This tool counts the family size IRCC uses for sponsoring a parent or grandparent and shows the income the sponsor, with a co-signer if any, must have had in each of the three taxation years before applying: the minimum necessary income plus 30% (Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, paragraph 133(1)(j)(i)(B)). The table and the family size rules come from IRCC's page "Income required for the 3 tax years before you apply (for the 2025 intake)" (page modified July 28, 2025) and the Regulations, both checked on October 19, 2026.
| Tax year | Family size | Required income | Sponsor + co-signer | Result |
|---|
IRCC income table for the Parents and Grandparents Program
Income required for the 3 tax years before you apply (for the 2025 intake), from IRCC's page. The amounts are the minimum necessary income plus 30% and must be met in each year, not on average.
| Family size | 2024 tax year | 2023 tax year | 2022 tax year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people | $47,549 | $44,530 | $43,082 |
| 3 people | $58,456 | $54,743 | $52,965 |
| 4 people | $70,972 | $66,466 | $64,306 |
| 5 people | $80,496 | $75,384 | $72,935 |
| 6 people | $90,784 | $85,020 | $82,259 |
| 7 people | $101,075 | $94,658 | $91,582 |
| More than 7 people, for each additional person | +$10,291 | +$9,636 | +$9,324 |
IRCC has not published a table for a later intake as of October 19, 2026. The sponsor must prove the income with Canada Revenue Agency notices of assessment for each of the three years, either by authorizing IRCC to obtain the information from the CRA (question 8 of form IMM 5768) or by sending paper copies with form IMM 5748.
Who counts in the family size
IRCC counts, at the time of application:
- the sponsor;
- the sponsor's spouse (even if separated, in most cases) or common-law partner: for all three years if they co-sign, otherwise only for the years in which they met the definition of a spouse or common-law partner;
- the sponsor's dependent children, the dependent children of the spouse or partner, and any dependent children those children have;
- any other person the sponsor or co-signer sponsored or co-signed for while an undertaking is still in effect, including that person's family members whether or not they were included in the undertaking;
- the person being sponsored (the principal applicant), their spouse or common-law partner (including a separated spouse unless either of them is in a common-law relationship with someone else), their dependent children, the dependent children of their spouse or partner, and any dependent children those children have, even if they are not coming to Canada or are already permanent residents or citizens.
Family size is counted on a yearly basis: count each person in the year they became part of the family, and do not count anyone who is no longer part of the family when you apply (because of death, legal divorce or an expired undertaking) in any of the three years.
The three-year rule
Minimum necessary income plus 30%
Under paragraph 133(1)(j)(i)(B) of the Regulations, a sponsor outside Quebec who sponsors a parent or grandparent must have a total income at least equal to the minimum necessary income plus 30% for each of the three consecutive taxation years immediately before the sponsorship application is filed. Section 2 of the Regulations defines the minimum necessary income as the before-tax low income cut-off that Statistics Canada publishes for urban areas of 500,000 people or more, for the family size counted; IRCC's table already includes the 30%.
How income is calculated
Section 134(1.1) of the Regulations takes the income reported on the sponsor's notices of assessment for the three years and excludes provincial training allowances, provincial social assistance, federal resettlement assistance, employment insurance benefits other than special benefits, the guaranteed income supplement and the Canada child benefit. A co-signing spouse or common-law partner's income is calculated the same way and added.
Updated evidence
Before deciding the application, an officer may ask for updated income evidence if more than 12 months have passed since the application was received or if the officer learns the sponsor may no longer be able to meet the undertaking. The income is then recalculated for the three taxation years before the day the updated evidence is received.
Sponsors in Quebec
Sponsors who live in Quebec are not assessed against the federal table. After IRCC approves the sponsor, Quebec's immigration ministry assesses financial capacity under Quebec's own rules and tables, and the Quebec undertaking for a parent or grandparent lasts 10 years instead of 20.
Limits of this estimate
What to check next
- Read the family sponsorship guide for the other sponsor requirements, the 20-year undertaking and the fees.
- While the PGP is paused, the super visa income calculator shows the income a host needs for a parent or grandparent super visa.
- Use the government fee calculator for the sponsorship fee, the processing fee and the right of permanent residence fee.
Official sources
- IRCC: Income required for the 3 tax years before you apply (for the 2025 intake), family size and proof of income (page modified July 28, 2025)
- IRCC: Sponsor your parents and grandparents (program paused; page modified August 18, 2026)
- IRCC notice, July 15, 2026: Parents and Grandparents Program paused
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, section 133: minimum necessary income plus 30% for three consecutive taxation years; Quebec
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, section 134: income calculation, excluded amounts, co-signer and updated evidence