Canada PGP Sponsorship Guide: Lottery, Income Rules, and the 2026 Pause
Llandora·Updated 2026-10-14
⚠️ Disclaimer: For general information only — not tax, financial, legal, or medical advice. Figures may be outdated or incorrect; tax rules change frequently. Verify important decisions with the CRA/IRS or a qualified professional (for health topics, a licensed healthcare provider). You use this information at your own risk.
The short answer
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is Canada's permanent-residence sponsorship stream for parents and grandparents — and as of 2026, it's in an unusual state: paused for new intake while IRCC works through the backlog. Here's how the program works, what the pause means, the income math, and the realistic alternatives.
The headline: intake paused since July 15, 2026
On July 15, 2026, IRCC announced it is pausing new PGP intake indefinitely ("until further notice") to reduce the existing backlog. Concretely:
No new interest-to-sponsor forms are being accepted
No new Invitations to Apply (ITAs) are going out
Applications already in the system keep being processed — IRCC plans to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residence through PGP in 2026 under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan
This is a pause, not a cancellation. But if you haven't already submitted interest, there is currently no way to enter the queue.
How PGP worked (and will likely work again)
When intake is open, the process runs in stages:
Interest to Sponsor. IRCC opens a submission window (historically around October). Potential sponsors submit a short online form — not a full application.
Random selection (the lottery). IRCC randomly selects a limited number of submitters and issues Invitations to Apply (ITAs) by email. An ITA is permission to apply, not a guarantee.
60-day application window. Invited sponsors have exactly 60 calendar days to submit a complete application package — forms, fees, supporting documents. No extensions.
Processing. Sponsor eligibility is assessed (income, status, criminality), then the parents' admissibility (medical, security). Permanent residence follows.
Annual intake has historically ranged from ~15,000 to ~24,000 invitations.
The income requirement: LICO + 30% for 3 years
This is where most files succeed or fail. Sponsors must meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) — the Low Income Cut-Off plus 30% — for each of the three consecutive tax years before the application. Miss one year and the file fails.
Key rules:
Family size includes you, your spouse/partner, dependent children, anyone you've previously sponsored under an active undertaking, and the parents/grandparents you're sponsoring now.
Proof is the CRA Notice of Assessment (NOA) for each of the three years.
A spouse or common-law partner can co-sign to combine incomes.
Quebec has its own income assessment with different rules.
Illustrative 2026 figures (LICO + 30%): a 2-person family needs roughly $47,500+/year; a 4-person family roughly $58,500–$70,000/year depending on the LICO vintage used. Confirm the current table on canada.ca — and note the critical trap: the three years are the tax years preceding the application (for a 2026 application: 2023, 2024, 2025).
The 20-year undertaking
Sponsors sign a formal undertaking to financially support the sponsored parents/grandparents for 20 years from the day they become permanent residents (10 years in Quebec). This obligation stands regardless of what happens — divorce, job loss, or family breakdown don't cancel it. If the parents claim social assistance during the undertaking period, the sponsor must repay it.
Fees and processing times
Fees: roughly $1,260 per person (sponsorship + processing + Right of Permanent Residence Fee), plus $85 biometrics per person (fees effective April 30, 2026).
Processing: recently reported at roughly 34 months for applications outside Quebec and 46 months for Quebec-destined cases (March 2026 figures); some newer reports suggest 20–24 months outside Quebec as the backlog clears. Check IRCC's published times.
While you wait: the Super Visa
With PGP intake paused, the Super Visa is the practical alternative: multi-entry visitor visa, stays up to 5 years per entry, mandatory $100K/1-year medical insurance, host income at LICO levels (lower bar than PGP's LICO+30% over 3 years), processing in weeks to months. It doesn't give PR — but it gets parents here now. See our Super Visa guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still apply to PGP in 2026?
No — new intake is paused until further notice. Only applications already invited/submitted are being processed. Watch IRCC announcements for reopening.
I submitted interest in 2020 but was never invited. Am I still in the pool?
IRCC drew recent invitations from the 2020 interest pool. With intake paused, no new draws are happening. Keep your contact details current with IRCC in case the pool is used again.
Does the undertaking really last 20 years?
Yes (10 in Quebec). It's one of the longest sponsorship obligations in Canadian immigration — understand it fully before signing.
Can my sibling and I co-sponsor our parents?
No — only a spouse or common-law partner can co-sign. Siblings can't combine incomes on one application.
What happens if my income dipped in one of the three years?
The application fails the MNI test. There's no averaging or discretion for a single bad year — which is why sponsors plan income years in advance.
IRCC, Sponsor your parents and grandparents: Check if you're eligible: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/family-sponsorship/sponsor-parents-grandparents/eligibility.html
Si Laws, Canada PGP 2026: Sponsorship Lottery & Super Visa: https://silaws.com/2026/06/14/pgp-parents-grandparents-sponsorship-2026-en/
Canadian Portal, Sponsoring Parents: The PGP Is Paused in 2026: https://www.canadianportal.ca/en/sponsor-parents-grandparents-canada/
VGIS, Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship 2026: https://vgis.ca/parents-grandparents-sponsorship/
FinancesForYou, Super Visa vs PGP Sponsorship: https://www.financesforyou.ca/learn/travel-and-supervisa-insurance/super-visa-vs-pgp-sponsorship
This article is general information about Canadian immigration, not legal advice. The PGP pause status and thresholds change — confirm on canada.ca and consult a licensed immigration professional for your case.
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