Latest 2026 Update On The Parents And Grandparents Program

Last updated: April 12, 2026

The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is not currently open for a new intake, and IRCC has not confirmed a reopening date for 2026. The last round was the 2025 intake, when invitations were sent from the remaining 2020 pool rather than through a new public Interest to Sponsor form. PGP is not first come, first served and does not stay open year-round. Instead, IRCC runs invitation rounds from a randomized list, which is why many families are still waiting to see both when the next intake will happen and how it will be conducted. That means another intake in 2026 remains possible, but both the timing and the format are still unknown.

Current PGP Status

The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is not currently open for a new intake, and there is no confirmed reopening date for 2026. IRCC’s current ministerial instructions state that, as of January 1, 2026, no new parents and grandparents sponsorship applications or related permanent residence applications are to be received for processing until further instructions are issued. IRCC has also said these are administrative steps that allow it to continue processing existing applications into 2026. This means the program is paused for new intake, not cancelled.

WHAT THIS MEANS NOW

There is no active new intake at the moment.
The most recent round was the 2025 intake, which is now closed.
In 2025, IRCC began sending 17,860 invitations on July 28, 2025, and aimed to receive 10,000 complete applications.
The deadline to apply in the 2025 intake was October 9, 2025.

In practical terms, IRCC has not announced that PGP has been cancelled, but it also has not confirmed when the next intake will open. For now, the department is continuing to process existing applications and has left the timing of the next round open-ended.

PGP Intake History Since 2020

To understand when PGP may open again, it helps to look at how recent intakes have worked. The current system began in fall 2020, when Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada opened the PGP Interest to Sponsor form from October 13 to November 3, 2020. After duplicate forms were removed, 203,213 unique submissions remained in the pool. IRCC says those submissions were randomized and used to issue invitations for the intakes conducted between 2020 and 2022. IRCC later confirmed that the same general approach continued for intakes conducted from 2020 to 2024, and the 2025 intake again drew from the remaining 2020 pool instead of opening a new Interest to Sponsor form.

RECENT TIMELINE

2020: IRCC opened the Interest to Sponsor form and created the current pool.
2021: IRCC continued inviting potential sponsors from the 2020 pool.
2022: IRCC again used the same 2020 pool.
2023: IRCC sent 24,200 invitations and aimed to receive 15,000 complete applications from the same 2020 pool.
2024: IRCC continued with the same general approach rather than opening a new public Interest to Sponsor form.
2025: IRCC sent 17,860 invitations and aimed to accept 10,000 complete applications, again using the remaining 2020 pool.
2026: No new intake date has been announced, and IRCC says no new applications will be received for processing until further instructions are issued.

The key takeaway is that PGP has reopened in rounds over the years, but recent rounds have not created a new opportunity for everyone to join a fresh pool. Instead, IRCC has mainly continued selecting sponsors from the pool first created in 2020. That is why the next PGP announcement matters so much: families are waiting not only to see when the program opens again, but also whether IRCC will finally open a new Interest to Sponsor form.

How PGP Selection Works

The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is not first come, first served, and it does not stay open year-round. After the Interest to Sponsor period closes, IRCC removes duplicate submissions and randomly selects potential sponsors to invite. Only people who receive an invitation can submit a full sponsorship and permanent residence application for their parents or grandparents, which leads to permanent residence (sometimes referred to as a permanent residence visa). Learn more about the PGP document checklist.

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

People submit an Interest to Sponsor form when IRCC opens that step.
IRCC removes duplicate submissions.
IRCC then randomly selects potential sponsors and sends invitations to apply.
Only invited sponsors can submit a full application.

WHAT MATTERS MOST TODAY

In recent years, IRCC has not opened a new Interest to Sponsor form.
Instead, it has continued inviting people from the remaining 2020 pool.
That means a future intake does not automatically mean a new public lottery for everyone.
IRCC could announce another intake and still continue using the existing pool.

As of now, there is no official confirmation that IRCC will open a new public Interest to Sponsor form for people who did not submit one in 2020.

Will PGP Open in 2026?

A Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) intake could still be announced later in 2026, but no reopening date has been confirmed. IRCC’s current ministerial instructions state that, as of January 1, 2026, no new PGP sponsorship or related permanent residence applications are to be received for processing until further instructions are issued. IRCC also says details on the next intake will be shared when they become available. You can check current PGP processing times.

WHAT CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED

Possible: IRCC could announce another intake later in 2026.
Not confirmed: There is currently no official reopening date.
Still part of Canada’s immigration plan: The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan includes 15,000 Parents and Grandparents admissions in 2026, 2027, and 2028. However, planned admissions do not confirm a new intake, as these can come from applications already in process.
Still uncertain: IRCC has not confirmed whether a future intake would involve a new public PGP Interest to Sponsor form or another round from the existing 2020 pool. IRCC’s 2025 intake again invited people who had submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020.

If you did not submit an Interest to Sponsor form in 2020, there is currently no confirmed way to join the pool.

The most accurate conclusion is that another intake remains possible, but both the timing and the format are still unknown.

Alternative Options to PGP

If the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is not open, the main temporary alternatives are the Super Visa and, for shorter visits, a visitor visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA). These options do not replace permanent residence through PGP, but they can help families reunite in Canada while waiting for the next intake.

SUPER VISA

The Super Visa is usually the best option for a longer stay in Canada. IRCC says eligible parents and grandparents can stay for up to 5 years at a time, and the visa allows multiple entries for up to 10 years. Parents and grandparents already in Canada on a super visa may also apply to extend their stay by up to 2 years at a time.

Available only to parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents
Requires proof of income from the sponsor and private medical insurance
Allows long stays but does not lead to permanent residence

VISITOR VISA OR eTA

If the visit will be shorter, a regular visitor visa may be the better route. IRCC says that if the planned stay is 6 months or less, applicants should use a visitor visa instead of a super visa. Depending on nationality and how they travel, some parents or grandparents will need a visitor visa, while others may need an eTA to fly to Canada.