Parent Sponsorship Income Calculator
Check whether your income meets the LICO threshold to sponsor your parents or grandparents to Canada. See your exact deficit or surplus and how long it takes to close any gap.
Use the “Total income” line from your T1 / Notice of Assessment. Employment income, self-employment income, rental income, and certain pension income can count. Social assistance income cannot.
A spouse or partner living with you can co-sign. Their income is added to yours for the LICO calculation. They must also agree to the sponsorship undertaking.
What Nigerian Sponsors Get Wrong About the LICO
- ✗ Using gross salary instead of total income from their NOA. Your LICO is assessed from your CRA Notice of Assessment, not your pay stub gross. These can differ significantly depending on deductions.
- ✗ Not counting the parents in the family size calculation. You must include the sponsored parents in the total family size when looking up the LICO threshold. Many people calculate based on current family size only.
- ✗ Not knowing a co-signer can close the gap. A spouse or partner who lives with you can co-sign the sponsorship and add their income to yours. This is a legitimate and commonly used option when the primary sponsor is slightly below the LICO.
- ✗ Forgetting the LICO is verified for multiple years. IRCC checks your income for the 3 tax years preceding the application. You must meet the threshold in each of the 3 years, not just the most recent one.
- ✗ Assuming the income requirement is the same for the Super Visa. The Super Visa uses the same LICO table. If you are below the threshold, you cannot sponsor via PGP or issue a Super Visa until your income improves.
How the LICO Income Calculation Works
IRCC uses Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) before-tax table to assess whether a sponsor earns enough to financially support the people they are bringing to Canada as parents or grandparents. The threshold increases with total family size.
Required Income = LICO[Family Size] (updated annually by Stats Canada)
Combined Income = Sponsor Income + Co-Signer Income
Deficit = Required Income – Combined Income (if negative, gap exists)
Years to Close = log(Required / Combined) / log(1 + Growth Rate)
LICO Thresholds for 2024 (Approximate)
These are approximate values based on the LICO-BT (before tax) table. IRCC updates these annually. Always verify the current year’s table at the official IRCC website before submitting your application.
| Family Size | LICO Threshold (CAD/yr) | LICO per Month |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | ~32,899 | ~2,742 |
| 3 | ~40,444 | ~3,370 |
| 4 | ~49,106 | ~4,092 |
| 5 | ~55,695 | ~4,641 |
| 6 | ~62,814 | ~5,235 |
| 7 | ~69,934 | ~5,828 |
The 3-Year Income Rule: What Most Nigerians Miss
IRCC does not just look at your most recent tax year. For the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), IRCC assesses your income for the 3 tax years immediately before the application year. You must meet the LICO threshold in each of those 3 years. If you met the threshold in 2 of 3 years, you do not qualify.
This means building toward the PGP is a 3-year process, not a 1-year sprint. If your income first meets the LICO in tax year 2024, the earliest you can submit a PGP application is 2027 (using 2024, 2025, and 2026 tax years), assuming you continue to meet the LICO in each subsequent year.
How a Co-Signer Can Close the Gap
If your income alone does not meet the LICO, your spouse or common-law partner who lives with you can co-sign the sponsorship application. IRCC adds both incomes together to assess the LICO requirement. The co-signer must also agree to the financial undertaking, which means they share the legal responsibility for supporting the sponsored parents for 20 years.
A co-signer must also be a Canadian citizen or PR. They cannot be receiving social assistance. They must have filed Canadian taxes in all 3 assessment years.
Table of Truth: Income Scenarios for Nigerian Sponsors
| Situation | Sponsor Income | Co-Signer | Family Size | LICO | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single, 1 parent | CAD 42,000 | None | 3 | ~40,444 | Meets threshold |
| Married, 2 parents | CAD 55,000 | None | 5 | ~55,695 | Short by ~695 |
| Married, 2 parents | CAD 48,000 | CAD 22,000 | 5 | ~55,695 | Combined 70,000: Meets |
| Single, 2 parents, 1 child | CAD 70,000 | None | 5 | ~55,695 | Meets (surplus 14,305) |
| Married, 1 parent, 2 kids | CAD 38,000 | CAD 20,000 | 6 | ~62,814 | Combined 58,000: Short by ~4,814 |
Realistic Scenarios
Scenario 1: Nigerian PR in Calgary, Sponsoring 2 Parents, Single Income
Chima earns CAD 70,000/year. He lives alone and wants to sponsor both parents. Family size: himself (1) + 2 parents = 3 people. LICO: approximately CAD 40,444. He meets the threshold comfortably with a surplus of approximately CAD 29,556. He waits for the PGP intake, confirms he has met the LICO for 3 consecutive years, and submits when selected. No co-signer needed.
Scenario 2: Nigerian PR Couple, 2 Kids, Sponsoring 2 Parents, Just Short
Ngozi earns CAD 52,000. Her husband (co-signer) earns CAD 18,000 part-time. They have 2 children and want to sponsor 2 parents. Family size: 2 adults + 2 kids + 2 parents = 6 people. LICO: approximately CAD 62,814. Combined income: CAD 70,000. They meet the threshold by approximately CAD 7,186. Both must have met the LICO as a combined income for 3 tax years. Both must co-sign the undertaking and both must have valid CRA tax returns.
Scenario 3: New PR, Needs 2 More Years to Qualify
Tunde became a PR in 2023 and earns CAD 48,000. He is single and wants to sponsor 1 parent. Family size: 2 people. LICO: approximately CAD 32,899. He already meets the threshold. But he needs to meet it for 3 consecutive tax years. His first fully eligible tax year is 2023 (post-PR). If he continues to meet the threshold in 2024 and 2025, he can apply in the 2026 PGP intake using his 2023, 2024, and 2025 NOAs. Timeline to eligibility: approximately 2 more years of qualifying income.
Common Questions
Does rental income count toward the LICO calculation?
Yes. Net rental income (after allowable expenses) that appears on your CRA tax return counts toward your total income for LICO assessment. Gross rental income is not the right figure; use the net amount from your T776 rental income form as reported on your NOA.
Does my overseas Nigerian income count?
No. Only Canadian income that appears on your Canadian tax return is counted. Nigerian income, even if remitted to Canada, does not count unless it is declared on your Canadian tax return and taxed in Canada.
What if I was unemployed for part of the year?
Your total income for that year may fall below the LICO threshold. IRCC looks at the full tax year amount, not an annualised partial year figure. A year with significant unemployment is typically a disqualifying year for the 3-year assessment.
Can I include CERB or EI income?
Employment Insurance (EI) income that appears on your NOA counts. CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) was a taxable benefit that appeared on NOAs during 2020 to 2021 and generally counts. Verify with your NOA; the tool uses your total income figure which should include these items if present.
If I meet the LICO this year, can I apply immediately?
No. You must meet the LICO for the 3 consecutive tax years before the application year. Meeting the threshold once is the starting point of a 3-year qualification period, not an immediate application trigger.
