What is MNI?

Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) is the annual income threshold a Canadian citizen or PR sponsor must meet to be eligible to sponsor parents and grandparents under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).

MNI is a stricter test than LICO (used for Super Visa). MNI requires income to meet or exceed the threshold for each of the 3 prior tax years before the application — falling short in any single year disqualifies the sponsor in that PGP cycle.

MNI calculation

MNI threshold = LICO (Low-Income Cut-Off) + 30%. The 30% uplift exists because PGP is a PR sponsorship (with 20-year financial-undertaking obligation), not just a temporary visa.

Family size calculation: sponsor's existing household + accompanying spouse/partner + dependants + the parents/grandparents being sponsored.

2026 figures (approximate, MNI = LICO + 30%)

• Family of 3: ~CAD $46,000+
• Family of 4: ~CAD $61,000+
• Family of 5: ~CAD $70,000+
• Family of 6: ~CAD $79,000+
• Family of 7+: roughly $7,000+ per additional person

Figures updated annually; check the IRCC sponsor-income calculator for current thresholds.

What counts as income

• Employment income (T4)
• Self-employment income (T2125)
• Investment income (T5, T3) — generally counted
• Taxable employment benefits

What does NOT count

• Provincial social assistance benefits
• Employment Insurance (EI) regular benefits (special EI like maternity/parental is generally counted)
• Refugee resettlement assistance
• Federal training allowances

Common gotchas

• 3 consecutive years — falling short of MNI in any one of the 3 prior tax years disqualifies the sponsor that cycle.
• Co-sponsor option — if primary sponsor doesn't meet MNI alone, spouse or common-law partner can combine income with theirs.
• Reassessment lag — IRCC uses the most recent CRA-assessed income. Recent income changes may not be reflected.

See also

• PGP and Parents and Grandparents service.
• LICO — Super Visa's lower threshold.
• NOA — the document IRCC reviews.