Ottawa, March 7, 2025 – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced it will accept up to 10,000 sponsorship applications under the 2025 Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP). Invitations to apply will be issued to potential sponsors from the 2020 pool, following the same approach used since 2020. Processing times are approximately 24 months for most applications, but 48 months for those destined for Quebec.
The PGP allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residency, facilitating family reunification. Since its inception, the program has faced high demand, often exceeding available spots, prompting the use of a lottery-style system to invite applicants. The program aims to strengthen family ties and provide stability for sponsored parents and grandparents in Canada.
In recent years, IRCC has increased focus on improving processing times and transparency in the PGP. The inclusion of the Super Visa option, which allows parents and grandparents to visit their families for five years at a time, with multiple entries for up to 10 years, has provided families with more flexibility while waiting for sponsorship approval. To qualify, applicants must have health insurance and meet certain income requirements. Just recently, the IRCC has announced changes to the health insurance requirement to make it more accessible.
The 2025 PGP reflects the Canadian government’s efforts to balance the need for family reunification with the realities of immigration system capacity. While demand for the program remains high, the availability of the Super Visa provides an alternative for families seeking to stay connected while waiting for sponsorship approval. The government plans to monitor processing times and adjust future intake limits based on demand and system capacity.
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