Tips for 2016 (Future) PGP Applicants

[Rossei]

After CIC paused Parents & Grandparents Sponsorship Program (PGP) back in Nov, 2011 for 24 months in order to eliminate backlogs, it re-opened the program with 5,000 cap (FCFS/FIFO method) on the number of applications in 2014. Soon it turned out to be a big challenge to make it to 5,000 cap.

Being one of the 2015 PGP applicants, I've seen the stressful period that members of this forum went through. So, here I am to give you some tips for upcoming PGP application hurdle:

1. Use Updated Forms:
- CIC tends to update various PGP application forms every year. For 2014 PGP program, it updated form(s) at the eleventh hour; but for 2015, the latest form was dated November, 2014. So, get informed about the updates and only submit the latest forms from CIC website.

- Make sure you fill all the required forms correctly. Signature fields are very important not to leave empty. It's always a dilemma for those whose parents/grandparents live in home country and you need to have their signature on updated forms before CIC re-opens PGP. Well, you have to take chances here and sort it out yourself.

- All forms (for both 'sponsorship' and 'permanent residence') need to be submitted at the same time unless CIC changes the rules.

- Remember: You are the 'sponsor'and your one of the parents is the 'principal applicant'.

- It's convenient to choose the family size to be same for each year you have to enter in the forms.
(Family Size = Your family + Your Parent(s) + Accompanying Dependents)

2. Start Gathering Supporting Documents:
- If you haven't done so, start gathering all your supporting docs now for 2016. Follow Instruction Guide IMM5772 and Checklist IMM5771.

- The most important document that you (and co-signer if applicable) require to submit is your NOA or Option C for the last 3 taxation years. Since the checklist doesn't say if they have to be original, it's convenient to order Option C by calling CRA. Usually, it takes 2 weeks to deliver. DO NOT try to suffice this requirement by submitting online printouts or any other income proof (T4 or Pay Stubs).

3. Choose Your Courier Wisely:
- This is perhaps the biggest challenge just to send the application in time. In 2014, it took 19 days to fill out the 5000 cap whereas it took only 1 and half day in 2015. So, you can imagine what can happen in 2016. I can bet that only the applicants left out from 2014 & 2015 can fill out 2016 quota themselves.

- In order to deliver your application package on the very first day (preferably by noon) CIC re-opens PGP; you have to choose your courier wisely. Since PGP applications are to be sent to CPC-Mississauga, applicants living in GTA have advantage over the rest of the people. Many large courier services (like UPS, Purolator) couldn't deliver on time as promised in 2015. CanadaPost posted wrong time stamp of delivery. The local express services available in GTA proved to be the most efficient in 2015.

- CIC initially checks for the following things. If any of them is missing, it will not count among 5000 even in case of yours reaching CPC-M on time.

• All forms are in the application package
• Latest forms have been used
• No blanks (especially in signature field)
• NOA/Option C provided for last 3 taxation years
• Correct method of payment used

4. Use Correct Method of Payment:
- Incorrect amount or method of payment will result in rejection. Follow Instruction Guide IMM5772.

- If you make it to 5000 cap; CIC will withdraw/encash your payment within 1~4 weeks. This is the unofficial sign of initial acceptance. If you used your credit card info on Payment Form IMM5770, you will see the withdrawal within minutes/hours on your online bank statement.

- In 2014, CIC sent the official AOR in 6 months while in 2015, we received email AOR within 3 months. Some were able to see their E-Cas activated with 'Received' status within 1.5 months.


I hope this info helps you get inside 5,000 cap. Feel free to look at our 2015 timeline spreadsheet (link given in my signature).

 

[strawbar]

Hi!

Thanks for very valuable tips!

If I want to sponspor my parent for the year of 2016, can I start filling the forms
on CIC website or should I wait to December in case they update and switch new forms?

Thanks a lot in adanvce!!

 

[Rossei]

Hi!

Thanks for very valuable tips!

