Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it will not accept any PGP applications in 2025 to process the applications submitted last year.
As confirmed by the gazette.gc.ca official website of Immigration Canada, the sponsorship applications submitted in 2024 for parents or grandparents under the Family Class will be accepted for processing in the 2025 calendar year. The processing period will commence on January 1, 2025, and conclude on December 31, 2025.
Applications will be processed according to the guidelines established in the instructions on April 12, 2024. These guidelines apply to applications received by the Department within the 2024 calendar year. Only sponsorship applications received in 2024 will be eligible for processing in 2025.
Under the current instructions, a maximum of 15,000 sponsorship applications submitted in 2024 for permanent resident visas under the Family Class (for parents and grandparents) will be processed during the 2025 calendar year. The processing period will run from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025.
This maximum limit is subject to change if further instructions are issued by the Minister. Unless new instructions are provided, no additional sponsorship applications for parents or grandparents under the Family Class will be accepted for processing in 2025.
What is the Parent and Grandparents Program (PGP)?
Canadian citizens or permanent residents can sponsor their parents or grandparents to apply for the PR. This program is a part of the family reunification. The starting cost of this program is $1,205.
The sponsors must sign an undertaking stating that they would support their parents and grandparents financially for a minimum of 20 years. For Quebec, this undertaking is for 10 years commitment.
Who can be sponsored?
If they’re eligible as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you can sponsor:
- your parents and grandparents, (real or adopted);
- the dependent children of your parents and grandparents;
- if your parents or grandparents are divorced, their current spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner;
- You’ll need to submit separate applications for your divorced parents.
- If your parents or grandparents are separated and not divorced, you’ll need to submit one application for them because they’re still married.