Family Sponsorship
Parents & Grandparents (Rest of Canada) Processing Time
About 35,600 people waiting · IRCC data as of October 9, 2026
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) lets Canadian citizens and permanent residents sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residence. Intake is limited: IRCC invites potential sponsors from an interest-to-sponsor pool, and demand vastly exceeds the annual spots.
This page tracks IRCC's published processing time for PGP applications destined outside Quebec — measured after a complete application is submitted, not the years families may wait for an invitation.
Processing Time History
| Date | Processing Time (months) |
|---|---|
| October 9, 2025 | 26 |
| November 6, 2025 | 42 |
| December 9, 2025 | 40 |
| January 14, 2026 | 37 |
| February 12, 2026 | 35 |
| March 9, 2026 | 34 |
| April 7, 2026 | 34 |
| May 12, 2026 | 33 |
| June 8, 2026 | 32 |
| July 7, 2026 | 30 |
| August 10, 2026 | 29 |
| September 3, 2026 | 28 |
| October 9, 2026 | 28 |
People Ahead by Application Month
IRCC also publishes how many applications submitted in each month are still ahead of you in the Parents & Grandparents (Rest of Canada) queue.
| Month | People Ahead |
|---|---|
| 2024/10 | 20500 |
| 2024/11 | 20500 |
| 2024/12 | 20500 |
| 2025/01 | 20500 |
| 2025/02 | 20600 |
| 2025/03 | 20600 |
| 2025/04 | 20700 |
| 2025/05 | 20700 |
| 2025/06 | 20700 |
| 2025/07 | 20800 |
| 2025/08 | 23200 |
| 2025/09 | 28300 |
| 2025/10 | 34900 |
| 2025/11 | 35000 |
| 2025/12 | 35000 |
| 2026/01 | 35100 |
| 2026/02 | 35100 |
| 2026/03 | 35200 |
| 2026/04 | 35300 |
| 2026/05 | 35300 |
| 2026/06 | 35400 |
| 2026/07 | 35500 |
| 2026/08 | 35600 |
| 2026/09 | 35600 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Parents & Grandparents (Rest of Canada) take right now?
As of October 9, 2026, IRCC reports a processing time of about 28 months for Parents & Grandparents (Rest of Canada) applications, with about 35,600 people waiting.
Does this time include waiting for an invitation to sponsor?
No. The published time starts when a complete sponsorship application is received. The wait for an invitation from the interest-to-sponsor pool is separate and can span multiple years.
Is there an alternative to the PGP?
The super visa lets parents and grandparents visit for up to five years per entry with multi-entry validity up to ten years. Many families use it while waiting for a PGP invitation or decision.