Families hoping to obtain permanent residence for parents or grandparents will have to wait another year. The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) will not open a 2026 intake, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada confirmed on its website, and national media quickly picked up the story.(https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/canada-not-allowing-parent-grandparent-immigration-applications-in-2026-super-visa-remains-open/articleshow/126435585.cms) Ottawa will instead concentrate on clearing roughly 10,000 applications already in processing, most of which date back to pre-2025 lotteries.
The decision extends last year’s pause that was introduced to tackle a backlog that had topped 40,000 cases by late-2023. Sponsorship inventories proved difficult to work through while overall permanent-resident admissions targets were trimmed to 380,000 for 2026. Officials say keeping the PGP shuttered is necessary to meet processing-time standards and maintain fiscal room for higher-priority economic streams.
Immigration lawyers and relocation advisers are steering clients toward the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, a multiple-entry document valid for up to five years per stay and renewable once from inside Canada. Although it does not grant status or access to provincial health insurance, the Super Visa offers a practical bridge solution, particularly for families that need caregiving support but cannot meet income thresholds or wait several years for PGP approval.
![Parent and Grandparent sponsorship remains closed for 2026; Super Visa promoted as main option]()
Families exploring this alternative can streamline the process by working with VisaHQ, which offers step-by-step guidance, document reviews, and courier options for Super Visa applications and other Canadian permits. Their online platform—https://www.visahq.com/canada/—helps applicants avoid common errors and stay updated on changing requirements, saving time while the PGP remains paused.
Businesses with large expatriate populations should review family-support policies: sponsored dependants will be limited to spouse/children for the foreseeable future, and private medical coverage is mandatory for Super Visa holders. Corporations may want to negotiate group insurance rates or subsidise premiums to ensure continuity of care during assignments.
IRCC has not provided a timeline for reinstating the PGP lottery, but hinted that an updated, demand-managed model could emerge once backlogs drop below 12-month processing times. Mobility teams should monitor quarterly inventory disclosures and advise employees accordingly.
The decision extends last year’s pause that was introduced to tackle a backlog that had topped 40,000 cases by late-2023. Sponsorship inventories proved difficult to work through while overall permanent-resident admissions targets were trimmed to 380,000 for 2026. Officials say keeping the PGP shuttered is necessary to meet processing-time standards and maintain fiscal room for higher-priority economic streams.
Immigration lawyers and relocation advisers are steering clients toward the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, a multiple-entry document valid for up to five years per stay and renewable once from inside Canada. Although it does not grant status or access to provincial health insurance, the Super Visa offers a practical bridge solution, particularly for families that need caregiving support but cannot meet income thresholds or wait several years for PGP approval.
Families exploring this alternative can streamline the process by working with VisaHQ, which offers step-by-step guidance, document reviews, and courier options for Super Visa applications and other Canadian permits. Their online platform—https://www.visahq.com/canada/—helps applicants avoid common errors and stay updated on changing requirements, saving time while the PGP remains paused.
Businesses with large expatriate populations should review family-support policies: sponsored dependants will be limited to spouse/children for the foreseeable future, and private medical coverage is mandatory for Super Visa holders. Corporations may want to negotiate group insurance rates or subsidise premiums to ensure continuity of care during assignments.
IRCC has not provided a timeline for reinstating the PGP lottery, but hinted that an updated, demand-managed model could emerge once backlogs drop below 12-month processing times. Mobility teams should monitor quarterly inventory disclosures and advise employees accordingly.
