Canadian citizens and permanent residents will not have additional chances to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence unless the federal government changes its stance. According to a government news release issued on July 15, 2026, Canada is “suspending the acceptance of new applications for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).
The immigration department “will not accept the new interest in sponsorship forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice,” as stated in the government news release. The department states it will keep processing PGP sponsorship applications that have been submitted, aiming to approve 15,000 permanent residence applications in 2026. At the time of writing, the immigration department’s processing times webpage indicates a PGP inventory of 50,900 applications. According to the most recent immigration levels plan, the federal government has established the following targets for yearly PGP admissions:
| Year | PGP Admissions Target |
| 2026 | 15,000 |
| 2027 | 15,000 |
| 2028 | 15,000 |
For applicants that applied in July 2025, the wait is another 18 months to settle outside Quebec and 54 months to settle within Quebec.
The PGP is a pathway to permanent residency for family members and was last open in 2020 to eligible Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians.
In 2020, during the government’s three-week intake period, it received 203,213 unique applications from would-be sponsors. The federal government held an invitation period each year between 2020 and 2025. During this period, invitations were randomly issued to individuals who submitted sponsorship interest forms during the 2020 intake.
Invited applicants could apply by submitting applications to sponsor parents or grandparents for Canadian permanent residency.
Since the 2020 intake, Canadian citizens and permanent residents have not been able to submit their interest in sponsor forms to be considered in the PGP lottery.
“Canada takes measures to responsibly oversee the Parents and Grandparents Program,” a government press statement advises prospective sponsors who were not selected in the PGP to consider the super visa program to allow parents and grandparents to obtain extended visitor status.
The super visa, valid for a maximum of 10 years, allows parents and grandparents to visit their Canadian relatives for up to five years at a time. The normal period of stay granted to foreign nationals is six months maximum. A grandparent or parent applying for a super visa must have an invitation letter from the relative who is hosting them and purchase health insurance for the duration of their stay.
The host relative must provide financial support for the entire duration of the super visa applicant’s stay and meet minimum income criteria.
To qualify for a super visa, the applicant must fulfill Canada’s entry criteria for foreign nationals wanting to enter as temporary residents, which includes proving to the officer that they will depart Canada after their permitted stay duration.
Leave a Reply