Canada Welcomes Families: 2025 Parents and Grandparents Program Opens with Thousands of Invitations

Canada has officially opened the 2025 Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), extending invitations to thousands of Canadians eager to sponsor their loved ones. This year's intake aims to reunite more families, though concerns have been raised about the program's impact on provincial services.

Key Program Updates and Invitations

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) plans to accept up to 10,000 complete applications for sponsorship under the 2025 PGP. In a move consistent with recent years, IRCC will send invitations to apply to randomly selected potential sponsors from the pool of those who submitted an "interest to sponsor" form in 2020. This approach is being taken due to a significant number of forms remaining in the pool from that year.

• Invitation Pool: Invitations are being sent to individuals who expressed interest in 2020.

• Application Cap: The program aims to process 10,000 complete applications in 2025.

• Processing Times: Current processing times are approximately 24 months for applications destined outside Quebec and 48 months for those heading to Quebec.

Income Requirements and Family Size Considerations

Canadian citizens and permanent residents looking to sponsor parents or grandparents must meet updated minimum income requirements. For the 2025 intake, sponsors needed to have earned a minimum of $47,549 in 2024. This income threshold is calculated based on the sponsor's income for three preceding tax years (2024, 2023, and 2022) and varies proportionally with the size of the sponsor's family.

When calculating family size for the PGP, sponsors must include:

• Themselves

• Their spouse or common-law partner

• Dependent children (including their dependent children)

• Anyone previously sponsored by the applicant or co-signer

• The individuals being sponsored (principal applicant and their family members, even if not immigrating)

Super Visa as an Alternative

For those who were unable to submit an "interest to sponsor" form or are seeking alternative family reunification options, the Super Visa remains available. This program allows parents and grandparents to visit Canada for up to five years at a time, with multiple entries permitted for up to 10 years. IRCC recently enhanced the Super Visa's accessibility by adjusting its health insurance requirements.

Provincial Concerns and Program Impact

While family reunification is a cornerstone of Canada's immigration system, some provinces have voiced concerns about the program's potential strain on public services. Alberta's immigration minister, for instance, expressed worries that accepting thousands of parents and grandparents could overwhelm provincial health-care, housing, and social services, particularly given the higher likelihood of seniors requiring medical and long-term care. IRCC maintains that sponsors are financially responsible for their sponsored relatives, mitigating excessive burdens on provincial services and highlighting the economic and social benefits of family reunification.

Sources

• Update on 2025 Parents and Grandparents Program, Canada.ca.

• Canada's parent, grandparent sponsorship program criticized, CTV News.

• Canada updates income requirements for Parents and Grandparents Program, CIC News.

• Share your experience with sponsorship, CTV News.

• Plan to accept newcomer parents and grandparents will strain health services, Alberta warns, CBC.