On March 7, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced updates to the Parents and Grandparents (PGP) Program, reaffirming the government’s commitment to family reunification. The program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents to live in Canada as permanent residents.
2025 PGP Intake and Application Process
IRCC has confirmed that:
- Up to 10,000 complete sponsorship applications will be accepted this year.
- Instead of opening a new intake for the Interest to Sponsor forms, IRCC will randomly select sponsors from the existing 2020 pool.
- Only those selected from the 2020 submissions will receive an invitation to apply (ITA).
More details on the invitation process will be announced in the coming months. For official updates, visit the IRCC PGP webpage.
PGP Processing Times in 2025
As of February 5, 2025, IRCC reports the following processing times:
- Outside Quebec: ~24 months
- Quebec applicants: ~48 months (due to the province’s limited immigration targets)
For updated processing times, refer to the IRCC processing tool.
Alternative: Super Visa for Parents & Grandparents
Since the PGP Program is highly competitive, IRCC continues to offer the Super Visa as an alternative for parents and grandparents:
- Allows up to 5 years per visit (with multiple entries valid for up to 10 years).
- Recent changes make it more accessible, including adjustments to health insurance requirements.
For full details, visit the IRCC Super Visa page.
Final Thoughts
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) remains a highly sought-after immigration pathway, and while the number of new applications is limited, the Super Visa continues to provide a flexible alternative for family reunification.
