Parents and Grandparents Intake Paused

Summary#

These are ministerial instructions under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that pause new permanent resident visa and related sponsorship intakes for parents and grandparents. Starting January 1, 2024, the government will only process certain applications that were received in 2023, and it has capped the number of sponsorships accepted for processing at 15,000. The instructions were issued by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration and signed by The Hon. Marc Miller.

What it does#

• Stops the acceptance of any new permanent resident visa applications by parents or grandparents, and any new sponsorship applications related to them, from January 1, 2024 until further notice.
• Limits processing in the 2024 calendar year (to December 31, 2024) to applications that were received in 2023 under the family class for parents and grandparents.
• Authorizes up to 15,000 sponsorship applications received in 2023 to be accepted for processing in 2024. That number could be changed later if new instructions are issued.
• Says only applications submitted electronically (“apply online”) in 2023 will be accepted, with alternate formats allowed only for people who could not apply online for disability or other specified reasons.
• Explains which 2023 submissions are eligible:
  • Sponsors had to have submitted an “interest to sponsor” between October 13, 2020 and November 3, 2020 and then be invited in 2023 to apply.
  • The sponsorship application must match the earlier interest to sponsor (or explain and prove any differences).
  • The application must include the documents listed in the department’s application package.
  • Applications must be received by the deadline on the invitation — at least 60 calendar days — with an ordinary extension of 30 calendar days allowed to provide missing documents.
• States that eligible applications will be processed in the order they were received.
• Says humanitarian-and‑compassionate requests from outside Canada that accompany applications not accepted under these rules will not be processed.
• Any application that does not meet these conditions will be returned.
• These instructions take effect January 1, 2024 (signed December 27, 2023).

Who's affected#

• People outside Canada who are parents or grandparents of Canadian sponsors and who applied for permanent residence in 2023.
• Canadians and permanent residents who wanted to sponsor a parent or grandparent and who submitted an “interest to sponsor” between October 13, 2020 and November 3, 2020, and who received an invitation in 2023.
• Anyone who did not apply in 2023, or who did not get an invitation in 2023, will generally not be able to submit a new application in 2024 under this intake.
• Applicants or sponsors who cannot use online application tools may still get alternate formats, but the online rule otherwise applies.

Why it matters#

• If you hoped to sponsor a parent or grandparent in 2024 but did not apply or were not invited in 2023, you will likely have to wait until the government reopens intake or issues new instructions. That delays family reunification for many people.
• The cap of 15,000 sponsorships accepted for processing in 2024 means only a limited set of 2023 applications will move forward that year.
• The requirement to apply online may create extra steps for people without reliable internet or who need help, though limited alternate formats are allowed for those who cannot apply online.
• The rules are specific about deadlines, documentation, and matching earlier “interest to sponsor” forms — missing those details can lead to an application being returned.