If I want to sponspor my parent for the year of 2016, can I start filling the forms
on CIC website or should I wait to December in case they update and switch new forms?

Thanks a lot in adanvce!!

O ya, you can start filling out. But keep in mind that some of them (not all) may get updated. The updated forms will have few changes here and there. CIC will check the date printed on left-bottom of each form.

 

[Masriixo]

After CIC paused Parents & Grandparents Sponsorship Program (PGP) back in Nov, 2011 for 24 months in order to eliminate backlogs, it re-opened the program with 5,000 cap (FCFS/FIFO method) on the number of applications in 2014. Soon it turned out to be a big challenge to make it to 5,000 cap.

Being one of the 2015 PGP applicants, I've seen the stressful period that members of this forum went through. So, here I am to give you some tips for upcoming PGP application hurdle:

1. Use Updated Forms:
- CIC tends to update various PGP application forms every year. For 2014 PGP program, it updated form(s) at the eleventh hour; but for 2015, the latest form was dated November, 2014. So, get informed about the updates and only submit the latest forms from CIC website.

- Make sure you fill all the required forms correctly. Signature fields are very important not to leave empty. It's always a dilemma for those whose parents/grandparents live in home country and you need to have their signature on updated forms before CIC re-opens PGP. Well, you have to take chances here and sort it out yourself.

- All forms (for both 'sponsorship' and 'permanent residence') need to be submitted at the same time unless CIC changes the rules.

- Remember: You are the 'sponsor'and your one of the parents is the 'principal applicant'.

- It's convenient to choose the family size to be same for each year you have to enter in the forms.
(Family Size = Your family + Your Parent(s) + Accompanying Dependents)

2. Start Gathering Supporting Documents:
- If you haven't done so, start gathering all your supporting docs now for 2016. Follow Instruction Guide IMM5772 and Checklist IMM5771.

- The most important document that you (and co-signer if applicable) require to submit is your NOA or Option C for the last 3 taxation years. Since the checklist doesn't say if they have to be original, it's convenient to order Option C by calling CRA. Usually, it takes 2 weeks to deliver. DO NOT try to suffice this requirement by submitting online printouts or any other income proof (T4 or Pay Stubs).

3. Choose Your Courier Wisely:
- This is perhaps the biggest challenge just to send the application in time. In 2014, it took 19 days to fill out the 5000 cap whereas it took only 1 and half day in 2015. So, you can imagine what can happen in 2016. I can bet that only the applicants left out from 2014 & 2015 can fill out 2016 quota themselves.

- In order to deliver your application package on the very first day (preferably by noon) CIC re-opens PGP; you have to choose your courier wisely. Since PGP applications are to be sent to CPC-Mississauga, applicants living in GTA have advantage over the rest of the people. Many large courier services (like UPS, Purolator) couldn't deliver on time as promised in 2015. CanadaPost posted wrong time stamp of delivery. The local express services available in GTA proved to be the most efficient in 2015.

- CIC initially checks for the following things. If any of them is missing, it will not count among 5000 even in case of yours reaching CPC-M on time.

• All forms are in the application package
• Latest forms have been used
• No blanks (especially in signature field)
• NOA/Option C provided for last 3 taxation years
• Correct method of payment used

4. Use Correct Method of Payment:
- Incorrect amount or method of payment will result in rejection. Follow Instruction Guide IMM5772.

- If you make it to 5000 cap; CIC will withdraw/encash your payment within 1~4 weeks. This is the unofficial sign of initial acceptance. If you used your credit card info on Payment Form IMM5770, you will see the withdrawal within minutes/hours on your online bank statement.

- In 2014, CIC sent the official AOR in 6 months while in 2015, we received email AOR within 3 months. Some were able to see their E-Cas activated with 'Received' status within 1.5 months.


I hope this info helps you get inside 5,000 cap. Feel free to look at our 2015 timeline spreadsheet (link given in my signature).

