No New Applications for Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship in 2025

January 6, 2025

Ishita Soni

No New Applications for Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship

The Canadian government has made a big change that will affect many families hoping to bring their parents and grandparents to live in Canada. Let’s break down what this means, step by step.

What’s Changing in 2025?

In 2025, the Canadian government will stop accepting new applications for sponsoring parents and grandparents for permanent residency. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed that only applications for sponsorship submitted in 2024 will be processed during 2025.

How Many Applications Will Be Processed?

While no new applications will be accepted, IRCC plans to process up to 15,000 applications for family sponsorship that were already submitted in 2024. So, if you didn’t submit an application in 2024, you’ll have to wait for future opportunities.

Consider the Super Visa!

Although the permanent residency sponsorship option is paused, there is still a chance for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to bring their parents or grandparents to Canada. They can apply for a super visa, which allows relatives to visit for up to five years at a time. This option offers an alternative way to be with family while waiting for other opportunities.

What is the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)?

The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is designed to allow Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and registered Indians to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residency. However, there are far more people wanting to sponsor their family members than there are available spots. To manage this, the program uses a lottery system. This means that not everyone who applies gets an invitation to apply for sponsorship.

Why Is This Change Happening?

So, why has the government decided to pause new applications in 2025? The reason lies in a reduction of permanent resident targets by 20% for 2025. As part of this reduction, fewer spots are available for people sponsored under the Parents and Grandparents Program. The new target is 24,500 landings for foreign nationals through the PGP in 2025, down from higher numbers in previous years.

Understanding the Immigration Levels Plan

Every year, the government sets targets for how many permanent residents it hopes to welcome. This is known as the Immigration Levels Plan. For 2025, the target for the PGP is 24,500 landings, a decrease from the original target of 32,000 for 2024 and 34,000 for 2025. The 2023 plan was the first to include goals for new temporary residents (like those on super visas) as well.

Conclusion

To sum up, if you’re looking to bring your parents or grandparents to live in Canada permanently in 2025, the chances are slim unless you already applied in 2024. However, the super visa remains a good option for long-term visits. It’s important to stay informed, as immigration policies can change, and new opportunities may arise in the future.

Get in touch with SPS Global

Receive professional advice on any of your questions regarding Canadian immigration. get in touch with us, experienced immigration consultants from SPS Canada. For additional information, contact support@spscanada.com (Canada) or support.amd@spscanada.com (Ahmedabad), or by phone at (1) 905-362-9393 (Canada) or +919586226232 (Ahmedabad).

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