Parent Sponsorship Canada 2026: PGP Frozen, Super Visa Open

How do 2024-invited sponsors complete the PGP application?

Short answer: If you were invited in the 2024 round, file through the IRCC Permanent Residence portal within 60 days. 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.

If you were invited in the 2024 round, your application must be 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: Per parent: sponsorship fee $85, principal applicant processing $570, Right of Permanent Residence Fee $575, biometrics $85 (or $170 family). Total per parent: approximately $1,315 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: about $2,460 (sharing the family biometrics fee). 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.

LICO 2024 (used for 2025 Super Visa applications, approximate):

The family-size count for Super Visa includes the inviter, the inviter's spouse and dependents, and the parent or grandparent being invited.

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 be issued by a Canadian insurer. IRCC rejected $100,000 insurance from non-Canadian insurers in 2023; the rule was tightened further in 2024.

The $100,000 medical insurance is the part most applicants get wrong. 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 June 2023, IRCC accepts policies from Canadian insurers AND from designated non-Canadian insurers approved under a pilot program. Most applications still use Canadian insurers because the network is larger and the pilot list is small.

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.

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: 2024 invited sponsors: file your complete application within the 60-day deadline. 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 were invited in the 2024 PGP round. File your complete application before your 60-day deadline. Hire help if your income calculation is borderline or you have any admissibility concerns.

You were not invited in the 2024 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. 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 the existing pool of 2024-invited applicants is being processed. The pause is part of the 2025-2027 Levels Plan that lowered overall PR admissions. 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 already invited to apply from the 2020 interest-to-sponsor pool in the 2024 draw round. 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 2024 round drew invitations from the 2020 pool; the next round will likely draw from a fresh pool. 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. The 2024 base year MNI table approximates $50,378 for 2 people, $61,946 for 3, $75,202 for 4, $85,289 for 5, and $96,225 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. Super Visa uses the lower LICO threshold for one year only, no MNI required.

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 sponsors invited in the 2024 round, 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 the pool of sponsors invited in the 2024 round. 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 were invited in 2024 PGP 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 $1,315 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