Family Sponsorship Update — May 14, 2026
Thursday, May 14, 2026
The 2025 Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) intake is closed — 17,860 invitations were sent to 2020 interest-to-sponsor registrants, with a target of 10,000 complete applications. The last day to apply was October 9, 2025.
New Ministerial Instructions for the PGP came into effect January 1, 2026, allowing existing PGP applications to continue processing; details on the next intake have not yet been announced.
As of February 2026, family sponsorship wait times — particularly under the PGP — were declining, while temporary resident application processing times (study and work permits) were rising.
What You Should Do
- If you submitted a PGP application before October 9, 2025, check your application status using your application number at canada.ca/check-application-status. New PGP intake details have not yet been released.
- If you were not invited to apply for PGP sponsorship, consider the Super Visa as an alternative — it allows parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for up to 5 years at a time. Check eligibility and apply at canada.ca/super-visa.
- For spousal/partner sponsorship applicants, get biometrics completed within 30 days of receiving the biometrics request letter — missing this deadline can delay your application. Find a biometric collection site at canada.ca/biometrics.
- Monitor IRCC's website and social media channels for the announcement of the next PGP intake round, as no date has been confirmed yet.
Sources
Topics Covered
Spousal Sponsorship Processing Improvements: Family sponsorship wait times, including spousal sponsorship, were declining as of February 2026, according to IRCC's processing time update comparing January 15 to February 17, 2026.
Parents and Grandparents Program Regional Disparities: The 2025 PGP intake is now closed. New Ministerial Instructions effective January 1, 2026 allow continued processing of existing applications, but no new intake date has been announced. Processing times for PGP applications were declining as of February 2026.
More Family Sponsorship Updates
Family Sponsorship Update — June 11, 2026
Jun 11, 2026
Family Sponsorship Update — June 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
Family Sponsorship Update — June 4, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
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