Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revealed plans to restart the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) on July 28, 2025, with a goal of issuing up to 10,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) to eligible sponsors over a two-week period. The initiative, a key component of Canada’s family reunification strategy, aims to facilitate the permanent immigration of parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

The department made this announcement via an official notice published on its website on Wednesday, emphasizing that the PGP offers a direct and permanent pathway for family reunification, separate from temporary visit visas such as the Super Visa.

PGP 2025 to Prioritize Existing Expressions of Interest

Unlike open application rounds in previous years, IRCC has restricted eligibility for the 2025 intake to individuals who had already submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020 and have not been selected in any past invitation rounds. This decision effectively excludes any new applicants from this year’s intake.

The statement urged all potential sponsors who applied in 2020 to check the email addresses they used at that time, including spam or junk folders, as that is where IRCC will be sending the invitations.

“Starting on July 28, 2025, and over the course of approximately two weeks, IRCC will send invitations to apply to interested potential sponsors,” the department confirmed.

All applications must be submitted electronically through the Permanent Residence Portal or the Representative Permanent Residence Portal, depending on whether the sponsor is applying independently or through a legal representative.

Alternative Option: Canada’s Super Visa Still Available

For individuals who are not among the 10,000 invitees this year, IRCC recommends the Super Visa as an alternative method of family reunification. The Super Visa is a long-term, multiple-entry visitor visa that can remain valid for up to 10 years, offering far more flexibility than standard visit visas.

The Super Visa allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to stay in Canada for up to five years per visit, with the option to extend their stay by an additional two years at a time without leaving the country.

“Those who are not invited this year may consider having their parents or grandparents apply for a super visa,” IRCC advised.

This option provides some relief for families still waiting for permanent reunification under the PGP, allowing them to spend extended time with loved ones while their permanent residence applications remain pending or delayed.

Program Background: A Pillar of Canada’s Family Reunification Strategy

The Parents and Grandparents Program plays a critical role in Canada’s broader immigration policy, which prioritizes family unity and long-term settlement. The program offers permanent residence to sponsored family members and includes access to Canadian healthcare, education, and social services—benefits that are not available to visitors under temporary visas.

Since its launch, the PGP has witnessed overwhelming interest, with tens of thousands of citizens and permanent residents vying to sponsor their family members each year. To manage this high demand, IRCC shifted to a lottery-based invitation system in 2017, followed by expression-of-interest forms submitted during limited time windows.

Due to COVID-19 disruptions, IRCC paused and restructured the process in 2020, collecting submissions that remain valid for consideration in subsequent years. The 2025 reopening is part of that ongoing process, drawing exclusively from that 2020 pool.

Technical Considerations for Applicants

Applicants invited to apply must:

• Have submitted an expression of interest in 2020

• Check the same email address used in that year for their invitation

• Submit the full sponsorship application electronically

• Use either the Permanent Residence Portal (if self-applying) or the Representative Portal (if represented)

Those who do not receive an invitation this year must wait for future rounds or opt for the Super Visa if immediate reunification is needed.

What This Means for Canadian Families

While the reopening of the PGP is welcome news, the limited number of invitations and the use of a four-year-old applicant pool has drawn criticism from some immigration advocates. Many Canadian families who did not apply in 2020 remain excluded from the 2025 round, with no timeline given for a fresh call for new applications.

Nonetheless, the government maintains that the PGP remains a cornerstone of its family reunification strategy. As Canada continues to expand its immigration targets to support population growth and economic development, future rounds may offer broader inclusion and higher intake caps.

For now, those hoping to bring their parents or grandparents to Canada in 2025 should monitor their email closely starting July 28, and those not selected should explore the Super Visa route for short-to-medium-term reunification.