Guberman//Appleby Immigration Update: July 2026 Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Intake Paused – Super Visa as an Option
Welcome to the Guberman // Appleby Immigration Update. We hope you find the information provided relevant to your immigration needs. Our objective is to highlight recent updates in immigration that are of interest to our readers. If you have questions about how these changes impact you, we invite you to contact our Canadian immigration lawyers for tailored guidance.
Today’s topic:
Guberman//Appleby Immigration Update: July 2026 Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Intake Paused – What Are Your Options
New Ministerial Instructions took effect on January 1, 2026, and IRCC broadly announce on July 15, 2026 that it is no longer accepting new Parent or Grandparent permanent residence applications or issuing new invitations to sponsor.
Since this program was introduced in fall 2020, IRCC has had many stops and starts in various iterations. IRCC ran its one and only Interest to Sponsor intake back in October and November of 2020, gathering just over 203,000 unique submissions. Every invitation since has come from that same pool, with only six (6) draws since then. The last draw was in July 2025. With intake of new applications closed, there is no viable future option for a Canadian or Permanent Resident to attempt to sponsor their parent or grandparent for permanent residence.
Applications already in the system aren’t affected. IRCC still expects to approve up to 15,000 parent and grandparent PR applications in 2026 from sponsors invited under earlier draws.
For anyone who hasn’t yet received an invitation, the Super Visa is still very much on the table. Please view our video here: [Add YouTube Link to video] for Lainie M. Appleby’s discussion on this topic and the Super Visa option. The Super Visa remains a viable option for those seeking to have their parents or grandparents in Canada for up to 5 years at a time.
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We welcome you to contact us directly to discuss the above. Please contact one of our Toronto immigration lawyers, by reaching out to our general line 416 548 7100 or via email info@gaimmlaw.com. Our immigration lawyers are always available to discuss any of your specific Canadian or US immigration queries either virtually or in person. We look forward to hearing from you.
