Parent Sponsorship Canada 2026: PGP Frozen, Super Visa Open

Here is what parent sponsorship Canada looks like in 2026: the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) lottery has not reopened. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) paused the program on July 15, 2026 and is only processing applications from sponsors it already invited. Its last invitations went out in the 2025 intake, to people who submitted an interest-to-sponsor form in 2020. If you were not invited, there is no PGP path open to you right now.

As of June 24, 2026, updated for the July 15, 2026 pause.

The alternative that actually works in 2026 is the Super Visa. It is a multi-entry visitor visa that lets a parent or grandparent stay up to 5 years per entry, valid for 10 years. It is open year-round and processed in about 3 months.

This guide covers both: what PGP looks like when it eventually reopens (so you can prepare), and how the Super Visa works as the operational path for 2026.

When will parent sponsorship open for 2026?

IRCC has not announced a reopening date for new PGP intake in 2026. The Parents and Grandparents Program is not accepting new sponsorship applications this year. IRCC's last interest-to-sponsor intake was in 2020, and its last invitation round from that pool was the 2025 intake. On July 15, 2026, IRCC paused the program until further notice. New intake is set by Ministerial Instructions (MI89). The Super Visa stays open year-round as the working alternative.

What did IRCC announce on July 15, 2026?

Short answer: IRCC paused intake of new applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program. It will not accept new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice. It keeps processing applications already in the system and plans to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through PGP in 2026.

The July 15 notice made the freeze official. IRCC's last interest-to-sponsor window was in 2020, and its most recent invitation round, the 2025 intake, still drew from that 2020 pool: starting July 28, 2025, IRCC sent 17,860 invitations with a goal of 10,000 complete applications, and the last day to apply was October 9, 2025. Since January 1, 2026, Ministerial Instructions 89 have blocked new PGP applications until further instructions.

IRCC says interest in the program keeps exceeding the spaces in the levels plan. The 2026 to 2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets PGP admissions at 15,000 a year for 2026, 2027 and 2028, down from 24,500 for 2025 in the previous plan. If your file is already in the queue, check the current PGP processing time and keep your contact details up to date with IRCC. Source: IRCC notice, July 15, 2026.

IRCC has not said when intake will reopen. We cover what could happen next in our post on whether parent sponsorship will open in 2027. If you are not sure which route fits your family, start with our free immigration assessment, or see our parent and grandparent sponsorship service.

What does parent sponsorship in Canada look like in 2026?

Short answer: IRCC's last interest-to-sponsor (ITS) intake was in 2020. From that pool, IRCC's most recent round, the 2025 intake, sent 17,860 invitations with a goal of 10,000 complete applications. No new ITS intake has been announced for 2026, and IRCC paused the program on July 15, 2026.

IRCC's last interest-to-sponsor (ITS) intake was in 2020. From that pool, IRCC drew invitations in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. The 2024 round invited approximately 35,700 sponsors with a target of receiving 20,500 applications. IRCC keeps processing applications already submitted.

No new ITS intake has been announced for 2025 or 2026. The 2025 to 2027 levels plan set PGP admissions at 24,500 for 2025. The 2026 to 2028 plan lowers the target to 15,000 a year. Until IRCC reopens ITS intake, there is no way to express interest in PGP.

We wrote about the policy context in PGP Intake Frozen 2026. The short version: parent sponsorship Canada through PGP is closed to new applicants in 2026. IRCC's program page now lists the program as paused, with no open interest-to-sponsor intake for new sponsors.

What to do now:

1. If you were invited in an earlier round, your deadline to apply has passed. The 2025 intake closed on October 9, 2025. If you did apply, IRCC keeps processing your file.
2. If you were not invited, your parent sponsorship Canada path in 2026 is the Super Visa. It is real, it works, and it is open.
3. Keep your income above the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for 2025 and 2026 so you can sponsor immediately if ITS reopens.

Who can sponsor parents or grandparents under PGP when intake reopens?

Short answer: Be at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian under the Indian Act, residing in Canada (or a citizen with intent to return), and meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) test for 3 consecutive tax years before applying.

To sponsor parents or grandparents under PGP you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or registered Indian under the Indian Act
• Reside in Canada (or be a citizen with intent to return)
• Meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) for the past 3 consecutive tax years
• Sign a 20-year financial undertaking (10 years for Quebec)
• Not be in undertaking default, on social assistance other than disability, undischarged bankrupt, or disqualified by criminal conviction

The income test is the gate that disqualifies most sponsors who think they qualify. We walk through it next.

