PGP Document Checklist: Every Form and Certificate You Need
PGP Document Checklist: Every Form and Certificate You Need
When an IRCC invitation to apply arrives, the 60-day clock starts immediately. Every document in the package must be ready, signed, valid, and uploaded correctly within that window. A single missing digital signature or an outdated police certificate fails the completeness check and forfeits the invitation.
This is the complete document list for the 2025 PGP application, organized by who prepares each item.
Forms the Sponsor Completes (PDF Format, Downloaded from IRCC)
These forms are completed by the Canadian sponsor. Each PDF contains a "Validate" button that generates a barcode — this validation must happen before saving and uploading. Uploading an unvalidated PDF (without the barcode) is a common reason applications are returned.
IMM 5771 — Document Checklist
This form is the master checklist for the entire package. The sponsor checks off each item and places this form at the top of the digital package. It's not filled with personal data — it serves as the index and confirmation that everything required is included.
Download the current version from canada.ca. Do not use an older version of the form — IRCC periodically updates its forms and will not accept previous versions after the change date.
IMM 1344 — Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking
This is the core legal contract of the PGP application. It must be signed by:
- The sponsor
- The co-signer (if one is being used to help meet income requirements)
- The principal applicant (the parent or grandparent being sponsored)
IMM 1344 establishes the 20-year undertaking to provide for the sponsored persons' basic needs — food, shelter, clothing, and non-insured health care. In Quebec, the undertaking period is 10 years under provincial rules.
The form requires signatures in a specific sequence. Missing any one signature triggers a completeness failure.
IMM 5768 — Financial Evaluation
This form captures three years of income data and the family size calculation for each year. It is where the sponsor:
- Lists their Social Insurance Number (so IRCC can pull CRA tax data directly)
- Calculates family size for 2022, 2023, and 2024
- Confirms the minimum necessary income threshold was met in each year
This is the form where family size errors most often occur. Every person in the family size must be listed for each year, with dates for dependents whose status changed mid-period.
IMM 5409 — Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union
Only required if a common-law partner (not a legal spouse) is co-signing the application. This form must be:
- Signed by hand (not digitally)
- Signed in the presence of a Notary Public, Commissioner of Oaths, or equivalent legal official
- Scanned and uploaded as part of the package
Arranging for in-person notarization takes time. If this form applies to your situation, it should be the first thing you organize.
Forms the Parent or Grandparent Completes (Filled Directly in the PR Portal)
Unlike the sponsorship forms, the principal applicant's forms are filled out directly within the IRCC Permanent Residence Portal rather than downloaded as PDFs.
IMM 0008 — Generic Application Form
Personal details, passport information, and a complete list of all accompanying and non-accompanying dependents. Even family members not coming to Canada must be listed if they exist — omitting a child overseas is a common application return trigger.
IMM 5669 — Schedule A, Background/Declaration
An exhaustive personal history since age 18 with no gaps. Every month must be accounted for under one of the categories: employment, education, unemployment, or other. A single unexplained gap in the chronology will result in a follow-up request or an application hold.
For a 65-year-old parent, Schedule A covers 47 years of history. This form typically takes the most time to complete and should be started early.
IMM 5406 — Additional Family Information
Lists all parents, siblings, and children of the principal applicant — regardless of whether they are immigrating to Canada. This is not about the Canadian sponsor's family; it's the parent's family tree.
IMM 5562 — Supplementary Information, Your Travels
A complete record of international travel over the past 10 years. Used for security screening. Missing entries or approximate dates that can't be verified by passport stamps can prompt follow-up questions.
Supporting Documents: What You Need From Outside the Portal
Proof of Sponsor's Status
- Copy of Canadian passport (for citizens) or permanent resident card (for PRs)
- If citizenship was acquired by naturalization: citizenship certificate
Income Documents (Sponsor)
- Notice of Assessment (NOA) from CRA for 2022, 2023, and 2024
- If NOA is unavailable for any year: employment letter, T4 slips, and an explanation
Relationship Documentation
The most common document here is the birth certificate. For PGP, a government-issued birth certificate naming the sponsor's parents is mandatory. Standard requirements:
- The certificate must be a government-issued original or certified copy — not a hospital-issued birth notification or a family bible entry
- If the sponsor was born in Quebec, IRCC only accepts a certificate issued by the Directeur de l'état civil du Québec — no exceptions
- Certificates in languages other than English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation by a member of a recognized translation association
Police Certificates (Principal Applicant)
Police certificates are required from every country where the parent has lived for a cumulative total of six months or more since age 18. For a 65-year-old applicant who lived in three countries, that may mean three separate police certificates.
Key requirements:
- From the country of current residence: must be no more than six months old at the time of application submission
- From previous countries of residence: IRCC requirements vary — some accept older certificates for countries no longer lived in
- Must be original documents, not photocopies
- If not in English or French, must be certified translation
Why this is the biggest scheduling risk: Police certificates from many countries take four to eight weeks. India's PCC through the passport office channel typically runs four to six weeks. Nigeria's Federal Character Commission can take even longer. The 60-day submission window does not accommodate last-minute requests from abroad.
If a police certificate is unavailable due to processing times in the issuing country, the applicant should:
- Submit a formal request for the certificate immediately upon receiving the ITA
- Document that request (confirmation email, receipt, etc.)
- Submit a Letter of Explanation with the main application package explaining the delay and attaching proof of the request
IRCC typically places these files on hold rather than refusing them — but only if the initial effort is well-documented.
Civil Status Documents
- Marriage certificate (if parents are married)
- Divorce decree (if previously married)
- Death certificate of former spouse (if applicable)
- Adoption documents (if applicable)
Free Download
Get the Canada Parent/Grandparent Sponsorship Guide — Quick-Start Checklist
Everything in this article as a printable checklist — plus action plans and reference guides you can start using today.
What Happens if Documents Are Missing
IRCC runs a completeness check on every PGP package before it is assigned to a processing officer. If any required document is missing, unsigned, or on an outdated form version, the entire package is returned without processing. The invitation is forfeit.
There is no second chance with the same invitation. If the package is returned, the sponsor must wait for the next lottery draw — which, given the current pause, could mean years.
The Canada Parent/Grandparent Sponsorship Guide includes a pre-lottery readiness protocol that covers which documents to stage before an invitation arrives, including country-specific guidance for obtaining police certificates and birth certificates from high-demand source countries.
Quick Reference Checklist
Sponsor's documents:
- [ ] IMM 5771 (validated, with barcode)
- [ ] IMM 1344 (signed by all parties)
- [ ] IMM 5768 (with SIN, family size for all 3 years)
- [ ] IMM 5409 (notarized, if common-law co-signer)
- [ ] Proof of Canadian status
- [ ] NOAs for 2022, 2023, 2024
- [ ] Birth certificate (sponsor's)
Principal applicant's documents:
- [ ] IMM 0008 (all dependents listed)
- [ ] IMM 5669 (no gaps in history since age 18)
- [ ] IMM 5406 (all family members listed)
- [ ] IMM 5562 (10-year travel history)
- [ ] Valid passport
- [ ] Police certificates (all countries, 6+ months residence)
- [ ] Civil status documents
- [ ] Translation certificates for non-English/French documents
Get Your Free Canada Parent/Grandparent Sponsorship Guide — Quick-Start Checklist
Download the Canada Parent/Grandparent Sponsorship Guide — Quick-Start Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.