Thank you so so much for this! My husband wants to sponsor his parents when he gets his PR card in Canada (Which will talk a while)
Nonetheless its good to know some tips for when we eventually start another CIC process.
Thanks! +1

 

[takhan]

Rossie , can you tell me how much time it will take to process parents sponsor application? On cic website i saw it is 74 months for Singapore VO which is really frustrating.

Also please advise if i can sponsor my brother ? I am single and waiting to get my passport back with PR visa from SVO.

 

[Rossei]

Rossie , can you tell me how much time it will take to process parents sponsor application? On cic website i saw it is 74 months for Singapore VO which is really frustrating.

Also please advise if i can sponsor my brother ? I am single and waiting to get my passport back with PR visa from SVO.

First, you have to understand how PGP works. There are 2 parts: first your get approval to sponsor your parents and then the PR processing begin for them. CIC is working on 2010-11 cases now. It took 4 years just to get 'sponsorship' for those applicants. Another 1~2 year for PR processing under LVO or Ottawa.

PGP was temporarily paused during 2012-13. CIC reopened it in 2014 with 5,000 application cap, meaning only first 5,000 complete applications will be initially accepted. As they did not start these new cases starting from 2014, it's hard to predict a timeline. But I can assume it will be 3~5 years if CIC holds the cap in future. (74 months for SVGO doesn't mean anything anymore)

Moreover, you have to provide 3 years of NOA (Notice of Assessment, taxpaper) with your PGP application to prove that you meet LICO+30%. This means you have to work for 3 years minimum in Canada with a salary that is over LICO+30% for your family size (you+your parents+any other dependents that will accompany).

I'm guessing you still need to land in Canada as a PR. Then you have to work for 3~4 years to become eligible for PGP. After you apply, it will take some years to complete the processing (& things may change over the years). So, it's a long way to go!

You can sponsor your brother through your parents (PGP) as their dependent child if he is single and under 19.

 

[takhan]

First, you have to understand how PGP works. There are 2 parts: first your get approval to sponsor your parents and then the PR processing begin for them. CIC is working on 2010-11 cases now. It took 4 years just to get 'sponsorship' for those applicants. Another 1~2 year for PR processing under LVO or Ottawa.

PGP was temporarily paused during 2012-13. CIC reopened it in 2014 with 5,000 application cap, meaning only first 5,000 complete applications will be initially accepted. As they did not start these new cases starting from 2014, it's hard to predict a timeline. But I can assume it will be 3~5 years if CIC holds the cap in future. (74 months for SVGO doesn't mean anything anymore)

Moreover, you have to provide 3 years of NOA (Notice of Assessment, taxpaper) with your PGP application to prove that you meet LICO+30%. This means you have to work for 3 years minimum in Canada with a salary that is over LICO+30% for your family size (you+your parents+any other dependents that will accompany).

I'm guessing you still need to land in Canada as a PR. Then you have to work for 3~4 years to become eligible for PGP. After you apply, it will take some years to complete the processing (& things may change over the years). So, it's a long way to go!

You can sponsor your brother through your parents (PGP) as their dependent child if he is single and under 19.

Thanks for your reply but what if my parents doesn't need any support from me? They have enough fund to support themselves . I am gonna be dependent on them not they are on me. According to cic website if parents live inside Canada it will take 26 months only. And also according to CIC PR can sponsor parents n other relatives after staying minimum one year in canada but you are saying minimum 3 years.

And as far as sponsoring brother is concerned i think you don't have the updated news.Pls check the option 2 of the link below where it clearly says one can sponsor brother.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/relatives-apply-who.asp

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks for your reply but what if my parents doesn't need any support from me? They have enough fund to support themselves . I am gonna be dependent on them not they are on me. According to cic website if parents live inside Canada it will take 26 months only. And also according to CIC PR can sponsor parents n other relatives after staying minimum one year in canada but you are saying minimum 3 years.