What is the income test (MNI) for parent sponsorship?

Short answer: MNI is Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) plus 30%, calculated against the total family size (sponsor + spouse + dependants of both, plus the parent/grandparent and their dependants you're sponsoring). Income proof comes from CRA Notices of Assessment for the 3 most recent tax years.

MNI is Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) plus 30%. The amount depends on family size, and the calculation includes:

• The sponsor
• The sponsor's spouse or common-law partner
• The sponsor's dependent children (and their dependents)
• The parents being sponsored
• The parents' dependent children (your siblings under 22, not married)
• Anyone the sponsor has previously sponsored and still has an undertaking for

The income is calculated from the sponsor's Notice of Assessment for each of the past 3 tax years. IRCC reads line 15000 (Total Income) for most cases, with some adjustments. Self-employed sponsors use net business income, not gross.

For the 2024 intake, the MNI table (used to assess 2021, 2022, 2023 income) was:

For 2025-2026 sponsors who want to be ready for the next ITS intake, IRCC's MNI table for the 2024 tax year, used for the 2025 intake, is:

These figures change each year. IRCC publishes the official income requirements table in October for the previous tax year. The COVID-era reduction (regular LICO instead of MNI) was a temporary measure and is not in force for 2024 and later tax years.

Co-signers. A sponsor's spouse or common-law partner can co-sign and combine their income to meet MNI. The co-signer is jointly bound by the 20-year undertaking. You cannot use a child's or another relative's income.

Common income calculation mistakes:

• Counting gross self-employment income instead of net (IRCC reads line 15000, which uses net)
• Missing the family-size calculation (forgetting to count dependent children of the parents being sponsored)
• Using world income before becoming a tax resident (only Canadian tax-reported income counts)
• Including capital gains realised by selling assets (one-time gains are counted but officers may question stability)

What does the 20-year sponsorship undertaking require?

Short answer: When you sponsor a parent or grandparent, you sign a 20-year financial undertaking (10 years in Quebec) committing to provide for their basic needs: food, shelter, clothing, medical care not covered by public health, dental, and other essentials. The undertaking survives divorce, separation, and bankruptcy.

When you sponsor a parent or grandparent under PGP, you sign a 20-year financial undertaking. You agree to provide for the parent's basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, medical care not covered by public health, dental, vision) for 20 years from the date they become a permanent resident.

If your parent receives social assistance (welfare, ODSP, OW, equivalent provincial programs) during the undertaking, you must repay the amounts received. The province collects from you. The undertaking survives separation, divorce, your bankruptcy, the death of your spouse, and the death of the parent in some respects.

Quebec is different: 10-year undertaking, separate MNI table, separate Sponsorship Agreement signed with Quebec.

The 20-year length is the longest sponsorship undertaking in Canadian immigration law. Spousal sponsorship is 3 years. PGP is 20.

How did invited sponsors complete the PGP application?

Short answer: Invited sponsors had 60 days to file through the IRCC Permanent Residence portal. The 2024 and 2025 invitation deadlines have passed, and IRCC keeps processing applications already submitted. Steps: complete sponsorship forms, prove MNI with CRA Notices of Assessment, complete forms for the parent or grandparent, pay fees, submit biometrics, and complete the medical exam.

Invited sponsors filed through the IRCC Permanent Residence portal. The process:

1. Invitation to apply. IRCC emails you confirming you were drawn from the 2020 ITS pool. You have 60 days to file a complete application.
2. Sponsor account. Create the sponsorship application in the PR portal. Complete IMM 1344 (Application to Sponsor).
3. Principal applicant account. Each parent (and each grandparent, if applicable) creates their own account and submits their PR application.
4. Supporting documents. Notices of Assessment for the past 3 years, T4s, Option C printouts, employment letters, proof of relationship (long-form birth certificates with parents' names), proof of relationship to spouse if claiming co-signer.
5. Police certificates. From every country each parent and dependent has lived in for 6+ months since age 18.
6. Medical exams. Panel physician exam for each parent and dependent.
7. Fees. Pay through the portal.
8. AOR. Acknowledgement of receipt typically within 30-60 days.
9. Biometrics. Parents and dependents over 14 attend biometrics within 30 days of the request.
10. Two-step approval. Sponsor eligibility first, then parent admissibility. Refusal at either step ends the application.
11. Confirmation of permanent residence. Parents receive their PR confirmation through the portal. Some files require a visa office interview.

