Update: 2025 Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) Intake
Update: 2025 Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) Intake
Ottawa, March 7, 2025 – The Canadian government has released an update on the 2025 Parents and Grandparents (PGP) Program, a vital part of Canada’s family reunification efforts. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to accept up to 10,000 complete sponsorship applications this year.
Application Process and Invitations
Similar to the approach taken from 2020 to 2024, IRCC will not be opening a new “interest to sponsor” submission period for 2025. Instead, invitations to apply will be sent to randomly selected potential sponsors from the existing pool of “interest to sponsor” forms submitted in 2020. This decision is due to the significant number of forms still in the pool from that year.
Processing Times
As of February 5, 2025, the approximate processing times for PGP Program applications are:
- 24 months for applications destined outside Quebec.
- 48 months for Quebec-destined applicants, a longer timeframe attributed to Quebec’s more limited family class admission targets.
Factors Influencing Intake Numbers
IRCC continually strives to balance the number of PGP applications received with the available spaces under the Immigration Levels Plan. The recent reductions in overall immigration targets outlined in the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan have necessitated a recalibration of the number of new applications accepted for processing.
Alternative Option: Super Visa
IRCC acknowledges that this approach may impact families who have not yet had the opportunity to submit an “interest to sponsor” form. For those wishing to reunite with their parents and grandparents for extended periods, the super visa remains a viable option. The super visa allows parents and grandparents to visit Canada for up to 5 years at a time, with multiple entries for up to 10 years. IRCC recently made the super visa more accessible by adjusting the health insurance requirement.
Further Details
More specific details regarding the 2025 PGP Program intake, including information on when invitations to apply will be issued, are expected to be released by IRCC in the coming months.
