Migratio Canada · Guides · Find consultants · For consultants

Parents and Grandparents Program: Paused in 2026

IRCC's Parents and Grandparents Program page (page date 18 August 2026) says the program is paused: IRCC is not currently accepting applications, will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice, and will keep processing existing applications. The page names the super visa as the alternative for parents and grandparents who were not invited.

Every year, people in Canada search for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) hoping that this is the year the door opens. The query "parents and grandparents program 2026" is one of the most common in the family category.

The short answer, as of the IRCC page read on 9 October 2026, is that the program is paused. This guide sets out exactly what the page says, what it does not say, what continues while the pause lasts, how it differs from the super visa, and why anything promising a place in the queue deserves a hard look.

It describes the program. It does not tell you what to do about your own family, and it cannot say when, or whether, the program will reopen, because IRCC has not said.

What IRCC's page says

The IRCC page for sponsoring parents and grandparents (page details date 2026-08-18) states the status plainly:

  • "Paused." The page opens with that label.
  • "We're not currently accepting applications."
  • "We will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice."
  • "We'll keep processing existing applications."

Read together, those lines mean three things. New applications are not being taken. The mechanism that normally leads to an application, an interest to sponsor form followed by an invitation to apply, is not running. And applications IRCC already holds are still being processed.

The page does not give a date for reopening. "Until further notice" is the whole statement. It also does not say how many invitations a future round might include, what the sponsor's income test will be, or whether the process will keep its current shape. Anything anyone tells you about those details today is a guess, not a published rule.

The page shows a fee starting line that did not load a figure when read, and it directs readers to the fee list. The fee list (date modified 21 September 2026) shows the parents or grandparents sponsorship fee at $1,260.00 with the right of permanent residence fee (RPRF) and $660.00 without it. The RPRF is $600.00. The RPRF is refundable if you withdraw or IRCC refuses the application, and it is the only fee the list describes as refundable after processing starts. Those numbers matter only if the program reopens; they are not a sign that it will.

What "paused" does and does not mean

It does not mean closed forever. IRCC uses "paused," and the page says "until further notice." Programs can resume. Equally, nothing on the page promises that.

It does not mean existing files are cancelled. The page says IRCC will keep processing existing applications. A family whose sponsor was invited and who filed an application before the pause is on a different footing from a family who never got an invitation.

It does not give a queue to join. Because new interest to sponsor forms are not accepted, there is no list to get onto. IRCC's page says it will not invite potential sponsors to apply. Any person or website that offers to put your name down, guarantee an invitation, or hold your place is describing something the IRCC page does not describe.

It does not stop family visits. The page says parents and grandparents who were not invited may be eligible for a super visa. The super visa, covered below, is a particular kind of visitor visa for parents and grandparents.

It does not change other family sponsorship. Sponsorship of a spouse, partner or dependent child is a separate IRCC process with its own pages and fees, and it is not described as paused on the PGP page. Our guide to spousal sponsorship covers it.

How the program worked when it was open

The page's wording tells you the general shape, even though the details are not published for the future.

The program has two stages that are visible in the page's own language. First, a potential sponsor, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, tells IRCC they are interested in sponsoring a parent or grandparent by filing an interest to sponsor form. Second, IRCC invites some of the people who filed to submit a full application. Only those who are invited can apply. The page says IRCC will not accept new interest forms or send invitations while the pause lasts.

The sponsorship application is where a financial evaluation comes in. IRCC's forms list includes a form called Financial Evaluation for Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship (IMM 5768); we cover it in a separate form guide. It is part of the process for sponsors who are invited. There is no reason to complete it now, because there is no application to attach it to.

We do not state past invitation numbers, income thresholds or processing times here, because we have not read them on an IRCC page today and a number from memory or from a news story is exactly the kind of figure that goes wrong.

The alternative IRCC names: the super visa

The PGP page says that if you weren't invited, your parents and grandparents "may be eligible to apply for a super visa." It adds that super visa holders can stay in Canada for 5 years at a time and can apply for 2-year extensions while in Canada.

It helps to be precise about what the super visa is. It is a visitor visa, not permanent residence. It lets a parent or grandparent come to Canada for long visits, up to five years at a time, with multiple entries over up to ten years. It does not give a route to permanent residence, and the person remains a visitor.

IRCC's eligibility page (page date 6 July 2026) sets the requirements. The host, who must be the applicant's child or grandchild by birth or adoption, must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, at least 18, and living in Canada. The host must meet or exceed the minimum necessary income and must write and sign a letter of invitation. The applicant must be outside Canada when applying, be admissible, take an immigration medical exam, and hold private health insurance valid for at least one year from entry.

Our guide to super visa requirements covers income, insurance and the length of stay in detail. The key difference for planning purposes is that the super visa is open for applications now, with no invitation step, but it gives temporary status.

PGP and super visa side by side

Here are the differences as IRCC's pages describe them.

Status. PGP is a sponsorship for permanent residence. A super visa is a temporary visitor visa.

Current availability. PGP is paused: no new applications and no new interest forms. The super visa is available to apply for now, subject to meeting the eligibility requirements.

Who starts it. In the PGP the sponsor goes through the interest and invitation process described on IRCC's page when it is running. For the super visa, the parent or grandparent applies for the visa and the child or grandchild provides the invitation letter and income evidence.

Cost on the IRCC fee list (21 September 2026). PGP sponsorship: $1,260.00 with RPRF, $660.00 without. Visitor visa, which is the category a super visa is processed in: $100.00 per person. Biometrics: $85.00 per individual. Health insurance, the medical exam and any translations are paid to third parties and are not on the list.

