Canada Pauses the Parents and Grandparents Program — No New Applications Until Further Notice

On July 15, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a pause on all new intake under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP). No new interest-to-sponsor forms will be accepted, and no new invitations to apply will be issued — until further notice. For hundreds of thousands of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who hoped to sponsor their parents or grandparents, the announcement closes that door again with no timeline for when it may reopen. This is the third consecutive year the PGP has been effectively closed to new applicants.

What the Announcement Actually Means

The pause is specific about what changes and what does not. IRCC will not accept new interest-to-sponsor forms — the online registration that has historically preceded an invitation to apply — and will not issue new sponsorship invitations. The pause has no announced end date; IRCC says it will not resume intake "until further notice." Existing applications already in the system will continue to be processed, and IRCC plans to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the PGP in 2026, consistent with the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.

The Numbers: A Program Under Serious Pressure

The context behind this announcement matters. The 2026 target of 15,000 PGP approvals represents a 53 percent reduction from the 32,000 approvals issued in 2024 — a cut of more than half in just two years. Meanwhile, the existing backlog stands at approximately 60,500 applications still awaiting a final decision. At the current pace of 15,000 approvals per year, clearing that backlog alone — without any new intake — would take over four years. IRCC's own program evaluation found that 85 percent of sponsored parents and grandparents prepare meals, 79 percent provide childcare, and 69 percent help with housework. One in three sponsors said that having a parent in Canada directly allowed them to work full-time.

The Super Visa: The Government's Stated Alternative

IRCC points to the super visa as the primary option for families while the PGP is paused. The super visa is a multiple-entry temporary resident visa that allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to stay in Canada for up to five years per visit, with the visa itself valid for multiple entries over up to 10 years. In March 2026, IRCC made the super visa more accessible: sponsors can now use either of their two most recent tax years to meet the income threshold (previously only the latest year counted), and a visiting parent's own recurring income — such as a foreign pension — may now be counted toward the requirement once the sponsor meets a minimum income floor.

• Income threshold: the sponsor must meet the Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) plus 30 percent, calculated based on total household size including the visiting parent.
• Health insurance: the visiting parent must hold Canadian private medical insurance with at least $100,000 coverage valid for a minimum of one year.
• The super visa is a temporary visa — it does not lead to permanent residence and does not count toward PR eligibility.
• It is a strong practical option for families who want parents present in Canada; it is not a substitute for the PGP for families seeking permanent residence.

What Families Should Do Now

If you have an existing PGP application in process, ensure your documents remain current, your contact information with IRCC is accurate, and you retain copies of all correspondence and original submissions. If you have not yet applied, the super visa is the most practical option available right now — and the March 2026 changes make it accessible to more households than before. Families who want to monitor for any future PGP intake should watch the official IRCC sponsorship page, as no timeline for reopening has been announced. This article is for information purposes and is not immigration advice.