Canada’s Parents and Grandparents Program Invitation Round Starting July 28, 2025

If you previously submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020 and haven’t yet received an invitation to apply, you may find one landing in your inbox between July 28 and August 11. We recommend keeping an eye on your junk folder during this period!

Key Takeaways 

• Canada will accept 10,000 applications for the Parents and Grandparents program in 2025. This decision was a fairly quick reversal of an announcement IRCC published in January of 2025, where it suggested that no further applications would be accepted for the Parents and Grandparents program in 2025.  

• Invitations will be sent to those who have already submitted an Interest to Sponsor and who have been waiting to apply since 2020.  

• If you haven’t previously submitted an interest to sponsor in previous intakes, this announcement does not apply to you. IRCC will not be completing another intake round in 2025, based on the wording in the recent announcement. 

Process For Submitting Your Parents and Grandparents Application in 2025 

The process for the 2025 application intake will be the same as what we saw in 2020-2024. IRCC will issue invitations to apply to those who have submitted an interest to sponsor form, and those invitees will be able to submit a complete application.  

We have a few tips for those who are currently in the PGP pool:  

• Things move quickly after the invitations are issued. It’s a good idea to prepare now so you’re in a good position to submit a complete application if the time comes. This includes applying for and continuing to update police certificates, so you have a valid police certification on hand if you are invited.  

• Given the extremely high stakes for this program, it may be worthwhile working with an immigration consultant – or at least arranging one to review your application. There are so many intricacies in Canadian immigration applications and it would be devastating to lose your opportunity to apply for the Parents and Grandparents Program because you forgot to attach a specific document you didn’t know you needed.   

You can learn more about the application process on our dedicated Parents and Grandparents Program page.   

Alternatives To The Parents And Grandparents Program 

“Those who are not invited this year may consider having their parents or grandparents apply for a super visa, which is a multiple-entry visa that is valid for up to 10 years. Super visa holders can stay in Canada for 5 years at a time, with the option to extend their visit by up to two years at a time without leaving the country.” — IRCC announcement on July 16, 2025. 

The Super Visa permits eligible parents and grandparents to visit Canada for extended periods and it is a viable option to the Parents and Grandparents Program. However, it does have some downsides.  

Some of the drawbacks of the Super Visa are that it does not come with work authorization, there’s no access to social benefits, and visitors do need adequate private medical insurance.  

Finding adequate insurance may be challenging, especially if your parent(s) or grandparent(s) suffers from a pre-existing condition. We recommend working with BestQuote Travel Insurance Agency for your Super Visa insurance. Best Quote compares many different insurance providers so you can ensure you’re getting the best policy available! You can check out BestQuote here.