Sponsoring Your Parents to Canada: A Realistic Look at Your Options

Sponsoring parents to Canada and inviting them on a super visa are different routes. The Parents and Grandparents Program, or PGP, is for permanent residence, also called PR. A super visa is for a visit. This remains true even when the stay lasts several years.

First, check which route is open. In October 2026, IRCC lists the PGP intake as paused. It is not taking new interest-to-sponsor forms. It is not sending new invitations either. This pause applies until further notice. However, it continues to process existing applications.

Sponsoring parents to Canada through the PGP

Use the official PGP page for the current intake status. Do not assume there is a new lottery you can join each year. A target for new arrivals is not an invitation to apply.

If your file is already in progress, follow its requests and deadlines. Keep the file number, messages and proof of submission together. Also, report relevant changes through the route IRCC specifies.

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The sponsorship undertaking is a serious promise to provide support. Outside Quebec, the usual PGP undertaking lasts 20 years. Quebec has separate rules. Therefore, check your province's rules before making a long-term plan.

What can a super visa offer instead?

With a super visa, parents and grandparents who qualify can visit for up to five years at a time. However, check the stay the border officer allows. Entry rules still matter. It does not grant PR or replace a PR sponsorship file.

Read IRCC's super visa rules. The host must meet the rules on status, where they live and income. The visitor must meet the rules too. This includes a medical exam.

For example, a family seeking a long visit may find this route useful. In contrast, a family seeking PR needs a route that grants it. Decide on the goal before buying insurance or paying application costs.

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Check the current income rules

Do not rely on the old claim about 12 months of host income for every case. The rules changed in March 2026. IRCC's income guide explains the current options and proof.

Next, calculate family size using those instructions. Include the people the rules require, rather than only the visitors arriving on this trip. Then use the current income table for that count. Gather the proof for your route.

Insurance is not limited to Canadian companies

Visitors need private health insurance that meets the rules. Current rules allow a Canadian insurer. They also allow an insurer abroad if it meets the stated rules. Therefore, check the policy yourself. A broker's promise is not enough.

Check the insurance and document list. These include at least one year of cover and at least $100,000 of emergency coverage. Read the payment rules too; a quote alone is not proof of a qualifying policy.

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Also, check what the policy excludes. Ask how it treats any health problems the visitor already has. Check what you must pay toward a claim. Keep the policy and insurer details available for travel. A cheap policy may not meet the rules or your family's needs.

Sponsoring parents to Canada: a family checklist

• Decide whether the goal is a visit or permanent residence.
• Check the current intake and eligibility pages.
• Confirm family size and the income evidence needed.
• Compare qualifying insurance policies and total costs.
• Plan housing, daily support and travel arrangements.

Finally, check the official pages again before applying. Sponsoring parents to Canada needs a clear plan. The route must be open and fit your goal. You also need the right proof.

If IRCC sends an appointment request, our biometrics guide explains that separate step. Follow each person's file instructions as well. Sponsoring parents to Canada or preparing a super visa file does not replace these steps.