Length of stay. Super visa: up to five years at a time for applications made on or after 22 June 2023, per IRCC's length-of-stay page (6 July 2026). Earlier applicants have different rules on that page. PGP: permanent residents have a residency obligation, which our 730-day guide explains.

None of this ranks the two. It lays out what each is so that the reader can see why a family might care about the difference, and why IRCC's own page points to the second one while the first is paused.

Warning signs while the program is paused

A paused program with strong demand attracts offers that do not fit what IRCC says.

  • "Guaranteed invitation" or "priority invitation." IRCC's page says it will not invite potential sponsors to apply while paused. No private party can promise an invitation the program is not issuing.
  • "Join the PGP list" or "register your interest for a fee." IRCC's page says it will not accept new interest to sponsor forms. Be careful with anyone charging for a place on a list IRCC does not describe.
  • Requests for payment before any contract. A licensed consultant must give you a written consultation agreement with the fee before starting work (Code of Professional Conduct, section 23). Only licensed consultants, lawyers and a few others may advise for a fee on an immigration application (IRPA section 91).
  • Government lookalike sites. Check that the page address ends in canada.ca or gc.ca.

Our guide to unlicensed immigration consultants explains how to check a licence on the College register and what to do if you think someone is acting without one.

How to follow the program without guessing

The only reliable way to know the status is to read IRCC's page itself, which carries a "page details" date. If that date changes, the status may have changed. News coverage often summarises a government announcement a day later and sometimes gets a detail wrong.

Three habits help. First, read the status line and the date at the top of IRCC's page, not a summary. Second, if the page changes, read the full new text for the sponsor eligibility rules, because they may differ from a past round. Third, do not file forms, pay fees or book a lawyer's retainer for a program that is not accepting applications unless you have been told by IRCC or a regulated adviser, in writing, what the step is for.

If your parent or grandparent is already in an IRCC process, the page says existing applications continue. Check your IRCC account for the file's current status; the account is the authoritative source for your own application.

For families who want to understand their options, a regulated adviser can read the real facts of the case, for example the ages, the relationship, the host's status and the family's history of visits, and explain how IRCC's pages apply to them.

If you want a regulated adviser to look at your own documents, the Migratio directory lists licensed Canadian immigration consultants (RCICs) and lawyers, with their College or law society details so you can check the register yourself. Migratio is a directory and booking service. It is not an immigration consultant and does not give advice on individual cases.

Questions people ask

Is the Parents and Grandparents Program open in 2026?

No. IRCC's page (page date 18 August 2026) says the program is paused and that IRCC is not currently accepting applications. It will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice.

When will the Parents and Grandparents Program reopen?

IRCC's page gives no date. It says only "until further notice." Treat any specific reopening date from another source as unconfirmed until it appears on IRCC's own page.

What happens to applications already submitted?

IRCC's page says, "We'll keep processing existing applications." Check your IRCC account for the status of your own file.

Can my parents visit Canada while the program is paused?

Visiting is a separate matter from sponsorship. IRCC's page says parents and grandparents who were not invited may be eligible for a super visa, which lets them stay up to five years at a time. Other visitor options exist and depend on their citizenship.

How much does PGP sponsorship cost?

The IRCC fee list (21 September 2026) shows $1,260.00 with the right of permanent residence fee and $660.00 without. The RPRF is $600.00 and is refunded if you withdraw or IRCC refuses the application. The program is paused, so there is nothing to file today.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Super Visa Requirements: Host, Insurance, Medical Exam and the Five-Year Stay — A super visa is a visitor visa for parents and grandparents. IRCC's eligibility pages require a host child or grandchild in Canada who meets the minimum necessary income and writes an invitation letter, private health insurance of at least $100,000 emergency cover valid for at least one year from entry, and an immigration medical exam. The visa allows stays of up to five years at a time (applications made on or after 22 June 2023).
  • IMM 5768: the financial evaluation for sponsoring parents and grandparents, and the program's paused status — IMM 5768 is the financial evaluation form for sponsors in the Parents and Grandparents Program. That program is paused: IRCC's page (dated 18 August 2026) says it will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice. The form asks for family size, previous undertakings and three years of employment and income history.
  • Spousal Sponsorship in Canada: Inland vs Outland, Eligibility and the Process — A Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is 18 or older and lives in Canada can sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child. Spouses and common-law partners can be sponsored in the 'in Canada' class (IRPR s.124) or the family class from outside; the choice depends on residence and status, and the appeal rights differ.
  • Canadian Immigration Fees 2026: The IRCC List, Explained — The IRCC fee list (date modified 21 September 2026) sets the government fees for most applications: for example $100 for a visitor visa, $150 for a study permit, $155 for a work permit, $1,590 for an economic permanent residence application including the $600 right of permanent residence fee, and $653 for an adult citizenship application. Medical exams, language tests, police certificates and representative fees are not on it.
  • Unlicensed Immigration Consultants: How to Check Before You Pay — Only RCICs and RISIAs licensed by the College, lawyers and paralegals in good standing with a law society, and Quebec notaries may charge for Canadian immigration advice. IRCC says it won't deal with unauthorized paid representatives and may return or refuse an application that uses one.
  • PR Residency Obligation: The 730-Day Rule and What Happens If You Miss It — A permanent resident must be in Canada, or in a few listed situations treated as in Canada, on at least 730 days in every five-year period (IRPA s.28). Falling short does not end status by itself: status continues until an official decision, and a decision made outside Canada can be appealed to the Immigration Appeal Division within 60 days.
  • Canada Visitor Visa Refused: What Your Options Are — There's no appeal from a visitor visa refusal. IRCC says you can apply again at any time unless your letter says otherwise, but only new information that addresses the refusal reasons is likely to change the result. The court route is judicial review in the Federal Court.