The federal government has paused the Parents and Grandparents Program, which allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor foreign-born parents and grandparents for permanent residence.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced the halt of new applications, citing continued interest that exceeds available spaces. The department will not accept new interest-to-sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice.
Existing applications will still be processed. The agency plans to approve up to 15,000 new permanent residents this year and has already approved 10,000 applications in 2025, aiming to reduce processing times and improve predictability for families.
The program, launched in 2020, permits citizens and permanent residents to bring parents or grandparents who are biological or adoptive to live and work in Canada. Sponsors must be at least 18, reside in Canada, and have sufficient funds to support their relatives.
The pause follows new limits on temporary and permanent residents under the Immigration Levels Plan. The plan caps new temporary residents at 386,000 this year and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028, and limits permanent resident admissions to 380,000 annually from 2026 to 2028.
Despite the pause, the department emphasizes that family reunification remains a key pillar of Canada’s immigration system. Parents and grandparents can still visit through the super visa, which allows multiple entries for up to ten years and stays of up to five years at a time.
