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IRCC processing times for family sponsorship applications vary and are not guaranteed — applicants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda may face longer delays due to temporary special measures in place.
Spousal/partner/dependent child sponsorship applications must be submitted online as of September 23, 2022; paper applications are only available for those with accessibility needs.
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is currently listed as 'Paused' on the official IRCC family sponsorship page, meaning no new sponsorship applications are being accepted at this time.
IRCC's spousal/partner sponsorship process requires biometrics within 30 days of receiving the biometrics request letter; applicants should act immediately upon receiving this letter.
As of 2026, spousal sponsorship processing times are approximately 12 months on average, with outland applications from some countries running 12–14 months and inland applications taking 21–24 months.
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) has been paused as of July 15, 2026 — IRCC is not accepting new interest to sponsor forms or inviting potential sponsors to apply until further notice, though existing applications continue to be processed.
The federal Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) has been paused as of July 15, 2026 — no new interest to sponsor forms or invitations to apply will be accepted until further notice, though existing applications continue to be processed.
Canada paused the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) on July 15, 2026 — no new interest-to-sponsor forms are being accepted and no new invitations to apply will be issued until further notice; existing applications continue to be processed.
As of July 7, 2026, IRCC processing times dropped by one to two months for Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) submissions and several economic immigration streams, but spousal sponsorship applicants outside Quebec saw processing times increase by one month.
As of July 7, 2026, processing times for spousal sponsorship applications outside Quebec increased by one month compared to the previous June 8 update.
Family sponsorship processing times dropped in February 2026, with notable decreases under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), while most temporary resident application types saw increases.
Quebec will reopen its capped family sponsorship intake on July 2, 2026, accepting up to 15,700 applications over two years: 13,300 for spouses and 2,400 for parents or grandparents.
Quebec will reopen family sponsorship intake on July 2, 2026, accepting up to 15,700 applications over two years (13,300 for spouses, 2,400 for parents/grandparents); adult dependent children aged 18+ are now exempt from the cap.
Quebec will reopen family sponsorship intake on July 2, 2026, accepting up to 15,700 applications over two years (13,300 for spouses, 2,400 for parents/grandparents); adult dependent children aged 18+ are now exempt from the cap.
Quebec will reopen family sponsorship intake on July 2, 2026, accepting up to 15,700 applications over two years (13,300 for spouses, 2,400 for parents/grandparents); adult dependent children aged 18+ are now exempt from the cap.
Spousal sponsorship processing times as of March 2026 are 16 months (Outland) and 25 months (Inland), with Quebec-destined applications taking longer due to provincial processing requirements.
Quebec will reopen family sponsorship intake on July 2, 2026, accepting up to 15,700 applications over two years (13,300 for spouses, 2,400 for parents/grandparents); adult dependent children aged 18+ are now exempt from the cap.
As of February 2026, family sponsorship processing times dropped compared to January 2026, with Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) applications seeing the most notable decreases.
Family sponsorship processing times dropped in February 2026, with the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) seeing notable wait time reductions compared to January 15, 2026 data.
As of February 2026, family sponsorship processing times are declining overall, with notable improvements in Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) wait times, while spousal sponsorship has stabilized around 12 months for outland and 12–14 months for inland applications.
The 2025 Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) intake is closed — 17,860 invitations were sent to 2020 interest-to-sponsor applicants, with a goal of 10,000 complete applications. The last day to apply was October 9, 2025.
Family sponsorship processing times, including under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), saw declines as of February 2026, bucking a broader trend of rising temporary resident wait times.
Spousal sponsorship processing times as of June 2026 are approximately 15 months for outland applications (applicant outside Canada) and approximately 21 months for inland applications (applicant inside Canada), according to the most recent IRCC data.
As of March 2026, IRCC's official spousal sponsorship processing times are 16 months for outland applications (outside Canada, excluding Quebec) and 25 months for inland applications, per IRCC's own processing time tool.
The 2025 Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) intake is closed; 17,860 invitations were sent to 2020 interest-to-sponsor registrants with a goal of 10,000 completed applications — no next intake date has been announced yet.
As of February 2026, family sponsorship processing times have dropped, particularly for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), while spousal sponsorship (outland) stands at 16 months and inland at 25 months as of March 2026.
As of February 2026, spousal and family sponsorship processing times declined compared to January 2026, with the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) showing notable improvement.
As of February 2026, family sponsorship processing times have declined, with Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) wait times dropping compared to January 2026 levels.
As of February 17, 2026, family sponsorship processing times — particularly for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) — have dropped compared to January 2026 levels, bucking the trend of rising processing times seen in other application categories.
As of February 2026, family sponsorship processing times dropped compared to January 2026, with the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) seeing notable reductions in wait times.
Approximately 27% of inland spousal sponsorship applications submitted in 2025 (January–October) were rejected at the first screening stage (R10 completeness check) without ever being processed — representing 12,241 out of 45,235 applications reviewed.
As of March 2026, spousal sponsorship processing times are approximately 15 months for outland applications and 24 months for inland applications per IRCC's official figures, with Quebec-destined applications taking significantly longer due to provincial processing requirements.
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.
The 2025 Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) intake is now closed; 17,860 invitations were sent to people who submitted interest-to-sponsor forms in 2020, with a target of 10,000 complete applications. Details on the next intake have not yet been announced.
Family sponsorship processing times dropped as of February 2026, with the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) showing notable reductions in wait times compared to January 2026.
As of April 2026, Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) sponsorship processing times for Quebec applicants jumped by 21 months in a single update, while overall family sponsorship times had been declining earlier in the year.
Family sponsorship processing times declined as of February 2026, with the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) showing notable improvement, while super visa applications from the US saw a 112-day jump in processing time.
As of April 2026, IRCC processing times show a stark regional disparity: Quebec-destined Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) sponsorship applications spiked by 21 months in a single update, while overall spousal sponsorship processing times are 15 months (Outland) and 21 months (Inland) as of March 9, 2026.
As of March 9, 2026, IRCC's official spousal sponsorship processing times are 15 months for Outland applications and 21 months for Inland applications (representing 80% of completed cases), with Quebec-destined applications taking longer due to the Canada–Quebec Accord.
As of February 2026, family sponsorship processing times — particularly for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) — were declining, while temporary resident application times (work and study permits) were rising.
As of March 9, 2026, IRCC's official processing times are 15 months for outland spousal sponsorship and 21 months for inland spousal sponsorship — these represent the time to process 80% of completed applications and are not guarantees.
Family sponsorship processing times are generally improving, with spousal sponsorship at 15 months (outland) and 21 months (inland) as of March 2026