Canada pauses new parent and grandparent sponsorship applications

Canada has temporarily stopped accepting new sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents as it works through a backlog of files.

The federal program, which allows Canadians and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residency, has long been a popular immigration pathway. However, the high demand has created significant backlogs and delays.

A directive published in the Canada Gazette says Immigration Minister Marc Miller believes focusing on clearing existing applications will best support the government’s immigration goals. In 2024, the government invited 35,700 people to apply under the program, with a goal of processing 20,500 applications. As of the end of 2023, more than 40,000 applications were still in the system. The average processing time was 24 months. For 2025, the government plans to process a maximum of 15,000 applications through this stream.

Canada’s immigration levels plan, which includes a slight reduction in overall immigration targets over the next three years, aims to admit more than 24,000 people through the parent and grandparent program in 2025.

The government says pausing new applications will allow it to focus on reducing delays and improving the process for families already waiting to reunite. It has not yet announced when the program will reopen.