visa as an alternative route for parents and grandparents who want to visit family members in Canada for extended periods while the PGP remains paused.