Family Sponsorship Update — April 11, 2026
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Family sponsorship processing times have generally decreased, particularly for Parents and Grandparents Program applications
Spousal sponsorship processing times as of March 2026 are 15 months for outland applications and 21 months for inland applications
Quebec-destined spousal sponsorship applications face longer processing times due to separate provincial requirements under the Canada-Quebec Accord
What You Should Do
- Check current processing times at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html before submitting family sponsorship applications
- If sponsoring a spouse from outside Canada, consider outland processing for potentially faster 15-month timeline versus 21 months inland
- Prepare complete documentation packages as processing times reflect 80% of completed applications, not those requiring additional documents
Sources
Topics Covered
Family Sponsorship Processing Times: Family sponsorship wait times have decreased in early 2026, with spousal sponsorship at 15 months (outland) and 21 months (inland) as of March.
Parents and Grandparents Program Delays: While PGP processing times have improved, Quebec-destined applications experienced a significant 21-month increase in a single update.
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