Deborah Akinyosoye
Permanent residents in Canada will soon receive invitations to sponsor their parents and grandparents.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the 2025 intake will begin on July 28 and run for a few weeks, targeting 17,860 potential sponsors who submitted an interest-to-sponsor form in 2020.
IRCC said, “Our goal is to accept up to 10,000 complete applications under the federal Parents and Grandparents Program.”
Those selected will be able to submit their applications online through either the Permanent Residence Portal or the Representative Permanent Residence Portal.
IRCC also advised those who submitted an interest-to-sponsor form in 2020 but haven’t received an invitation to check their email inboxes, including junk and spam folders, adding, “IRCC will only send invitations to apply to potential sponsors from the 2020 pool of submissions and won’t be opening a new interest-to-sponsor form.”
Canadians who don’t receive an invitation can consider applying for a super visa instead.
This multi-entry visa is valid for up to 10 years and allows parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for up to five years at a time. They can also apply to extend their stay for an additional two years while in the country.
Despite broader efforts by the federal government to reduce the number of temporary and permanent residents entering Canada, IRCC noted that family reunification continues to be a priority and accounts for 22 per cent of all permanent resident admissions.