IRCC Pauses Parents and Grandparents Program Intake, Super Visa Remains Key Option

Canada paused new intake for the Parents and Grandparents Program on July 15, 2026, leaving families without invitations to consider a long-stay visitor route instead. IRCC said it will keep processing existing applications and plans to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through the program in 2026.

The pause also stops new interest-to-sponsor forms and invitations until further notice. Families cannot submit a fresh sponsorship interest form while intake remains closed.

Existing files continue moving. Applicants who already received invitations and submitted complete applications should monitor their accounts, answer document requests, update contact details and avoid duplicate filings.

The Super Visa remains available. It lets eligible parents and grandparents stay in Canada for up to five years at a time, with multiple entries for up to 10 years.

That route does not provide permanent residence. It is a visitor visa for extended family visits, and applicants must still satisfy income, insurance, medical and admissibility requirements.

Existing sponsorship files should remain active while new intake is closed

The July 15 announcement links the pause to immigration-level management and pressure on available spaces. Interest in the sponsorship program continues to exceed the number of places available.

A pending file has not been cancelled. Families with applications already submitted should continue the process rather than abandon it automatically.

Those without invitations cannot rely on reports of a future draw. Any reopening or new instructions must come through an official announcement.

Families with pending sponsorship applications can also consider applying for the long-stay visitor visa while waiting. They may keep the sponsorship file and use the visitor visa as a temporary bridge, or withdraw the sponsorship application before applying through the visitor route.

Withdrawal requires care. A family that gives up its file may not be able to enter a new sponsorship intake later.

The long-stay visitor route carries heavier requirements than a regular visitor visa

A regular visitor visa generally suits stays of six months or less. The long-stay option is designed for parents and grandparents planning extended visits with children or grandchildren in Canada.

The host must be the applicant’s child or grandchild. The host must also be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian, at least 18 years old, living in Canada and meeting the minimum necessary income.

A signed invitation letter is required. The applicant must apply from outside Canada, qualify for entry, complete an immigration medical exam and show private health insurance valid for at least one year from the date of entry.

The applicant must also establish genuine visitor intent. Officers consider the purpose of the visit, family and financial circumstances, and ties to the applicant’s home country.

A long visit does not remove the obligation to leave. Before visitor status expires, the person must depart Canada or apply to extend the stay.

A 2026 income change gives some hosts two tax years to use

On March 31, 2026, the department changed the income calculation for this visa. A host and co-signer, if there is one, can meet the requirement in either of the two taxation years before the application.

Previously, the assessment used only the year immediately before the application. The change may help a host who missed the threshold last year but qualified in the preceding year.

In some cases, the visiting parent or grandparent’s income can cover the remaining amount. The host and co-signer must first meet at least 75% of the required income for the applicable year.

The Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment remains the preferred proof. Other supporting records can include T4 or T1 documents, recent pay stubs, employer letters, bank statements, pension statements and rental-income records.

Family size affects the calculation. It includes the applicants, the host, the host’s spouse or common-law partner, dependent children, previously approved visa holders still covered by another invitation letter and previously sponsored people whose undertaking remains active.

The current minimum necessary income amounts, updated July 29, 2025, are:

Income levels can change, so hosts should check the current department table before filing. Counting only the visiting parent or grandparent can produce an incorrect family-size calculation.

Insurance, medical checks and visitor intent can determine the outcome

The required health policy must remain valid for at least one year from the applicant’s entry date. It must cover health care, hospitalization and repatriation, and provide at least CAD 100,000 in emergency coverage.

The policy must be paid in full or through instalments with a deposit. A quote is not enough.

Coverage must apply to every entry to Canada. The insurer must be a Canadian company or an eligible foreign insurer authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions under the Insurance Companies Act and issuing the policy while conducting insurance business in Canada.

The medical exam adds another preparation step. Medical records, panel physician appointments and follow-up tests may take time.

The application should explain the family visit and the applicant’s continuing connections outside Canada. A family relationship alone does not replace the requirement to demonstrate a genuine temporary visit.

Documents and translations need preparation before filing

Applicants can apply through the IRCC Portal from outside Canada. They should begin by selecting “Visitor visa or super visa” and then choosing “To visit my children or grandchildren for more than 6 months (super visa)” as the reason for applying.

The process includes signing in, starting the application, uploading forms and supporting records, paying the fee, submitting a complete file and providing biometrics when required. The application fee starts at CAD 100 per person, while biometrics may add CAD 85.

A file commonly includes the invitation letter, income evidence, insurance proof, medical-exam documentation, proof of the host’s status and proof of the family relationship.

Relationship evidence can include the host’s birth certificate, baptismal certificate or another official record naming the applicant as a parent or grandparent.

Documents in neither English nor French need a translation into one of those languages. When the translator is not certified, the translation must also include an affidavit from the translator.

That rule can affect birth, marriage, death and name-change records, along with pension and property documents. Unreadable documents can lead to an application being returned or take longer to process.

Biometrics can limit the visa’s validity

The visa cannot be issued for longer than the applicant’s biometrics remain valid. Families should therefore check older biometrics before applying, especially when they want the longest possible validity period.

The application fee and biometrics are separate costs. The health policy is another major expense and must satisfy the coverage rules rather than merely accompany the file as a quotation.

Families can test eligibility before choosing between waiting and applying

A Canadian permanent resident who has already submitted a complete application for both parents should keep responding to requests and updating the file. The pause does not cancel that application.

A Canadian citizen who has no invitation cannot file a new sponsorship application during the pause. That family can instead assess income, insurance, medical eligibility and the parent’s ability to show visitor intent.

A host who qualified in the taxation year before last may now have an option that was unavailable under the previous calculation. A parent receiving pension income abroad may also help cover the shortfall if the host reaches at least 75% of the required amount.

Before filing, families should confirm the existing-file status, decide whether their goal is temporary time together or permanent residence, verify the host’s status and age, calculate every person in the family unit, and check whether a spouse or common-law partner can co-sign.

They should also gather tax assessments, employment and pay records, relationship documents, identity records, insurance evidence and medical information. Translation and biometrics checks belong in that preparation.

The sponsorship pause does not close family visits altogether. But the visitor route remains temporary, and hosts should keep monitoring official immigration instructions for any future reopening of sponsorship intake.