Ottawa, March 7, 2025—Family reunification plays a vital role in Canada’s immigration system, allowing Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their loved ones to live and work with them in Canada. The government remains committed to bringing families together through the Parents and Grandparents (PGP) Program.
This year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) plans to accept up to 10,000 complete sponsorship applications under the PGP Program.
Since there are still many interest-to-sponsor forms from 2020 in the system, IRCC will invite randomly selected applicants from that pool rather than opening submissions for new forms. This method has been used consistently from 2020 to 2024.
As of February 5, 2025, processing times for PGP applications were around 24 months for applicants outside Quebec. However, for those settling in Quebec, the process takes about 48 months due to the province’s stricter family class admission limits.
To reduce wait times, IRCC aims to balance the number of applications received with the available spots in the Immigration Levels Plan. Adjustments, such as the reduced immigration targets in the 2025–2027 plan, require IRCC to carefully manage how many new applications it accepts.
IRCC acknowledges that this approach may affect families who haven’t yet had the chance to submit an interest-to-sponsor form. However, for those looking to spend extended time with their parents and grandparents, the super visa remains an option. This visa allows visits of up to five years per entry and multiple entries over ten years. Recently, IRCC made the super visa more accessible by updating its health insurance requirements.
Further details on the 2025 PGP intake, including the timeline for invitations to apply, will be shared in the coming months.
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