BREAKING: Canada shuts door to sponsoring parents and grandparents for permanent residence

Canadian citizens and permanent residents will have no further opportunities to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence, unless the federal government reverses course.

Canada is “pausing the intake of new applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program” (PGP), according to a government news release published on July 15, 2026.

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The immigration department “will not receive new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice.”

The department says it will continue to process sponsorship applications which have already been received through the PGP, with the objective of approving 15,000 applications for permanent residence in 2026.

The PGP is a family reunification pathway to permanent residence that opened in 2020.

As demand exceeds available supply, the PGP operates on a lottery system.

Eligible Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and registered Indians had been able to submit interest to sponsor forms to the federal government during the initial 2020 intake period.

Each year from 2021 through 2025, the federal government held a two-week invitation period, during which invitations were sent at random to those who had submitted interest to sponsor forms in the 2020 intake.

Those who received invitations had the opportunity to respond by submitting applications to sponsor their parents or grandparents for Canadian permanent residence.

Since the initial intake period of 2020, there has been no opportunity for Canadian citizens or permanent residents to submit interest to sponsor forms for consideration in the PGP lottery.

The press release encouraged potential sponsors who had been shut out of the PGP to look to the super visa program, through which parents and grandparents can obtain extended visitor status.

The super visa for parents and grandparents allows holders to visit their hosting relatives in Canada for up to five years at a time, with the super visa being issued for up to 10 years in validity.

Typical visitor status is extended to foreign nationals for no longer than six months.

To apply for a super visa, the parent or grandparent must have a letter of invitation from their hosting relative, and must purchase health insurance for the duration of their stay.

The host relative must agree to support the super visa applicant financially for the duration of their stay, and must meet minimum income requirements.