Breaking News: No New Applications for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship in 2025

The Canadian government has announced that no new applications will be accepted under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) for 2025. Instead, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will focus on processing existing sponsorship applications submitted in 2024.

Key Highlights:

• No New Applications: IRCC will not open new intakes for sponsoring parents and grandparents in 2025.
• Processing Limit: The department aims to process up to 15,000 sponsorship applications during the year.
• Alternative Option: Canadian citizens and permanent residents can still bring their parents or grandparents to Canada on a super visa, which allows extended stays of up to five years at a time.

What Is the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?

The PGP enables Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and registered Indians to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residency in Canada. Due to high demand, IRCC uses a lottery system to select sponsors from those who have submitted an "Interest to Sponsor" form.

From 2020 to 2024, IRCC issued invitations to individuals who had applied during the 2020 intake process.

Why the Pause on New Applications?

The decision to pause new applications aligns with IRCC’s revised permanent resident targets for 2025. The department has reduced overall targets by 20%, including the number of new permanent residents sponsored under the PGP.

• 2025 Target: 24,500 landings for PGP-sponsored individuals.
• Previous Targets: The 2024 target was 32,000, while the initial 2025 target was set at 34,000 in the Immigration Levels Plan released in 2023.

Understanding the Immigration Levels Plan

Each year, IRCC publishes an Immigration Levels Plan, outlining the targets for permanent resident landings for the upcoming year and provisional goals for the following two years. The latest plan introduced targets for net new temporary residents alongside permanent resident figures.

What Should You Do?

If you were hoping to sponsor your parents or grandparents in 2025, consider the super visa as an alternative. This visa offers a practical solution, allowing extended stays for family reunification without the need for permanent residency sponsorship.