Canada puts pause on key immigration program for families

The Government of Canada just announced a major update to the parents and grandparents sponsorship program this year.

In an email to us, an Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) spokesperson confirmed that it will no longer be accepting new applications for the Parents and Grandparents (PGP) program for 2026.

"The decision to pause the acceptance of new PGP sponsorship applications will allow IRCC to focus on processing those applications already in the system to address wait times and manage expectations for families in the process," stated IRCC spokesperson Anahita Beladi.

According to Canada's immigration agency, as of Jan. 1, 2026, there are around 60,500 applicants for PGP sponsorship. The Immigration Levels Plan for 2026 to 2028 outlined that the government would be accepting up to 15,000 applicants this year.

"The Government of Canada continues to work to ensure immigration levels are aligned with program intake, to support a well-managed, more sustainable system that works for newcomers and Canadians," stated Beladi.

The IRCC added that parents and grandparents can still visit their children or grandchildren in Canada through super visas, which allow visits for up to five years and provide multiple entries for a period of up to 10 years.

The agency didn't specify how long the pause on sponsorship applications would last, but stressed it’s for new applications for 2026.

Although Ottawa has paused sponsorship applications for the PGP program, it recently fast-tracked PR applications for 33,000 temporary residents.