Figures on this page come from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's July 15, 2026 notice on the Parents and Grandparents Program, IRCC's super visa financial support page (last updated July 29, 2025), and CIC News reporting on both. Program rules and income thresholds change without notice; always verify current figures with IRCC before relying on a timeline or income figure.
- IRCC paused new Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) intake on July 15, 2026, until further notice
- Government plans to approve up to 15,000 PGP applications for permanent residence in 2026
- About 50,900 PGP applications remain in the processing queue
- Estimated processing time for pending files: about 18 months outside Quebec, about 54 months in Quebec
- Super visa: visits of up to 5 years at a time, multiple entry validity for up to 10 years
- Minimum income to host on a super visa: $30,526 for a family of one, rising to $80,784 for a family of seven, plus $8,224 per additional member
Why did IRCC pause new Parents and Grandparents Program sponsorships?
On July 15, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced it is pausing intake of new Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) applications. Under the notice, IRCC will not receive new interest to sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice. This is a pause on new intake, not a permanent closure: the government describes it as a step to manage the program responsibly because demand for PGP sponsorship continues to outstrip the number of spaces available each year.
That imbalance is not new. When IRCC last opened a full PGP intake period in 2020, it received 203,213 unique submissions from interested sponsors through a three-week window, all competing for a small annual allocation. Since then, the program has relied on that kind of lottery-style intake to manage demand. For 2026, the government's plan is to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the PGP, a target unchanged by the pause since it applies to processing the existing inventory rather than new applicants.
What happens to applications already in the queue?
If you already have a PGP application on file, the pause does not affect you directly: IRCC says it will continue processing the roughly 50,900 applications it has already received. Of that inventory, reporting on the government's figures puts about 40,400 applications from sponsors and applicants intending to settle outside Quebec, and about 10,500 from those intending to settle within Quebec.
Processing times differ sharply between the two. Applicants settling outside Quebec can expect roughly 18 months, while those settling in Quebec, where the province conducts its own additional selection step, face an estimated 54 months. Both figures are current estimates tied to today's inventory and the government's 2026 approval target, not a guarantee for any individual file, and they can shift as IRCC works through the backlog.
Is the super visa a real alternative to PGP sponsorship?
With new PGP intake paused, IRCC has directed families toward the Parents and Grandparents Super Visa as an alternative. It is important to be clear about what the super visa is and is not: it is a temporary resident visa, not a route to permanent residence. A parent or grandparent on a super visa can visit for up to five years at a time, and the visa itself can be issued with multiple entries valid for up to ten years, but it does not, on its own, lead to a status change.
For families who want extended time together while a PGP pathway is paused, the super visa can still be a meaningful bridge, provided the host understands it does not substitute for permanent sponsorship and that entry as a temporary resident remains subject to the standard requirements for every visit, including health insurance and a genuine intention to leave at the end of authorized status.
What income do you need to host a parent or grandparent on a super visa?
A host, and a co-signer if one is used, must meet a minimum necessary income tied to household size, based on the Low Income Cut-Off. As of the table last updated July 29, 2025, the minimum income is $30,526 for a household of one, $38,002 for two, $46,720 for three, $56,724 for four, $64,336 for five, $72,560 for six and $80,784 for seven, with $8,224 added for each additional family member.
Hosts have some flexibility in how that income is assessed: under the current rule, a host (and co-signer, if applicable) can qualify by meeting the minimum income threshold in either of the two tax years before the application is submitted, rather than only the most recent one. That can matter for a household whose income dipped in its most recent tax year but met the threshold the year before.
What does this mean for Saskatchewan families?
Two different groups of families are affected by the July 2026 pause in different ways. If you already submitted a PGP application before the pause, there is nothing new to file: your file remains in the queue, and the timelines above are the best current estimate for when it will be finalized. If you had been waiting to submit an interest to sponsor form, that option is now closed until IRCC lifts the pause, and there is no published date for when that will happen.
For families in the second group, the practical choices are to use the super visa as a temporary bridge while continuing to watch for the program to reopen, or to look at whether another immigration pathway fits your situation. Some families sponsoring a parent or grandparent are also managing a spousal or partner sponsorship in parallel, where our spousal sponsorship page covers the current process. Others may be weighing whether a Saskatchewan-connected pathway, such as the routes covered in our recent post on SINP processing times and nomination quotas, could bring a wider family circle to the province through employment rather than sponsorship. And if a pending PGP or super visa application is refused, our appeals and refusals page outlines what recourse may be available. Which of these fits depends on your family's specific status, timeline and connection to Saskatchewan, and is worth confirming individually rather than assuming.
Frequently asked questions
Has Canada permanently closed the Parents and Grandparents Program?
No. As of July 15, 2026, IRCC paused only the intake of new interest to sponsor forms and new invitations to apply, until further notice. The government says it plans to approve up to 15,000 Parents and Grandparents Program applications for permanent residence in 2026 from the roughly 50,900 applications already in its processing queue.
How long will it take to process an existing PGP application?
According to reporting on the government's announcement, applicants already in the queue can expect roughly 18 months if settling outside Quebec, or about 54 months for those settling in Quebec. These are estimates tied to the current inventory and can change as the government works through the backlog.
What is the minimum income to host a parent or grandparent on a super visa?
As of the income table last updated July 29, 2025, a household of one needs a minimum income of $30,526, rising to $38,002 for two, $46,720 for three, $56,724 for four, $64,336 for five, $72,560 for six and $80,784 for seven, plus $8,224 for each additional family member. Hosts can qualify using their income from either of the two most recent tax years.
Sources: Parents and Grandparents Program pause reported by CIC News (July 2026), super visa income requirement changes reported by CIC News (March 2026), verified against IRCC's notice on the Parents and Grandparents Program and the super visa host financial support page. This article provides general information, not legal advice.