Author: Azadeh Haidari-Garmash, RCIC
Canadian families face higher sponsorship costs as PGP income requirements jump significantly
The 2025 Parents and Grandparents Program brings substantial income increases, affecting thousands of Canadian families planning to sponsor relatives for permanent residency
On This Page You Will Find:
• Exact income thresholds you must meet for 2025 PGP sponsorship • How to calculate your family size for income requirements • Alternative pathways if you don't qualify this year • Critical documentation needed for your application • Timeline and invitation process details for 2025
Summary:
Canadian families planning to sponsor parents or grandparents in 2025 face significantly higher income requirements, with the minimum threshold jumping to $47,549 – a $3,000 increase from last year. This comprehensive guide breaks down exactly what income levels you need across three tax years (2022-2024), how to properly calculate your family size, and what documentation Immigration Canada requires. With only 10,000 applications accepted from 17,860 invitations, understanding these requirements could mean the difference between family reunion and another year of waiting.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
- Minimum income requirement increased to $47,549 in 2024, up $3,000 from previous year
- You must meet income thresholds for three consecutive years: 2022, 2023, and 2024
- Only 10,000 applications will be accepted from 17,860 invitations starting July 28, 2025
- Family size calculation affects your required income level significantly
- Quebec residents follow different income assessment rules through MIFI
Maria Santos had been saving and planning for three years. As a software engineer in Toronto, she thought her $52,000 salary would easily qualify her to sponsor her elderly parents from the Philippines. Then she received the 2025 update from Immigration Canada – and realized how much the landscape had changed.
If you're among the thousands of Canadian families hoping to reunite with parents or grandparents through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), you're facing the steepest income requirements in the program's history. The question isn't just whether you can afford to sponsor – it's whether you understood the rules correctly from the start.
What Changed in 2025
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that sponsors must now demonstrate a minimum income of $47,549 for the 2024 tax year. This represents a significant $3,000 jump from the previous year's requirement, reflecting Canada's ongoing adjustment to economic realities and cost of living increases.
But here's what catches most applicants off guard: this isn't just about one year of income. You need to prove you met the minimum threshold for three consecutive years – 2022, 2023, and 2024 for the 2025 intake. Miss the mark in any single year, and your application gets rejected regardless of how well you performed in the other two years.
The income requirements follow a specific formula that adds 30% to Canada's Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) figures. This buffer ensures sponsors can financially support their relatives without relying on government assistance programs.
How Family Size Impacts Your Requirements
Your required income isn't fixed at $47,549 – that's just the baseline for the smallest qualifying family unit. The actual amount you need depends on your total family size, which includes yourself, your spouse or partner, dependent children, and any other relatives you're currently sponsoring.
Family size calculation follows specific rules that trip up many applicants. You count each person in the year they became part of your family, but you exclude anyone who's no longer part of your family unit due to death, divorce, or expired sponsorship undertakings. The key is calculating this correctly for each of the three required tax years, as your family size might have changed during this period.
For example, if you had a child in 2023, that child counts toward your family size for 2023 and 2024, but not for 2022. This affects your required income threshold for each year differently.
The Documentation Challenge
Proving your income means more than just stating your salary. You and any co-signer must provide official proof of income from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for all three required tax years. This includes Notice of Assessment documents, T1 General forms, and any supporting documentation for additional income sources.
Many applicants underestimate how long this documentation process takes. CRA documents can take weeks to obtain, especially if you need to request copies of older tax assessments. The smart move? Start gathering these documents now, even before receiving an invitation to apply.
Co-signers face the same documentation requirements. If you're married or in a common-law relationship, your spouse can help you meet the income threshold by combining their income with yours. However, both of you become legally responsible for supporting the sponsored relatives for up to 20 years.
Quebec's Different Rules
If you live in Quebec, ignore everything above about income requirements. Quebec operates its own immigration system, and the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) sets different income thresholds and assessment criteria.
Quebec's requirements vary based on the number of dependents and are adjusted annually on January 1st. The amounts applicable from January 1 to December 31, 2025, follow Quebec's specific regulation framework, which often differs significantly from federal requirements.
The 2025 Invitation Process
Here's the reality check many families need: even if you meet all income requirements, you might not get selected. The federal government plans to send 17,860 invitations starting July 28, 2025, spread over two weeks. However, they'll only accept 10,000 complete applications.
All 2025 invitations go to sponsors who submitted interest forms back in 2020. If you submitted your interest form more recently, you're looking at waiting several more years before receiving an invitation. This backlog reflects the program's popularity and limited annual intake capacity.
Super Visa as Plan B
If you don't qualify for PGP or weren't selected, the Super Visa program offers an alternative pathway for family visits. However, income requirements for Super Visa sponsorship also increased in 2025, rising 3.9% from 2024 levels as of July 29th.
The Super Visa allows parents and grandparents to visit Canada for up to two years at a time without renewing their status. While it doesn't provide permanent residency, it offers a way to spend extended time together while you work toward meeting PGP requirements or wait for future invitation rounds.
Planning Your Next Steps
If you received a 2025 invitation, your priority should be gathering all required documentation immediately. The application process is lengthy and detailed, with strict deadlines that don't accommodate delays in obtaining supporting documents.
For those still waiting for invitations, use this time strategically. Focus on increasing your income to comfortably exceed minimum requirements, as this provides a buffer against future increases. Consider whether adding a co-signer might strengthen your application, and start building relationships with immigration professionals who can guide you through the complex process.
The Parents and Grandparents Program represents one of Canada's most competitive immigration pathways, but also one of its most rewarding. Understanding these income requirements isn't just about meeting government criteria – it's about ensuring you can provide the financial stability your family needs to build their new life in Canada.
Your family reunion dreams don't have to wait forever, but they do require careful planning, patience, and meeting every requirement exactly as specified. Start preparing now, because when your invitation arrives, you'll want to be ready.