And as far as sponsoring brother is concerned i think you don't have the updated news.Pls check the option 2 of the link below where it clearly says one can sponsor brother.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/relatives-apply-who.asp

It states quite clearly under what conditions you can sponsor your brother, and since your parents are still alive and you could sponsor them if you wanted, you don't qualify to sponsor your brother:

You can sponsor one relative of any age if:
you do not have a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, or one of the following living relatives you could sponsor instead:
son or daughter,
parent,

And you need to read the rules more closely for parents sponsorship. Before you even begin the process you must show 3 years of Canadian income from tax returns meeting necessary LICO amount for your family size. This is a mandatory requirement for all parents cases (except in Quebec which only requires 1 year of Canadian income).

All parents apps are outland applications. There is no such thing as an inland app for parents... inland is only for spouses.

 

[takhan]

What about super visa? Can i apply for super visa for my parents?

 

[Rossei]

Thanks for your reply but what if my parents doesn't need any support from me? They have enough fund to support themselves . I am gonna be dependent on them not they are on me. According to cic website if parents live inside Canada it will take 26 months only. And also according to CIC PR can sponsor parents n other relatives after staying minimum one year in canada but you are saying minimum 3 years.

As Rob_To said, you have to read thoroughly when you're referring to CIC sources.

Parents & Grandparents Sponsorship (PGP), under Family Class (FC) means you will sign an undertaking with the Minister of CIC that you will be responsible to provide financial support and other basic requirements for the family members you're sponsoring for 20 years. If you think your parents are financially solvent enough; then they have to apply for PR on their own. 'Sponsor' means you are financially responsible.

I said 3 years minimum (Quebec is only exception) because you have to show proof of income that meets CIC requirement (LICO+30%) for last 3 taxation years for your family size to be eligible to 'sponsor'. Again, read PGP on CIC website. Here's the link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/parents.asp

And as far as sponsoring brother is concerned i think you don't have the updated news.Pls check the option 2 of the link below where it clearly says one can sponsor brother.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/relatives-apply-who.asp

You should read before you refer something. Rob_TO already explained it in his previous post. I would still copy-paste the reference you gave me before to educate myself:

Who you can sponsor
Depending on your circumstances, there are two options for who you can sponsor.

Option 1 – Orphaned close relatives
You can sponsor the following close relatives only if they are orphaned, under 18, and do not have a spouse or common law partner:
- brothers or sisters,
- nephews or nieces, or
- grandchildren.

Option 2 – Other relative
You can sponsor one relative of any age if:
you do not have a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, or one of the following living relatives you could sponsor instead:
- son or daughter,
- parent,
- grandparent,
- brother or sister, or
- uncle, aunt, nephew or niece.

AND,

you do not have a spouse, common law partner, conjugal partner, or any of the above-named relatives who is a:
- Canadian citizen,
- permanent resident, or
- registered Indian under the Indian Act.

From what I see from the link you provided, in a nutshell, your parents are alive whom you can sponsor instead your brother and hence you cannot sponsor your brother in 'other relative' category.

What about super visa? Can i apply for super visa for my parents?

This is complete different than PGP. SuperVisa is just a visitor visa with which your parent(s) can stay/visit Canada up to 2 years. For this, you have to show 1 year of income (meeting LICO only) from your tax papers (NOA). There are other threads for SuperVisa in this forum where you can find important info. For example:

- Super Visa - anyone applied as yet?
- Super Visa - Online application from Bangladesh

 

[greeezz]

Hi Rossei, Thanks a lot for the tips. Very useful information as I am at the start line with PGP. "2015 PGP Application Timeline" document is very interesting source for analysis.

Just curious.. did someone find information about when CPC-Mississauga is going to open "doors" for new application in 2016 ?

 

[Rob_TO]

Just curious.. did someone find information about when CPC-Mississauga is going to open "doors" for new application in 2016 ?

It will be the first business day of 2016, so Monday Jan 4.

 

[greeezz]

It will be the first business day of 2016, so Monday Jan 4.

Was this date posted somewhere on official site?

Thanks.

 

[Rossei]

Was this date posted somewhere on official site?

Thanks.

