Canada Pauses New Parents and Grandparents Sponsorships

IRCC announced on July 15, 2026, in a news release titled "Canada takes steps to responsibly manage the Parents and Grandparents Program," that it is pausing the intake of new PGP applications. During the pause, IRCC will not receive new interest to sponsor forms and will not invite potential sponsors to apply.

IRCC did not give an end date. Processing continues for applications already received, and the department said it still aims to approve 15,000 PGP applications for permanent residence in 2026. Canada's 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets PGP admissions at 15,000 a year for 2026, 2027 and 2028.

The PGP normally works in two steps: sponsors first submit an interest to sponsor form, and IRCC then invites some of them to send a full application. Both entry points are now closed.

• Canadian citizens and permanent residents who planned to sponsor a parent or grandparent for permanent residence. They cannot start a new PGP application.
• People who submitted interest forms in past years and were waiting for an invitation. No new invitations are being sent.
• Families with applications already filed. They are not affected by the pause; their cases stay in processing.

Other family sponsorship programs, such as spousal sponsorship and dependent children, are not affected.

1. If you already applied: keep your contact details up to date and respond quickly to IRCC requests.
2. If you have not applied: look at the Super Visa. It lets parents and grandparents stay up to five years per entry, and the visa can be valid for up to 10 years. The host in Canada must meet a minimum income, and the visitor needs private medical insurance from an eligible insurer.
3. For short visits, a regular visitor visa or eTA may be enough.
4. Watch for a reopening on IRCC's news page. Ignore anyone who claims they can get you a PGP invitation during the pause; see scam protection.

Our PGP status page will track any change.