On January 03, 2025, IRCC announced that the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) will not take new applications in 2025. This will have a significant effect on families hoping to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada. However, it is happening to reduce the overall number of temporary residents in Canada.
Focus on 2024 Applications
The program will continue working on applications from people who submitted an Interest to Sponsor form in 2024. These individuals have already been invited to apply. No new applications will be accepted in 2025 as the government focuses on reducing the backlog.
Reasons for the Change
- High Demand: The PGP is extremely popular, and the number of applications far exceeds the available spots, creating a long backlog. Primary Focus of IRCC is to reduce backlog first.
- Reduced immigration target: Due to high recent immigration targets, IRCC is giving more priority to make temporary residents permanent rather than inviting them from outside.
- Resource Allocation: Managing new applications alongside existing ones would strain resources and delay decisions for families already in the system.
Family Reunification Challenges
The PGP is a popular program that helps Canadians reunite with their parents and grandparents. However, high demand and long processing times have made it difficult for the government to keep up.
Other Options Available
Families can still consider the Super Visa, which allows parents and grandparents to visit Canada for extended periods. This is a temporary solution while permanent pathways are limited.
Rationale Behind the Decision
The suspension of new applications aligns with IRCC’s broader strategy to manage immigration levels effectively. For 2025, the government has reduced its permanent resident targets by 20%, which includes a decrease in the allocation for PGP landings. The new target for PGP landings is 24,500, significantly lower than in previous years.
This move also addresses the significant backlog of pending applications. As of late 2023, over 40,000 parent and grandparent sponsorship applications were still awaiting processing, with average wait times of around 24 months.
Historical Context
From 2020 to 2024, the PGP operated on a lottery system to manage overwhelming demand. Sponsors submitted an “Interest to Sponsor” form, and invitations were randomly issued to a limited number of applicants each year. In 2024 alone, IRCC invited 35,700 candidates to apply under this highly sought-after program
Conclusion
Stopping new PGP applications in 2025 shows the challenges Canada faces in managing immigration.
