Canada to use PGP lottery selection again in 2021

Canada’s immigration department will once again use a randomized selection process for parents and grandparents sponsorship in 2021.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that there will be only one round of invitations to apply for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) a part of the 2020 intake, in a new program delivery update.

The three-week intake period for Interest to Sponsor forms for 2020 closed on November 3. Now IRCC has to randomize the submissions, remove duplicates, and send invitations to apply. They anticipate that there will not be enough time for sponsors, parents and grandparents to complete their applications before 2021. As a result, sponsorship applications resulting from the fall 2020 intake period will be received in early 2021.

IRCC will accept a maximum of 10,000 sponsorship applications next year for the 2020 PGP, according to the ministerial instructions. Any applications received before the end of December 2020 will be counted toward the application cap of 10,000. In 2021, intake will go up to 30,000. This maximum may be changed with any subsequent instructions provided by the immigration minister.

People who submit an interest to sponsor in 2020, but who are not invited to apply this year, may be given consideration in a subsequent year if they reapply.

IRCC is continuing to process PGP sponsorship applications on a first in, first out basis. This means that new applications submitted when the program reopens will be placed in the queue behind the applications in the existing inventory of PGP sponsorship applications.

The intake dates for the 2021 PGP have not been set. Future sponsors must let the department know that they want to sponsor their parents or grandparents by submitting an interest to sponsor form when it becomes available. They will need to upload a copy of their status in Canada along with their form, so that IRCC can identify duplicate submissions.

The interest to sponsor form is not an application for the PGP. The immigration department will invite people to apply for the PGP if they have submitted the interest to sponsor form during the allotted intake period.

Potential sponsors have 60 days from the date of their invitation to apply letter to submit their sponsorship application and permanent residence application package. The invitation to apply is not transferrable to other potential sponsors or applicants. If IRCC can’t reach sponsors or applicants by email, agents will print the email and mail it to the sponsor’s mailing address.