Effective January 1, 2026, the door to permanent residence for parents and grandparents has been temporarily shut. In a major policy shift intended to tackle manageable backlogs and align with reduced immigration targets, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has officially paused the intake of new sponsorship applications for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).
For thousands of Canadian citizens and permanent residents hoping to bring their elders to Canada permanently this year, this is a significant roadblock. Here is a detailed breakdown of the situation and your remaining options.
- The Core Update: What Just Happened?
- The Pause: As of New Year’s Day 2026, IRCC is not accepting any new applications for the PGP. This means there will be no new lottery, no “Interest to Sponsor” form openings, and no new invitations issued for the 2026 calendar year.
- The Focus: The department will instead focus entirely on processing the 10,000 complete applications accepted during the 2025 intake (which closed in October 2025) and clearing the historical backlog.
- Why Did IRCC Hit the Brakes?
The decision stems from a combination of logistical overwhelm and policy shifts:
- Crushing Backlogs: By late 2025, the inventory of unprocessed applications had swelled to over 50,000 people. With processing times already stretching to 24 months (outside Quebec) and 48 months (Quebec), adding new files would have made wait times unmanageable.
- Lower Immigration Targets: Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan reduced the overall target for new permanent residents to 380,000 (a 4% cut). The “Family” category took a hit, meaning there are simply fewer “seats” available for parents and grandparents this year.
- Who Is Most Affected?
- The “2020 Pool” Survivors: If you submitted an “Interest to Sponsor” form back in 2020 and were hoping 2026 would finally be your lucky year to get an invitation—you are out of luck. The pool remains closed.
- New Sponsors: If you recently became eligible to sponsor (e.g., just got your PR or citizenship in 2024/2025) and were waiting to enter the pool for the first time, you cannot do so until further notice.
- The “Super Visa”: Your Best (and Only) Alternative
With the permanent residency route blocked, the Super Visa has become the critical lifeline for families. Unlike the PGP, this program remains open and active.
| Feature | PGP (Paused) | Super Visa (Active) |
| Status | Permanent Resident | Temporary Resident (Visitor) |
| Stay Duration | Indefinite | Up to 5 years per visit |
| Validity | Permanent | 10-year multiple entry |
| Health Care | Provincial coverage (e.g., OHIP) | Private Insurance Required |
| Processing | 2-4 Years | ~2-4 Months |
Critical Super Visa Requirements for 2026:
- Income: You must still meet the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO). This is strict; if you fall even $1 short, the visa is refused.
- Insurance: You must prove you have purchased one year of medical insurance from a Canadian or approved international provider (minimum $100,000 coverage).
- Medical Exam: Your parents/grandparents must pass an immigration medical exam.
- Strategic Advice for Sponsors
- Pivot Immediately: If your parents are elderly, waiting for the PGP to reopen (possibly in 2027) is risky. Apply for a Super Visa now to get them to Canada sooner. They can stay for 5 years, which bridges the gap until the PGP potentially reopens.
- Check Your LICO: Even though PGP is paused, keep your income high. When the program eventually reopens, they will likely ask for 3 years of tax assessments (2024, 2025, and 2026). If you drop your income now because the program is paused, you might disqualify yourself for the future 2027/2028 intake.
- Beware of Scams: “Guaranteed” PGP spots do not exist. If an agent claims they can get your application in for 2026, they are lying.