Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it is pausing the intake of new applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP). IRCC will continue to process existing applications and plans to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the PGP in 2026, in line with the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.
Parents and grandparents continue to be able to visit their children and grandchildren in Canada through the super visa, which allows them to visit their children or grandchildren for 5 years at a time and provides multiple entries to Canada for up to 10 years. IRCC recently made the super visa more accessible by implementing changes to the income and health insurance requirements.
Interest in the PGP Program continues to exceed the spaces available under the levels plan. To manage this pressure responsibly, IRCC will not receive new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice.
Erickson Insights and Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.