PROGRAM UPDATE
On July 16, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it will reopen the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) later this month. As part of the 2025 intake, IRCC will accept up to 10,000 complete sponsorship applications. The invitations to apply will be issued starting July 28, 2025, over a period of approximately two weeks.
Importantly, this round of invitations will not involve a new interest-to-sponsor form. Instead, IRCC will continue to select potential sponsors from the pool of submissions received in 2020. Individuals who submitted an interest to sponsor form in that year and have not yet received an invitation are encouraged to check their email inboxes carefully, including junk and spam folders, as invitations will only be sent to the contact information originally provided in 2020.
Those invited to apply will be able to submit their sponsorship applications electronically through the Permanent Residence Portal or the Representative Permanent Residence Portal. It is essential that applicants prepare all required documentation in advance and ensure they meet the eligibility criteria to avoid delays or refusals.
For individuals who are not selected in this round, IRCC recommends considering the Super Visa as an alternative. The Super Visa is a long-term, multiple-entry visa valid for up to 10 years. It allows parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for up to five years at a time, with the possibility of extending their visit by up to two years without having to leave the country.
This year’s decision to continue selecting from the 2020 pool highlights the high demand and backlog still affecting the PGP. While this may be frustrating for those hoping for a new intake, IRCC appears to be focusing on clearing past commitments before reopening broader opportunities.
