Family Sponsorship Update — August 10, 2026

What You Should Do

• -If you planned to sponsor a parent or grandparent federally, do NOT submit a new Interest to Sponsor form — the program is paused as of July 15, 2026 with no reopening date announced. Monitor canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/family-sponsorship/sponsor-parents-grandparents.html for updates.
• -If your parent or grandparent needs to visit Canada in the meantime, consider applying for a Super Visa at canada.ca, which allows stays of up to 5 years at a time with 2-year in-Canada extensions.
• -If you are a Quebec resident sponsoring a spouse or parents/grandparents, prepare your undertaking application now to submit through MIFI on or after July 2, 2026. Applications beyond the cap (13,300 spousal, 2,400 parent/grandparent) will be returned with fees refunded. Visit Quebec's MIFI website for the application form and instructions.
• -If you are sponsoring an adult dependent child (age 18–21) through Quebec, confirm your application qualifies for the new cap exemption before July 2, 2026 by reviewing the MIFI press release criteria at the CIC News source below.
• -If you have a spousal or dependent child PR sponsorship application already in progress, check your IRCC portal, email, or mail regularly — processing times are currently declining and IRCC may request additional documents or biometrics. Biometrics must be submitted within 30 days of receiving the IRCC letter.
• -If your sponsored spouse or partner is waiting outside Canada for a PR decision, they can apply for a visitor visa now and then apply for an Open Work Permit (OWP) upon arrival. Check current processing times at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html.