Over a 3-week period, from 12 p.m. EDT on October 13, 2020, to 12 p.m. EST on November 3, 2020, Canadians and permanent residents who wish to sponsor their parents and grandparents to come to Canada will have an opportunity to submit an interest to sponsor form online.

In order to ensure a fair, transparent and equal opportunity for applicants, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will randomly select potential sponsors and send them an invitation to submit an application. Selected applicants will have 60 days to submit their application.

Given that many sponsors may have been financially impacted by the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, IRCC is introducing a temporary public policy that will reduce the income requirement for the 2020 tax year to the minimum necessary income, instead of the minimum necessary income plus 30%.

the requirement to have a total income at least equal to the minimum necessary income but only as it relates to the aspect of the calculation of such income for the 2020 taxation year and specifically pertaining to the exclusion, under subparagraph 134(1.1)(b)(iv) of the Regulations, of income received under the EIA from said calculation. For further clarity, sponsors who with the inclusion of income received under the EIA would meet the applicable minimum necessary income threshold for 2020 comply with this condition. They will still need to meet the regulatory requirement from the minimum necessary income perspective for any other taxation years required by the Regulations

For further clarity, foreign nationals with sponsors who with or without the inclusion of income received under the EIA would meet the applicable minimum necessary income threshold for 2020 but who do not meet the requirement to have an additional 30% of income would comply with this condition. They will still need to meet the regulatory requirement to meet the minimum necessary income plus 30% for any other taxation years required by the Regulations.