Pause on Group Refugee Sponsorships for 2026

Summary#

The government issued ministerial instructions that stop new group sponsorship applications under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Program from being accepted for processing for the 2026 calendar year. The measure sets the number of new group applications to zero for the period January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026.

What it does#

• Sets the number of new sponsorship applications under Part 8 of Division 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (by groups) that will be accepted for processing in 2026 to zero.
• Applies to “groups” as defined in section 138 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, where the sponsorship application was submitted on or after the coming-into-effect date listed in the instructions.
• Excludes applications made under a temporary public policy made under section 25.2 of the Act.
• States that a humanitarian and compassionate request made under subsection 25(1) of the Act from outside Canada that accompanies an application not accepted for processing will not be processed.
• Explains the aim: to let Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) keep working through existing applications and meet Cabinet-approved admission targets without the overall inventory growing.

Who's affected#

• Community sponsor groups (referred to in the notice as “groups” under section 138) who planned to file new PSR applications for refugees in 2026.
• Refugees who were expecting to be sponsored by such groups and whose applications have not yet been submitted or accepted.
• Organizations and volunteers that organize or support private sponsorship efforts.
• People outside Canada who submit a humanitarian and compassionate request tied to a sponsorship application that is not accepted — those requests will not be processed.

If it’s unclear whether a specific sponsor or application falls under these instructions, the source points to the regulatory definitions (for example, section 138) rather than giving lay descriptions.

Why it matters#

• It pauses one important route for refugee resettlement for a year. That can delay or block planned sponsorships by communities and families.
• The government says the pause is meant to let IRCC finish processing existing cases and meet overall admission targets without adding more unfinished files.
• For refugees and sponsors, the practical effect is a potential wait or the need to explore other immigration or protection options; for support organizations, it changes planning and intake priorities for 2026.
• The rule also means some humanitarian and compassionate requests from outside Canada linked to these unaccepted applications won’t be considered, which may affect individuals relying on that pathway.