It hasn't been posted yet but historically (2014 & 2015), CIC has been re-opening PGP on the first business day of a new year. For 2016, it comes down to Monday, Jan 4.

 

[avi_15]

Great Post Rossei...thank you

For the Option C. I called CIC and they have sent me printouts of income tax information-regular (rc143-1 e) which says they were sent at the request of the tax payer(me).. the docs are not signed and dont have any seals...is this what we require? these look like normal print outs from computer.. please help

After CIC paused Parents & Grandparents Sponsorship Program (PGP) back in Nov, 2011 for 24 months in order to eliminate backlogs, it re-opened the program with 5,000 cap (FCFS/FIFO method) on the number of applications in 2014. Soon it turned out to be a big challenge to make it to 5,000 cap.

Being one of the 2015 PGP applicants, I've seen the stressful period that members of this forum went through. So, here I am to give you some tips for upcoming PGP application hurdle:

1. Use Updated Forms:
- CIC tends to update various PGP application forms every year. For 2014 PGP program, it updated form(s) at the eleventh hour; but for 2015, the latest form was dated November, 2014. So, get informed about the updates and only submit the latest forms from CIC website.

- Make sure you fill all the required forms correctly. Signature fields are very important not to leave empty. It's always a dilemma for those whose parents/grandparents live in home country and you need to have their signature on updated forms before CIC re-opens PGP. Well, you have to take chances here and sort it out yourself.

- All forms (for both 'sponsorship' and 'permanent residence') need to be submitted at the same time unless CIC changes the rules.

- Remember: You are the 'sponsor'and your one of the parents is the 'principal applicant'.

- It's convenient to choose the family size to be same for each year you have to enter in the forms.
(Family Size = Your family + Your Parent(s) + Accompanying Dependents)

2. Start Gathering Supporting Documents:
- If you haven't done so, start gathering all your supporting docs now for 2016. Follow Instruction Guide IMM5772 and Checklist IMM5771.

- The most important document that you (and co-signer if applicable) require to submit is your NOA or Option C for the last 3 taxation years. Since the checklist doesn't say if they have to be original, it's convenient to order Option C by calling CRA. Usually, it takes 2 weeks to deliver. DO NOT try to suffice this requirement by submitting online printouts or any other income proof (T4 or Pay Stubs).

3. Choose Your Courier Wisely:
- This is perhaps the biggest challenge just to send the application in time. In 2014, it took 19 days to fill out the 5000 cap whereas it took only 1 and half day in 2015. So, you can imagine what can happen in 2016. I can bet that only the applicants left out from 2014 & 2015 can fill out 2016 quota themselves.

- In order to deliver your application package on the very first day (preferably by noon) CIC re-opens PGP; you have to choose your courier wisely. Since PGP applications are to be sent to CPC-Mississauga, applicants living in GTA have advantage over the rest of the people. Many large courier services (like UPS, Purolator) couldn't deliver on time as promised in 2015. CanadaPost posted wrong time stamp of delivery. The local express services available in GTA proved to be the most efficient in 2015.

- CIC initially checks for the following things. If any of them is missing, it will not count among 5000 even in case of yours reaching CPC-M on time.

• All forms are in the application package
• Latest forms have been used
• No blanks (especially in signature field)
• NOA/Option C provided for last 3 taxation years
• Correct method of payment used

4. Use Correct Method of Payment:
- Incorrect amount or method of payment will result in rejection. Follow Instruction Guide IMM5772.

- If you make it to 5000 cap; CIC will withdraw/encash your payment within 1~4 weeks. This is the unofficial sign of initial acceptance. If you used your credit card info on Payment Form IMM5770, you will see the withdrawal within minutes/hours on your online bank statement.

- In 2014, CIC sent the official AOR in 6 months while in 2015, we received email AOR within 3 months. Some were able to see their E-Cas activated with 'Received' status within 1.5 months.


I hope this info helps you get inside 5,000 cap. Feel free to look at our 2015 timeline spreadsheet (link given in my signature).