By Immiscope Immigration and Refugee Consultancy Ltd.  |  July 17, 2026

What has IRCC announced?

On July 15, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it was pausing the intake of new applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP). The department’s public program page now lists the program as “Paused.”

During the pause, IRCC will not accept new Interest to Sponsor forms and will not invite potential sponsors to submit permanent residence applications. The measure applies until further notice; the government has not announced a date for reopening the program.

Existing applications are not being cancelled

The announcement does not cancel properly submitted PGP applications already in IRCC’s inventory. The department says it will continue processing existing cases and plans to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the PGP in 2026.

This distinction matters. An admissions target counts people who become permanent residents, including accompanying eligible family members where applicable; it is not the same as a promise to finalize 15,000 sponsorship applications.

Why is the program being paused?

IRCC says demand for parent and grandparent sponsorship continues to exceed the number of spaces available under Canada’s immigration levels plan. Pausing new intake allows the department to work through applications already on hand and is intended to improve processing-time predictability.

The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets a target of 15,000 parent and grandparent admissions in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028, with planning ranges around those targets. Because admission spaces are limited and demand is much higher, IRCC has historically controlled access to the program through an invitation system rather than accepting unlimited applications.

How the PGP reached this point

Canada last opened a new Interest to Sponsor form in 2020. In the years that followed, IRCC selected potential sponsors from that 2020 pool rather than opening a fresh registration period. This meant that Canadian citizens and permanent residents who became eligible after the 2020 intake had no opportunity to join the pool.

For the 2025 intake, IRCC sent 17,860 invitations to people from the remaining 2020 pool, with the goal of accepting 10,000 complete applications. The deadline for invited sponsors to apply was October 9, 2025. The new 2026 announcement goes further: IRCC will neither collect new interest forms nor issue additional invitations while the pause continues.

Who is affected?

•    People who hoped to submit a new Interest to Sponsor form cannot do so during the pause.
•   People who remained in the 2020 pool but were never invited should not expect a new invitation unless IRCC changes the current direction.
•   Sponsors who already submitted a complete application should continue monitoring their IRCC account, email and correspondence for requests or updates.
•    Parents and grandparents do not lose the ability to seek temporary entry to Canada merely because the permanent residence sponsorship intake is paused.

The Super Visa remains the main alternative

IRCC is directing families who cannot use the PGP to consider the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa. This is a temporary resident option, not a pathway that grants permanent residence. A Super Visa can permit a parent or grandparent to stay in Canada for up to five years at a time and can provide multiple entries for up to 10 years. Eligible visitors may also apply from inside Canada to extend their stay by up to two years.

Applicants must still meet the applicable temporary residence requirements. The host in Canada must satisfy the financial-support rules, and the applicant must meet medical insurance and immigration medical examination requirements, among other criteria. Approval is not automatic, and the applicant must satisfy the officer that they meet the requirements for temporary entry.

The Super Visa became somewhat more accessible on March 31, 2026. Under the revised income assessment, a host and co-signer may qualify using either of the two taxation years before the application. In certain circumstances, the visiting parent’s or grandparent’s income may also be added after the host meets the required minimum percentage. Families should assess these rules carefully before applying.

What families should do now  

•   Do not submit an unsolicited PGP sponsorship application. PGP applications require an invitation, and the program is not issuing new invitations during the pause.
•     If an application is already in process, keep contact details current and respond to IRCC requests within the stated deadlines.
•    If family reunification is needed sooner, review Super Visa eligibility, including host income, family-size calculation, medical insurance and temporary-residence evidence.
•   Follow IRCC’s official program page for any future reopening or replacement intake process. “Until further notice” leaves room for a later policy change, but it provides no guarantee or timeline.

What this announcement does—and does not—mean

The immediate effect is serious for families who were waiting for a new opportunity to enter the PGP system. However, the most accurate description is that new intake has been suspended indefinitely. The government has not repealed the family-class provisions for parents and grandparents, and it continues to allocate admission spaces and process existing PGP files.

For that reason, headlines suggesting that parent and grandparent sponsorship has permanently ended should be treated cautiously. The practical door to new applications is closed today, but IRCC could reopen, redesign or replace the intake process through a future announcement.

Get professional guidance for your family’s options

Do you need help assessing a Super Visa or another family reunification option? Book a consultation with Immiscope for a personalized review of your family circumstances, financial eligibility and available immigration options. Call: +1 (587) 837-9606  |  Email: info@immiscope.com Book online: www.immiscope.com Gurmeet Sharma, RCIC-IRB College Licence No. R1041959 | Immiscope Immigration and Refugee Consultancy Ltd. | Calgary, Alberta

Sources

• ·  IRCC notice: Canada takes steps to responsibly manage the Parents and Grandparents Program
• ·   IRCC Parents and Grandparents Program status page
• ·   IRCC 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan
• ·   IRCC Super Visa program page
• ·   IRCC notice on the March 31, 2026 Super Visa income changes
• ·   IRCC notice on the 2025 PGP intake

Disclaimer: This article provides general information as of July 17, 2026 and is not legal advice. Immigration rules, program instructions and processing practices may change without notice.