Canada: No new applications for Parents and Grandparents Program in 2025

Vancouver: The Canadian Department of Immigration has announced that it will not accept new applications under the Family Reunification Scheme this year. Instead, efforts will focus on clearing a backlog of 15,000 pending applications that have been on hold for years.

The department has encouraged permanent residents (PRs) waiting to apply under the scheme to consider the super visa program, which allows parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for up to five years. The government had initially introduced the super visa as a two-year program, but it was extended last year to provide a longer stay period.

Out of the applications received at the start of the year, 5,000 have been selected for further processing. However, many applications submitted in 2020 remain unresolved.

The department has assured that at least 15,000 earlier applications will be addressed by the end of 2025, though no new applications will be accepted under the scheme.

Additionally, the department has reduced the PR quota for skilled workers invited under the post-graduation program by 20%, limiting it to 24,500 individuals.

While the current suspension is described as temporary, insiders speculate that the program may eventually be phased out entirely.

The Family Reunification Scheme previously allowed Canadian PR holders to invite their parents and grandparents to live with them permanently, but the focus now appears to have shifted to temporary alternatives like the super visa.