Question Period Note: Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) Intake Process

For the 2025 intake process for the parents and grandparents program, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited potential sponsors from the remaining 2020 pool, with the goal of accepting 10,000 complete applications.

• The Government of Canada continues to value family reunification as an important part of Canada's immigration system.

• It helps attract, retain and support the successful integration of newcomers, helping fulfill our commitment to attracting top talent to Canada.

• IRCC continues to process applications received for the Parents and Grandparents Program and launched the most recent process to invite potential sponsors to apply this summer.

• The Immigration Levels Plan sets the number of permanent residents to be admitted within each immigration category each year, which in turn helps determine how many applications need to be processed.
• The 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, tabled in Parliament on October 24, 2024, set admission targets for parents and grandparents at 24,500 in 2025, 21,500 in 2026, and 20,000 in 2027.
• The Department has more applications in its processing inventory than needed to meet admission targets in the Levels Plan. The processing inventory of applications in the parents and grandparents program is 55,705 persons as of July 31, 2025.
• Wait times as of August 6, 2025 in this category are 36 months for applicants destined outside of Quebec and 48 months for applicants destined to Quebec.

• Parent and grandparent application intake follows a two-stage process, established in Ministerial Instructions:
1. Interested sponsors express their interest during a designated Interest to Sponsor period; and,
2. From this pool of submissions, the Department invites a specified number of sponsors to submit an application using a randomized selection process.
The last Interest to Sponsor period was conducted in 2020 and IRCC has invited interested sponsors from this pool of submissions each year since.

• Quebec currently has a two year (2024-2026) cap on the number of applications for undertakings (and Certificat de Sélection du Québec (CSQ) - which confirms the undertaking) it accepts for most family class categories, which was reached on July 18, 2025 for PGP. As a result, sponsors cannot apply for an undertaking until Quebec reopens its intake again, sometime after June 2026.

2025 Intake Process:

• Between July 28, 2025, and August 8, 2025, IRCC invited 17,860 potential sponsors to apply aiming to receive 10,000 complete applications.
• Those invited to apply have until 11:59PM ET, October 9, 2025 to submit their complete applications.

Previous Intake Data:

• For the 2024 intake, IRCC invited 35,700 potential sponsors to apply from the 2020 Interest to Sponsor pool, aiming to receive 15,000 complete applications. More than 15,000 applications were received. A final number of complete applications received during the 2024 intake will be available once completeness checks have been finalized.
• For the 2023 intake, IRCC invited 24,200 potential sponsors to apply from the 2020 Interest to Sponsor pool, aiming to receive 15,000 complete applications. IRCC accepted 14,917 complete applications into processing.
• For the 2022 intake, IRCC invited 23,100 potential sponsors to apply from the pool of Interest to Sponsor forms submitted in 2020, aiming to receive 15,000 complete applications. IRCC accepted 16,048 complete applications into processing.
• For the 2021 intake, IRCC invited 34,500 potential sponsors to apply from the pool of Interest to Sponsor forms submitted in 2020, aiming to receive up to 30,000 complete applications. IRCC accepted 24,911 complete applications into processing.
• For the 2020 intake, IRCC used a random selection process and invited 13,400 potential sponsors to apply, aiming to receive 10,000 complete applications. IRCC accepted 10,299 complete applications into processing.

Super Visa:
• Parents and grandparents who were not invited to apply or who are waiting for their applications to be processed and wish to come to Canada temporarily may also be eligible to apply for a Super Visa, which is a multi-entry visa that allows parents or grandparents to stay in Canada for extended lengths of time.
• Super Visa holders may now visit Canada for five years at a time, without leaving the country. IRCC is also working towards an approach for Super Visa applicants and visa holders to purchase a health insurance policy from an insurance company outside Canada that is approved by the Minister.

If pressed on processing times and levels:

• Since demand for this program outpaces admission targets in the Immigration Levels Plan, the number of applications received each year strives to balance access to the program with managing the size of the inventory of applications.

• The Super Visa provides an alternative pathway for parents and grandparents to come to Canada temporarily while their application is being processed.

If pressed on Quebec processing times:

• Quebec sets the number of immigrants it admits to Quebec each year, including those coming under the family class sponsorship program, and Canada takes this number into account in our Immigration Levels Plan.

• IRCC receives more family class applications than what Quebec targets each year, which has resulted in a backlog. The Department continues to work closely with Quebec on this issue.

If pressed on how many Interest to Sponsor (ITS) forms remain in the 2020 pool.

• After invitations for the 2025 intake were sent, approximately 54,000 Interest to Sponsor forms remain in the 2020 pool.

If pressed on when a new Interest to Sponsor (ITS) period will occur:

• Information on future intake processes is not available at this time but will be posted on the Department’s website and social media channels as soon as it is available.