Canada Suspends Parent, Grandparent Immigration in 2025 and Alternative Options

The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) will no longer accept new applications for permanent residence in 2025 as per the information released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). 

Additionally, the IRCC affirmed that it will only consider sponsorship applications filed in 2024 with a cap of 15,000 applications established for 2025. The decision comes after Canada’s 2025 permanent resident targets were drastically lowered which had an immediate effect on PGP funding. 

Rather the super visa program which permits visits for up to five years per stay is recommended for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who wish to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada for extended stays.

Alternate Option:

The super visa is still an option for people who are unable to sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residence. 

Families that want to spend more time together without pursuing permanent residency often choose the super visa which permits extended visits of up to five years per stay. 

As sponsors compete for the few available places in 2024, the suspension of new PGP applications for 2025 is expected to make things more competitive. 

As a workable alternative many families could have to switch to the super visa. When or whether fresh applications for the PGP may reopen in the future has not been disclosed by the IRCC. 

The lowered expectations for the time being are a reflection of Canada’s changing immigration policy and its focus on striking a balance between family reunification and other immigration priorities.

Parents and Grandparents Program:

Parents and grandparents can be sponsored for permanent residence by Canadian citizens. Due to tremendous demand there are many more interested sponsors than there are open positions so the program uses a lottery-based system. Applications from sponsors who filed their interest forms during the 2020 intake period have been accepted by the IRCC since 2020. 

Invitations have been issued out yearly till 2024 using this procedure. The suspension was ascribed by the IRCC to a 20% decrease in the 2025 permanent resident targets. The 2023 Immigration Levels Plan’s aim of 34,000 PGP landings has been lowered to 24,500. The 2024 goal which was earlier set at 32,000 is still in place. 

This cut is in line with more significant changes to Canada’s immigration objectives.

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