Canada Pauses Applications for Parent and Grandparent Immigration Sponsorship Program
Canada will not accept new applications this year from people hoping to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence. The federal government says the pause is meant to manage the immigration system responsibly, reduce long waits and deal with demand that continues to exceed available spaces.
Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program Paused
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says the Parents and Grandparents Program was paused on July 15, 2026.
The department says it will not accept new interest-to-sponsor forms or invite new potential sponsors to apply until further notice. However, existing applications will continue to be processed.
Backlog and Wait Times Behind the Decision
The Immigration Department says interest in the program remains higher than the number of spaces available.
There are currently about 60,500 applications already in progress. Processing times are around 33 months, and can reach up to 66 months in Quebec, according to reporting on the federal announcement.
Existing Files Will Still Move Forward
The pause does not mean all parent and grandparent immigration processing will stop.
An Immigration Department official said the government still expects to approve up to 15,000 parents and grandparents for permanent residence in both 2026 and 2027, using applications already in the system.
Program Began With Heavy Demand in 2020
The current sponsorship pool dates back to 2020, when more than 200,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents expressed interest in sponsoring a parent or grandparent.
Each year since then, thousands of people from that group have been selected and invited to submit formal applications.
Part of a Wider Immigration Reset
The pause comes as Canada adjusts its broader immigration levels.
The federal government’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan keeps permanent resident admissions at 380,000 per year from 2026 through 2028.
It also sets lower targets for new temporary resident arrivals, including international students and temporary foreign workers, as part of an effort to return immigration levels to what the government calls a more sustainable path.
Temporary Residents Also Being Reduced
Under the plan, Canada aims to reduce the temporary population to less than 5 per cent of the total population by the end of 2027.
IRCC set targets of 385,000 new temporary resident arrivals in 2026 and 370,000 in both 2027 and 2028.
Family Reunification Still Listed as a Priority
Despite the pause, the government says family reunification remains part of Canada’s immigration system.
The 2026–2028 plan says family-class admissions will remain relatively stable as a share of overall immigration, with parents and grandparents still listed for 15,000 planned admissions each year from 2026 to 2028.
Immigration Debate Has Become More Political
Immigration has become a more charged political issue in Canada in recent years.
Federal Conservatives have argued the system is broken and have accused the Liberals of damaging public confidence in immigration. Meanwhile, government briefing materials said support for immigration levels declined sharply in 2023 and 2024, reaching the lowest point in about 30 years.
Government Says It Wants Sustainability
Immigration Minister Lena Diab has said the government is working to restore control and sustainability to the immigration system.
That message aligns with recent policy changes aimed at reducing temporary migration, managing backlogs and limiting pressure on housing, public services and processing capacity.
Large IRCC Backlogs Remain a Challenge
IRCC has been dealing with large application inventories across permanent residence, temporary residence and citizenship programs.
The department’s own inventory data tracks how many files are still within service standards and how many have exceeded those standards. It also reports that 112,900 people became permanent residents between January 1 and April 30, 2026.
Super Visa Remains Available
Canadian citizens and permanent residents who want their parents or grandparents to visit can still consider the super visa.
IRCC says the super visa allows eligible parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for five years at a time, and they may also apply for two-year extensions while still in Canada.
Pause Remains in Effect Until Further Notice
The government has not provided a date for when new parent and grandparent sponsorship applications may reopen.
For now, the pause remains in place until further notice, leaving many families dependent on existing application processing or temporary options such as the super visa.
Canada’s decision to pause new parent and grandparent sponsorship applications reflects the growing pressure on its immigration system. With more than 60,000 applications already in progress and long processing times, the government says it is trying to reduce delays and manage demand responsibly.
Existing applications will continue to be processed, and planned admissions remain in place, but families hoping to submit new sponsorship applications will have to wait until the program reopens. In the meantime, the super visa remains the main temporary option for parents and grandparents who want to spend extended time with family in Canada.