Processing time: IRCC targets 24 months for non-Quebec files, 48 months for Quebec.

What are the PGP fees in 2026?

Short answer: IRCC charges $1,260 per parent or grandparent, which covers the sponsorship fee, the processing fee and the $600 Right of Permanent Residence Fee. Biometrics add $85 per person, or $170 at most for a family. Total per parent: about $1,345 CAD. Spousal partners and dependent grandchildren add their own per-person fees. Medical exams run $200 to $450 per person, paid directly to the panel physician.

Both parents together: $2,520 in IRCC fees plus up to $170 for biometrics, about $2,690. Add medical exam ($200-$450 per person) and police certificates ($0-$150 per country).

What is the Super Visa and how does it work in 2026?

Short answer: If PGP is closed for new applicants, the Super Visa is the operational solution. It is a multi-entry visitor visa valid up to 10 years that allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or PRs to stay in Canada for up to 5 years per entry without renewing status.

If PGP is closed and your parents want to spend significant time in Canada, the Super Visa is the operational solution. We file these every week.

A Super Visa is a multi-entry visitor visa valid up to 10 years that lets a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or PR stay in Canada for up to 5 years per entry. That last number changed in 2022 (was 2 years per entry). It is the longest single-entry stay any Canadian visa allows.

A Super Visa is not permanent residence. The parent does not gain PR rights, healthcare coverage, or work authorisation. But for many families it solves the actual need: living with the family in Canada for years at a time.

Who is eligible for the Super Visa?

Short answer: Be a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or PR, be admissible (no serious criminal record, no inadmissibility issues), pass a medical exam by an IRCC-approved panel physician, hold $100,000 in Canadian medical insurance valid 1 year, and have the inviter (your child or grandchild) meet the LICO income threshold.

For the parent (the applicant):

• Be a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Be admissible to Canada (no serious criminal record, no inadmissibility issues)
• Have a medical exam by an IRCC panel physician
• Have valid private medical insurance covering at least $100,000 in coverage, valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry to Canada
• Provide a police certificate (if requested)
• Apply from outside Canada

For the child or grandchild in Canada (the inviter):

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Meet the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO), not MNI, the lower LICO threshold
• Provide a signed letter of invitation that includes a promise of financial support and proof of housing
• Be at least 18 years old

The LICO threshold for the inviter is lower than the MNI threshold for PGP. Most working sponsors who would not qualify for PGP do qualify for Super Visa.

Minimum host income (IRCC table updated July 29, 2025):

The family-size count for Super Visa includes the inviter, the inviter's spouse and dependents, and the parent or grandparent being invited. It also counts super visa holders you already host under another letter of invitation, and anyone you sponsored whose undertaking is still in effect.

Since March 31, 2026, IRCC accepts the host's income in one of 2 ways:

1. Your income, plus a co-signing spouse's or common-law partner's, meets the minimum in either of the 2 tax years before you apply. A CRA notice of assessment is the preferred proof.
2. Your income was at least 75% of the minimum in the last tax year, and your parent's or grandparent's own income covers the rest. They must show that the income will continue while they are in Canada.

IRCC lists the accepted documents on its proof of financial support page.

What insurance does the Super Visa require?

Short answer: The $100,000 Canadian medical insurance must be valid for at least 1 year from the date the parent enters Canada, cover health care, hospitalisation, and repatriation, and come from a Canadian insurer or, since January 28, 2025, a foreign insurer that the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions authorizes to sell accident and sickness insurance in Canada.

The $100,000 medical insurance is the part most applicants get wrong. Our Super Visa insurance guide covers the rules in more detail. The policy must:

• Be valid for at least 1 year from the date the parent enters Canada
• Cover at least $100,000 in health care, hospitalisation, and repatriation
• Be paid in full (not pay-as-you-go) at the time the application is submitted
• Cover the parent for the entire intended stay or for the validity of the policy, whichever is shorter

Where the policy can be from: Since January 28, 2025, IRCC accepts policies from Canadian insurers and from foreign insurers authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) to provide accident and sickness insurance. The foreign insurer must appear on OSFI's list of federally regulated financial institutions and issue the policy under its insurance business in Canada.

