Canada pauses new parent and grandparent sponsorship applications

Canada will not accept new applications this year for its parent and grandparent sponsorship program, the federal immigration department said Wednesday, citing the need to manage demand and reduce long processing times. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said the program continues to attract more interest than available spots. The department said about 60,500 applications are already in progress, with average processing times around 33 months and as long as 66 months in Quebec. The government said the pause will not change its plan to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence in 2026 and 2027. Officials also said Canadians and permanent residents can still use the super visa program to bring parents and grandparents to Canada temporarily.