No new sponsorship for parents and grandparents as Canada pauses permanent residence applications; how can they still visit and stay with their children?

Canada has announced that citizens and permanent residents will no longer be able to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence, following a federal decision to pause the intake of new applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP). In a government news release issued on July 15, 2026, officials confirmed the move that effectively shuts the door on future sponsorships unless Ottawa reverses course.

According to the release, the Canadian government is “taking steps to maintain a well‑managed, sustainable immigration system that works for newcomers and Canadians alike.”

Following the decision, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) “will not receive new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice.” However, amid these efforts, the immigration department will continue to process existing applications and plan to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the PGP Program in 2026, in line with the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, the government releases stated.

Parents and grandparents can still visit their children

The government release also said that 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 in surance requirements.

Why IRCC paused new applications

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.

As of mid‑July 2026, Canada’s immigration department reports a Parents and Grandparents Program inventory of 50,900 applications still awaiting processing, according to CIC News. Despite this significant backlog, the federal government’s latest immigration levels plan sets a steady target of 15,000 admissions per year under the program for 2026, 2027, and 2028.