Family Sponsorship

Family Sponsorship Update — April 14, 2026

Tuesday, April 14, 2026


Family sponsorship processing times are generally improving, with spousal sponsorship at 15 months (outland) and 21 months (inland) as of March 2026

Parents and Grandparents Program processing times have dropped significantly, though Quebec applications experienced a 21-month increase in processing time

Processing times for dependent child sponsorship have improved, particularly for applications from India

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
  • Consider outland spousal sponsorship (15 months) versus inland (21 months) based on your circumstances and processing time preferences
  • Prepare for longer waits if sponsoring parents or grandparents to Quebec, as processing times have increased significantly compared to other provinces

Topics Covered

Spousal Sponsorship Processing Improvements: Spousal sponsorship processing times remain stable at 15 months (outland) and 21 months (inland) as of March 2026, showing consistent improvement from previous years.

Parents and Grandparents Program Regional Disparities: While most provinces see improved PGP processing, Quebec applications experienced a dramatic 21-month increase in processing time.


More Family Sponsorship Updates


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