What goes wrong: Buying a policy that covers less than 1 year. Buying a policy that excludes repatriation. Buying a travel policy that does not meet the Super Visa standard. Allowing the policy to lapse mid-stay and not renewing.

How do you apply for a Super Visa?

Short answer: Step 1: inviter prepares an invitation letter with financial-support commitment, housing details, and a copy of their citizenship or PR documentation. Step 2: parent gathers medical exam, insurance, passport, and ties-to-home-country documents. Step 3: parent applies online via IRCC, pays $100 visa fee, completes biometrics. Step 4: passport stamping at a Visa Application Centre.

1. Inviter prepares letter. Letter from the child or grandchild in Canada that includes the invitation, financial support commitment, housing details, and a copy of the inviter's citizenship or PR documentation, plus Notice of Assessment proving income.
2. Parent buys insurance. $100,000+ policy from an approved insurer.
3. Parent gathers documents. Passport, family registry or birth documents proving relationship, employment or pension proof, evidence of ties to home country, prior travel history.
4. Medical exam. Parent attends a panel physician for an Immigration Medical Examination.
5. Apply online. Through the IRCC visitor visa portal. Indicate the Super Visa flag.
6. Biometrics. Parent attends a Visa Application Centre.
7. Decision. Typically 8-12 weeks. Faster from countries with simpler documentation systems.

No interview by default. Some visa offices request interviews for first-time travellers. If you want a licensed consultant to prepare the application, see our Super Visa service.

How does PGP compare to the Super Visa?

Short answer: PGP grants permanent residence with MNI for 3 years and a 20-year undertaking. Super Visa is a long-term visitor status with LICO for 1 year and no undertaking but a $100,000 insurance requirement. PGP is structurally closed in 2026; Super Visa is open year-round and is the practical route for most families.

If you have a parent who needs Canadian healthcare coverage or wants to work, PGP is the only path and you wait for ITS to reopen. If your parent wants to live with you in Canada for years at a time and has manageable medical needs, Super Visa is the answer today.

What should you do about parent sponsorship in 2026?

Short answer: Already applied: IRCC keeps processing your file, so keep your contact details and income documents current. Not invited but waiting on PGP: pursue Super Visa for time-in-Canada now and wait for the next ITS intake (no date announced). PGP undertaking concerns: consult an RCIC before committing to the 20-year financial obligation.

For each scenario:

You already submitted a PGP application. IRCC keeps processing it. Respond quickly to any request for documents. Hire help if your income calculation is borderline or you have any admissibility concerns.

You were not invited in the 2024 or 2025 round. File a Super Visa application now. Watch IRCC announcements for the next ITS intake (none currently scheduled).

You submitted an ITS form in 2020 but were not drawn. Your ITS form is now stale. When ITS reopens you will need to submit a new one. Maintain your income above MNI for 2024, 2025, 2026 so you qualify immediately.

You are self-employed and your income looks borderline. Talk to an accountant about line 15000 reporting before the next ITS opens. We have seen sponsors disqualified because their accountant minimised reported income for tax purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

The questions below are drawn from the most common searches Canadians ask about parent sponsorship Canada in 2026. Each answer reflects the program status as of June 24, 2026, updated for IRCC's July 15, 2026 pause. For questions specific to your file, contact a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant who can review your actual documents.

Is Canada stopping parent sponsorship?

Canada is not permanently stopping parent sponsorship, but the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) intake is paused for 2026. IRCC announced under Ministerial Instructions 89 that no new interest-to-sponsor forms will be accepted in 2026 and only applications from sponsors already invited are being processed. On July 15, 2026, IRCC paused new intake until further notice, in line with the 2026 to 2028 Immigration Levels Plan. IRCC has not committed to a reopening date. The Super Visa stream stays open year-round and remains the operational alternative for families who want their parents to live in Canada now.

Can I sponsor my parents to Canada in 2026?

You can only sponsor your parents to Canada through PGP in 2026 if you were invited to apply from the 2020 interest-to-sponsor pool in an earlier round and submitted your application before the deadline. No new sponsors are being accepted into PGP for 2026. If you were not invited, your option is the Super Visa, a 10-year multiple-entry visitor visa that lets your parent stay in Canada up to 5 years per entry. Super Visa requires a lower income threshold (LICO instead of MNI), is open year-round, processes in 8 to 12 weeks, and does not give PR. To prepare for the next PGP reopening, keep your reported income above MNI for 3 consecutive tax years so you qualify the moment intake reopens.

