2025 Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program Intake Update
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has officially announced the reopening of its Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) for 2025. It aims to send 17,860 invitations with the goal to accept 10,000 complete applications for the 2025 PGP. On July 28, 2025, the IRCC will start inviting people to apply for the 2025 PGP intake. These invitations will be sent over approximately two weeks.
Who Will Receive Invitations to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents in 2025?
Potential sponsors that filled out an “Interest to Sponsor” form in 2020 will be invited by the IRCC to submit sponsorship applications. The department urges applicants that if they submitted a form in 2020 and haven’t yet received an invitation, now is the time to carefully check the email account they provided, including their junk and spam folders.
Due to the substantial volume of “Interest to Sponsor” forms received in 2020, IRCC has continued to draw from this pool for successive PGP intakes. This means that no new “Interest to Sponsor” forms will be accepted for the 2025 intake.
What is the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program (PGP)?
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is a Canadian immigration program that enables citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada and settle there permanently.
What are the eligibility requirements to be a sponsor?
Requirements to be a sponsor are laid out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) sections 130 and 133.
Most importantly, sponsors need to
- Be at least 18 years old or older.
- Be a registered Indian in Canada, a citizen of Canada, or a permanent resident.
- Meet or exceed the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for the past three consecutive tax years.
Processing Time For PGP Program
Due to provincial processes and targets, PGP application processing times as of early 2025 were roughly 24 months for applicants from outside Quebec and 48 months for Quebec-destined applicants.
What if you don’t receive an invitation?
If you aren’t invited to apply under the 2025 PGP, you may still consider bringing your parent or grandparent to Canada through a Super Visa.
The Super Visa allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to:
- Stay in Canada for up to 5 years at a time per visit.
- Enter Canada multiple times over a 10-year period.
- Extend their stay by up to two additional years at a time without leaving the country.
If you’re unsure of your eligibility, received an invitation, or need help exploring other options like the Super Visa, our team at Doherty Fultz Immigration is here to guide you every step of the way.
Reach out to us and book a consultation today!
