Canada has temporarily halted the acceptance of new applications under its Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), a move that will affect thousands of immigrants hoping to bring their parents and grandparents to the country as permanent residents. The federal government announced that no new “interest to sponsor” forms or invitations to apply will be accepted until further notice, saying the decision is aimed at maintaining a sustainable and efficient immigration system while reducing application backlogs.
The announcement has come as a setback for many Canadian citizens and permanent residents who were planning to reunite with their families through one of the country’s most sought-after family immigration pathways. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) clarified that although fresh applications have been paused, all existing applications already in the system will continue to be processed. Authorities have also stated that the government intends to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the Parents and Grandparents Program during 2026, in line with Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2026-2028.
According to the Canadian government, the pause is intended to improve processing times and provide greater predictability for applicants by allowing immigration officials to focus on pending files rather than adding new ones to an already stretched system. Officials maintained that family reunification remains one of the country’s core immigration priorities despite the temporary suspension of new sponsorship applications.
The Parents and Grandparents Program enables Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residency, allowing them to settle in Canada permanently and eventually qualify for benefits available to permanent residents. However, due to consistently high demand and limited annual quotas, the program has witnessed significant backlogs in recent years, prompting the government to periodically restrict new intake.
While the latest decision closes the door on new sponsorship requests for the time being, immigration authorities stressed that families still have another option to bring elderly relatives to Canada through the Super Visa program. Unlike permanent residency, the Super Visa allows parents and grandparents to visit Canada for extended periods while remaining temporary residents. The government said this route continues to remain available for eligible applicants during the suspension of the PGP.
Immigration experts believe the decision is part of Canada’s broader strategy to better manage immigration numbers while ensuring that applications already in the system are processed more efficiently. The government has indicated that it will provide further updates if and when the intake of new sponsorship applications resumes, but no timeline has been announced so far.
The pause is expected to have a significant impact on immigrant communities, particularly those from countries such as India, where family reunification remains a major motivation for settling abroad. Many prospective sponsors who had been preparing to submit applications will now have to wait until the government reopens the program. Until then, officials have urged applicants to monitor future announcements from IRCC for any changes to the policy or reopening of the intake process.
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