When will parent sponsorship open for 2026?

IRCC has not announced a reopening date for new PGP intake in 2026. Past pattern: when intake reopens, IRCC announces the interest-to-sponsor window 4 to 6 weeks before opening, then runs a lottery against the pool. The 2025 intake, IRCC's last round, drew invitations from the 2020 pool, and on July 15, 2026 IRCC paused the program until further notice. Monitor the IRCC PGP page directly or subscribe to our newsletter for same-day alerts when the reopening is announced. If you want a path that is open right now, file a Super Visa.

What is the new immigration program in Canada 2026?

There is no single new program replacing PGP for 2026. Canada's active permanent residence streams in 2026 are Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades, plus category-based draws for healthcare, STEM, French, education, trades, and agriculture), Provincial Nominee Programs in each province, the Atlantic Immigration Program, the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (which replaced RNIP), and the renewed Caregiver Pilots. Family-class spousal sponsorship stays open. Refugee and humanitarian pathways stay open. PGP is paused. None of these are direct substitutes for PGP for parents and grandparents.

What is the income requirement to sponsor parents in 2026?

PGP requires Minimum Necessary Income (MNI), which is LICO plus 30 percent, met for each of the past 3 tax years. IRCC's 2024 tax-year MNI figures, used for the 2025 intake, are $47,549 for 2 people, $58,456 for 3, $70,972 for 4, $80,496 for 5, and $90,784 for 6 (verify against IRCC's published table for the year you apply). Self-employed sponsors must use net business income, not gross. A spouse or common-law partner can co-sign and combine income to meet MNI. The Super Visa uses a lower income table, and since March 31, 2026 the host can meet it in either of the last 2 tax years.

Can my parent stay long-term in Canada on a Super Visa?

Yes. The Super Visa is a 10-year multiple-entry visitor visa that, since 2022, lets a parent or grandparent stay up to 5 years per entry. They can leave and return multiple times during the 10-year validity. They do not gain PR rights, do not get provincial health coverage, and cannot work. They must hold private medical insurance covering at least $100,000 CAD, valid for at least 1 year from entry. The parent renews insurance for each subsequent extended stay. Super Visa is the only path that lets a parent live in Canada for years at a time while PGP remains paused.

Is the PGP program closed in Canada?

The PGP is not permanently closed, but it is closed to new sponsors in 2026. IRCC is not accepting new interest-to-sponsor forms this year and is only processing applications from sponsors it already invited, under Ministerial Instructions (MI89). The Super Visa stays open year-round for parents and grandparents who want to spend extended time in Canada.

Will parent sponsorship reopen in 2026 in Canada?

No new PGP intake is scheduled to reopen in 2026. IRCC has not announced a reopening date and is only finishing applications from sponsors it already invited, and it paused the program on July 15, 2026 until further notice. Watch the official IRCC parents and grandparents page for the next interest-to-sponsor window; until it opens, the Super Visa is the route available now.

When should you get professional help for parent sponsorship?

Most Super Visa files are clean and we can teach the inviter how to file in one consultation. PGP files are different. The MNI calculation, the 20-year undertaking, and the dependents-of-dependents counting are technical enough that errors are expensive. Errors in the income calculation can result in a full refusal with all fees forfeited.

From our practice, parent sponsorship Canada calls for a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) when:

• You have a PGP application in process and your income is borderline (within 15% of MNI for any of the 3 years)
• You are self-employed and need help structuring line 15000 reporting against IRCC's interpretation
• Your parent has a medical condition that may trigger an excessive demand finding
• Your parent has criminal history that requires rehabilitation before sponsorship
• Your Super Visa was refused and you need the refusal reasons addressed before re-applying
• You are in Quebec and need the Sponsorship Agreement coordinated alongside the federal sponsorship

For those cases, book a $100 consultation. We will read the file before you spend the $1,345 PGP fee or another Super Visa refusal.

Sources

All sources listed below are official Government of Canada or provincial government publications, accessed and verified in May 2026. Policy details and fee tables on these pages take precedence over any third-party summary when filing a live application. IRCC updates program pages when intake status changes.

• IRCC: Sponsor your parents and grandparents
• IRCC: Income requirements for the sponsor
• IRCC: Super visa for parents and grandparents
• IRCC: Ministerial Instructions 89: Parents and Grandparents
• IRCC: How to apply for parent and grandparent sponsorship
• IRCC: About the super visa