Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS): the 10-year rule, the amounts, and what it means for your parents

The Old Age Security (OAS) pension is paid from age 65 to people who have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after age 18 and live here as a citizen or legal resident. The maximum for July to September 2026 is $751.97 a month for ages 65 to 74, and $827.17 for age 75 and over. A full pension requires 40 years of residence; anyone with fewer years gets a partial pension. The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) adds up to $1,123.17 a month for a single person on a low income, but it isn't paid to a sponsored immigrant while the sponsorship is in effect, which for parents and grandparents lasts 20 years outside Quebec.

OAS eligibility requirements

• Age: 65 or older.
• Living in Canada: at least 10 years of residence after age 18, if you live in Canada when you apply.
• Living outside Canada: at least 20 years of residence after age 18, if you will live abroad and want the pension to continue.
• Legal status: you must be a Canadian citizen or legal resident when your application is approved.

Note that the requirement is based on residence, not on work or contributions. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is a different program, based on contributions from your pay.

Current amounts: July to September 2026

Amounts are adjusted every three months, in January, April, July and October, in line with the cost of living. The government has announced a 1.4% increase for October to December 2026, but the new dollar amounts had not been published on the official page on the day we checked. The remaining payment dates in 2026 are 25 September, 28 October, 26 November and 22 December.

The partial pension: each year of residence is worth one-fortieth

The government calculates a partial pension by dividing your years of residence in Canada after age 18 by 40. Examples based on the July to September 2026 maximum for ages 65 to 74:

Three rules that change the figure:

• The pension automatically increases by 10% in the month after your 75th birthday.
• If you delay starting your pension past 65, it increases by 0.6% for each month you wait, or 7.2% a year, up to 36% at age 70. There's no benefit to waiting past 70.
• If you lived in a country that has a social security agreement with Canada, periods of residence or work there may count toward the eligibility requirement. The government says some people who lived in agreement countries may qualify after just one year of residence in Canada. Morocco, for example, has an agreement with Canada. Ask Service Canada about your country.

See also our Canadian citizenship guide: years of residence matter for both, even though they're counted differently.

The clawback: when does the government take back part of the pension?

If your net world income is above a set threshold, the government recovers 15% of the difference between your income and that threshold, deducting it from your payments in the following recovery period.

The government's own example: your income in 2025 was $100,000. The amount above the threshold is $6,546, and 15% of that is $981.90, which is recovered from July 2026 to June 2027. Someone who sells an investment property or withdraws a large amount from an RRSP can reach this threshold in a single year, so plan the timing. Learn about these accounts in our TFSA and RRSP guide.

The Guaranteed Income Supplement: requirements and keeping it going

The GIS is paid on top of the OAS pension to people with low incomes. The requirements:

• You are 65 or older and receive the OAS pension.
• You live in Canada. The GIS stops if you move abroad, even if your pension continues.
• Your income is below the limits in the table above.
• You are not a sponsored immigrant during the sponsorship period, with a few exceptions set out in the next section.

File a tax return every year. The government says plainly that if you didn't file your 2025 return, your GIS payments may stop or be reduced. Alternatively, you can report your income directly to Service Canada. The steps are in our tax return guide. People on low incomes may also get the groceries and essentials benefit.

Parents on a super visa or sponsored: what they're entitled to

Super visa: this is a long-term visitor visa, not permanent residence, and on its own it gives no right to the OAS pension or the GIS. That's why IRCC requires visitors to have private health insurance and a host with sufficient income. Whether years spent visiting count as "residence" for the pension later is not guaranteed; Service Canada decides case by case. Details are in our super visa guide.

Sponsorship (permanent residence for parents and grandparents):

• Length of the undertaking: 20 years outside Quebec and 10 years in Quebec. During that time the sponsor must provide food, clothing, housing and everyday needs, plus health care not covered by public insurance, such as dental and eye care.
• The GIS: not paid to the sponsored person while the sponsorship is in effect, unless the sponsor dies, is jailed for more than 6 months, is convicted of an offence against the sponsored person, or declares personal bankruptcy.
• The OAS pension itself: the sponsorship restrictions apply only to the GIS and the two Allowance benefits, so the pension remains possible once the 10-year requirement is met. A parent who arrives at 60, for example, won't meet the 10-year requirement before age 70.
• Social assistance: if a sponsored parent receives social assistance during the undertaking, the sponsor must repay it, and can't sponsor anyone else until they do.

What this means in practice: plan your parents' living costs around your own income, not around a government benefit. Work out the cost of housing, insurance and medication with the budget tool. If your situation is complicated, speak to an immigration lawyer or an accountant. This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice.

How to start your pension: automatic enrolment or applying

1. Wait for your automatic enrolment letter. If Service Canada has the information it needs about your eligibility, you'll get a letter around your 64th birthday and won't need to apply.
2. If no letter arrives, the information in it is wrong, or you want to delay your start date, apply through My Service Canada Account. Online applications open one month after your 64th birthday.
3. Or apply on paper using form ISP-3550. A paper application is required if you're applying from outside Canada.
4. If you're already over 65 and haven't applied, you can receive up to 11 months of back payments from the date your application is received.

Frequently asked questions

My father has been a permanent resident for 7 years and is 68. Does he qualify for the pension?

Not yet, unless he has periods of residence or work in a country that has a social security agreement with Canada to make up the difference. After 10 years of residence he can apply, and his pension will be partial, at 10 ÷ 40.

Does the pension continue if my parents move back to their home country?

The pension continues outside Canada if they lived in Canada for at least 20 years after age 18. The GIS stops once they move abroad.

Is it better to delay my pension until 70?

Delaying increases the pension by 0.6% for each month, up to 36% at age 70, but you receive nothing during those years. Anyone who needs the GIS gains nothing by delaying, because the GIS is only paid alongside the pension. Decide based on your health and your other income.

Does the GIS restriction end after ten years of sponsorship?

The official page lists only four exceptions: the sponsor's death, imprisonment for more than 6 months, conviction for an offence against the sponsored person, or bankruptcy. If your parent has lived in Canada for a long time, ask Service Canada directly about their case before assuming anything.

When will I know the amounts for October to December 2026?

The announced increase is 1.4%. Once the new dollar amounts are published, they'll appear on the official pension amounts page, so check it before relying on any figure.

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