What Is the Minimum Necessary Income for the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship in 2021?

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"Canada allows its citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence in Canada through the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program. Both the sponsor and their beneficiary are required to meet certain eligibility requirements to qualify for the program."

Written by My Visa Source Team
Published on: Nov 15, 2021

Canada allows its citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence in Canada through the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program. Both the sponsor and their beneficiary are required to meet certain eligibility requirements to qualify for the program.

One of the most important requirements to sponsor a parent or grandparent is having the minimum necessary income. Based on the number of family members, the number of people getting sponsored, and where they will be living, your Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) requirement will differ.

What Is the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program?

The Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents to come to Canada. The sponsor must be at least 18 years of age and meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) requirement to support the sponsored person financially.

How to Calculate the Number of Your Family Members?

For the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program, the number of people in your family will include the people you are currently supporting in Canada and the people you intend to sponsor. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) includes the following people in your family unit for immigration:

You
Your spouse or common-law partner
Your dependent children
Your spouse or common-law partner’s dependent children
Any previous sponsor you are still financially responsible for
The parents and grandparents you intend to sponsor
The spouse, common-law partner, and dependent children of your parents and grandparents even if they will not be accompanying them to Canada

Note: You can only sponsor your parents and grandparents, and their dependent children to come to Canada. Their dependent children must be under the age of 22 to be eligible to be sponsored.

What Is the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) Requirement Outside Quebec?

To calculate your MNI requirement outside Quebec, the IRCC looks at your income for 3 consecutive taxation years before you apply. That means, if you are applying to sponsor your parents or grandparents in 2021, your MNI will be calculated based on your income in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Your spouse or common-law partner can help you meet this requirement as a co-signer.

The MNI for every year will be calculated based on the IRCC’s Low-Income Cut-Off Figures (LICO) with an added 30%. The MNI for 2020 was affected due to the economic challenges faced across Canada during the pandemic.

Family Unit Size	2018 MNI	2019 MNI	2020 MNI
2	$40,379	$41,007	$32,270
3	$49,641	$50,414	$39,672
4	$60,271	$61,209	$48,167
5	$54,630	$69,423	$68,358
6	$77,095	$78,296	$61,613
7	$85,835	$87,172	$68,595
For every additional family member: Add	$8,740	$8,876	$6,985

If there was a new addition to your family or you lost a family member during these years, then the MNI will be calculated based on the number of people in your family in that year. For example, if you had a baby in 2019, then your MNI for 2019 will be calculated based on 3 family members for 2019 and 2020.

How to Demonstrate Proof of Income?

To demonstrate that you meet the MNI requirement, you will be required to obtain a Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency for each of 3 taxation years, that is, 2018, 2019, and 2020.

What Are the Minimum Necessary Income Requirements (MNI) for Sponsors in Quebec?

Sponsors living in Quebec will have different MNI requirements since Quebec has its own immigration system with more autonomy to decide who can settle in the province. However, the IRCC will have the final say on who will receive permanent residence.

The MNI requirement for sponsors in Quebec is calculated based on a certain income level over the previous 12 months. Your spouse or common-law partner can help you meet this requirement by becoming a co-signer.

Your average income must be equal to or greater than the sum of the two incomes based on your family unit size mentioned below. You are required to have to follow income level in the previous 12 months to sponsor your parent or grandparent in 2021:

Family Unit Size

Income Requirement

$24,602

$33,209

$41,001

$47,156

$52,482

For every additional family member: Add

$5,326

For example, if you are applying to sponsor your mother alone, then your basic income requirement will be $24,602. If you are applying with your spouse or common-law partner as a co-signer, then your MNI requirement will be $33,209.

In addition to the above, you will be required to demonstrate additional income to support the basic needs of the person you are sponsoring and their family members. This income is calculated based on income requirement based on your family unit added to the number of people you are sponsoring who are 18 years of age or older. For example, if you are sponsoring your mother alone, then your MNI requirement will be $24,602 + $17,994 = $42,596. If you are sponsoring her with your wife, then it will be $51,203.

Number of people 18 years or above

Number of people under the age of 18

Average income requirement

$8,515

$13,496

For every additional person: Add

$4,500

What Are the Requirements to Become a Co-signer?

Your spouse or common-law partner can help you meet the MNI requirement for the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program by becoming a co-signer. Common-law partners will be required to submit a form - to confirm their common-law status.

Your spouse or common-law partner can become a co-signer regardless of how long you have been together. They will be required to meet the same eligibility requirements as the sponsor, that is they must be at least 18 years of age, currently residing in Canada as a citizen or permanent resident. If you fail to meet the requirements of your financial undertaking, then your co-signer will be held equally liable for it.