GIS Eligibility and How It Works With OAS
The Guaranteed Income Supplement can only be paid to someone who gets the Old Age Security pension, so every GIS recipient has already cleared the OAS tests. GIS then adds three conditions of its own: you must live in Canada, you can't be under a sponsorship agreement, and your income has to be under a much lower limit. Those are the places where people who qualify for OAS find they don't qualify for GIS.
Same letter, separate decision
Service Canada handles the two together. The enrolment letter that arrives shortly after your 64th birthday confirms your OAS and says Service Canada will try to enrol you for GIS automatically; if it can't, a second letter invites you to apply. Someone who applied for OAS but never for GIS has to apply for it, either through My Service Canada Account, choosing the GIS-only application, or on paper with form ISP-3025. If you haven't applied for either, form ISP-3550 covers both. Once approved, GIS is paid on the OAS dates.
Where the two part ways
| Test | OAS pension | GIS |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 65 or older | 65 or older |
| Living outside Canada | Paid abroad with 20 years of residence since 18 | Stops if you're away more than 6 months |
| Sponsored immigrant | Not among the listed conditions | Not paid while the sponsorship lasts |
| Income limit (single) | Fully recovered at $152,062 (65 to 74) | Less than $23,112 |
The residence rule is the one that catches travellers. An OAS pensioner with enough years in Canada keeps the pension while living abroad, but GIS can't be collected after more than six months outside the country, and Service Canada expects to hear from you before you leave for that long and again when you come back.
Sponsored immigrants
Since October 1, 2025, anyone under a sponsorship agreement can't receive GIS, the Allowance or the Allowance for the Survivor for the whole length of the agreement. At the same time, parent and grandparent sponsorships were extended from 10 years to 20 everywhere except Quebec. The bar lifts early only if the sponsor dies, is imprisoned for more than six months, is convicted of an offence against you, or declares bankruptcy. Immigrants who weren't sponsored can get GIS on the same terms as anyone else who qualifies for OAS.
The income limits
For October to December 2026, annual income has to be below:
- $23,112 if you're single, divorced or widowed;
- $30,528 combined, if your spouse or partner gets the full OAS pension;
- $42,768 combined, if your spouse or partner gets the Allowance;
- $55,392 combined, if your spouse or partner gets no OAS.
These limits are where the supplement reaches zero, so being under them means some GIS, not the maximum; the GIS calculator works out how much from your income. They're re-indexed every quarter along with the payments.
A partner aged 60 to 64
If you qualify for GIS and your spouse or common-law partner is between 60 and 64, they may get the Allowance, provided they're a citizen or legal resident, have lived in Canada for 10 years since 18, and your combined income is under its limit. The OAS eligibility guide covers the residence rules both benefits start from.
Common questions
Do I need to apply separately for GIS?
Not always. Service Canada tries to enrol people for GIS automatically along with OAS and writes to you if you need to apply. If you applied for OAS but never for GIS, you must apply for GIS separately, online or with form ISP-3025.
Can I get GIS if I live outside Canada?
No. GIS requires you to live in Canada, and you cannot collect it if you are outside the country for more than six months. The OAS pension itself can continue abroad for someone who lived here 20 or more years after turning 18.
Can sponsored immigrants get GIS?
Not while the sponsorship agreement lasts. Since October 1, 2025 that applies for the full length of the agreement, and parent and grandparent sponsorships outside Quebec now run 20 years. Exceptions include the sponsor's death, imprisonment for more than six months, an offence against you, or bankruptcy.