Canada Pauses New Parent and Grandparent Sponsorships

Canada has stopped accepting new applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program, closing the main permanent residence sponsorship route to new families until further notice.

The federal government announced the pause on July 15, 2026. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said it will not accept new interest-to-sponsor forms or issue invitations to potential sponsors unless the policy changes.

Existing Applications Will Continue

The department will continue processing applications already in its system. It aims to approve 15,000 permanent residence applications through the program in 2026.

The department’s processing-time page listed approximately 50,900 Parents and Grandparents Program applications in its inventory when the announcement was reported. Canada’s current immigration levels plan sets an annual admissions target of 15,000 people through the program in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

Applicants who submitted complete sponsorship applications in July 2025 face different estimated wait times depending on where their relatives plan to live. Applications for destinations outside Quebec have an estimated remaining processing time of 18 months. Those involving settlement in Quebec may take another 54 months.

Program Has Relied on an Older Applicant Pool

The Parents and Grandparents Program allows eligible Canadian citizens, permanent residents and registered Indians to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence.

The program last accepted new interest-to-sponsor forms in 2020. During that three-week intake period, the government received 203,213 unique submissions from people hoping to become sponsors.

Because demand has consistently exceeded the available spaces, the government has used a lottery system. From 2020 through 2025, invitations were randomly sent to people who had submitted forms during the 2020 intake. Those selected could then submit full sponsorship applications.

No new pool has been created since then. This means Canadians and permanent residents who did not submit a form during the 2020 intake have had no opportunity to enter the sponsorship lottery.

Super Visa Offered as Temporary Alternative

In its announcement, the federal government directed families unable to use the permanent residence program toward the super visa.

The super visa allows eligible parents and grandparents to remain in Canada as visitors for up to five years during each stay. A visa may remain valid for as long as 10 years. By comparison, a standard visitor is normally admitted for up to six months.

A parent or grandparent applying for a super visa needs an invitation letter from the relative hosting them in Canada. The applicant must also obtain qualifying health insurance for the visit.

The host must promise to provide financial support and meet the program’s minimum income requirement. Applicants must satisfy Canada’s general rules for temporary residents. They must also convince an immigration officer that they will leave Canada when their authorized stay ends.

Unlike permanent residence, however, the super visa gives visitors no right to settle permanently in Canada. Families must therefore treat it as a long-term visiting option rather than a replacement for immigration status.

The pause leaves families without a new permanent sponsorship opportunity while the department works through tens of thousands of existing applications.