April 11, 2025
Update on Canada’s 2025 Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program
Family reunification remains a key priority in Canada’s immigration system, especially when it comes to bringing parents and grandparents closer to their loved ones. On 7 March 2025, the federal government confirmed that it plans to accept up to 10,000 sponsorship applications this year through the Parents and Grandparents (PGP) Program.
For those hoping to apply in 2025, it is important to note that IRCC will not open a new interest to sponsor form this year. Instead, they will continue selecting candidates from the existing pool of submissions made in 2020. As in previous years, invitations to apply will be issued through a randomized selection process from that group.
As of February 2025, the average processing time for PGP applications is around 24 months for most regions in Canada. However, if the application is being processed through Quebec, the wait time increases to roughly 48 months. This longer timeline is due to Quebec’s more limited quotas for family sponsorship.
IRCC explains that this more measured intake is necessary to balance demand and maintain manageable processing times. With immigration targets reduced under the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, fewer new PGP applications will be accepted in order to stay aligned with federal planning.
For those who did not have a chance to submit an interest to sponsor form, the Super Visa continues to be a strong alternative. It allows parents and grandparents to visit family in Canada for up to five years at a time, with multiple entries permitted over a ten-year period. Recent policy changes have also made the Super Visa easier to obtain, particularly by easing requirements related to health insurance.
IRCC is expected to release more information in the coming months about how the 2025 PGP intake will proceed, including when invitations will be sent. If you submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020, be sure to check your email regularly for updates from IRCC.
Hannah Cho
Hannah graduated from the J.D. program at Western Law in 2023. While in law school, Hannah was the Vice-President of the Western Law Charter Society, where she organized and moderated panel discussions on pressing legal issues concerning the Canadian Constitution and Charter rights. She also volunteered as a Student Clinician at the Law Student Legal Advice Program in British Columbia, where she gained experience handling a wide range of legal matters, including residential tenancy, employment and human rights law Before law school, Hannah received her B.A. (Hons.) with distinction from the University of Toronto, St. George, in Criminology and Book and Media Studies.
Prior to joining Bellissimo Law Group PC, Hannah worked as a student-at-law at a private immigration law firm, where she gained experience in Canadian immigration law by working on a range of matters including temporary residency applications, work permit applications, applications for permanent residence based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, and she has also co-written several articles on immigration law for platforms such as Law360 and International Law News.