CIMM – Family Reunification – March 23, 2026

Key Messages

• Family reunification is a key component of Canada’s immigration programs and reflects the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act’s objective “to see that families are reunited in Canada.”
• In 2025, Canada welcomed approximately 96,100 permanent residents under family class sponsorship.
• The Immigration Levels Plan for 2026–2028 underscores the government’s ongoing commitment to family reunification with approximately 22% of overall permanent resident admissions in 2026 allocated to the Family Class.

Family Class Immigration Levels 2026‒2028

• The 2026‒2028 Levels Plan includes an overall reduction to admissions targets for Family Class (compared to the 2025‒2027 Levels Plan), which reflects the broader downward trend of reduced overall targets and aligns with the objective of matching immigration levels with Canada’s economic needs.

Spouses and Partners

• As of January 31, 2026, processing times are as follows: spouse, partner, and children permanent resident applications (excluding Quebec) are approximately 12.6 months (overseas) and 14 months (in Canada). Processing times for spousal permanent resident applications destined to Quebec are approximately 33 months (overseas) and 25 months (in Canada).
• While the Department has expanded its use of tools to improve processing efficiency, given that the number of applications for this program is greater than the number of available spaces, processing times are expected to increase.
• Once in Canada, sponsored spouses and partners provide social, cultural, and economic contributions. They contribute directly by entering the workforce themselves and indirectly via unpaid labour, such as caregiving, that allows their sponsor to work or upskill.

Temporary Resident Visas

• Alongside measures to speed up the processing of spouse and partner permanent resident sponsorship applications, the government also has other measures to strengthen family reunification. This includes:
  • using dedicated processing tools to help accelerate the processing of Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) applications for eligible spouses or partners with permanent residence applications in process; and
  • an open work permit for eligible spouses, common-law partners, and dependents, applying under the spouse or common-law partner in-Canada class; or eligible spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners, or dependents, applying under the Family Class.

Parents and Grandparents Program

• The number of people interested in sponsoring their parents and grandparents significantly exceeds available admission targets in the Immigration Levels Plan. As a result, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducts periodic intakes of applications from interested potential sponsors.
• In July 2025, IRCC invited potential sponsors from the remaining pool of Interest to Sponsor forms from 2020. Over the course of approximately two weeks, IRCC invited 17 860 potential sponsors to apply with the goal of receiving 10,000 complete applications.
• Applications received have entered a processing queue and are processed in accordance with admission targets in the Immigration Levels Plans.
• As of January 31, 2026, there are approximately 48,400 parents and grandparents in the inventory (excluding Quebec) and 12,100 in the Quebec inventory waiting for a decision. Processing times are 23 months for those destined outside of Quebec and 46 months for those destined to Quebec.
• Since demand for this program outpaces admission targets in the Immigration Levels Plan, the number of applications set to be received each year strives to balance access to the program with managing the size of the inventory of applications and processing times. As this approach effectively manages the inventory for the program, we do not expect the reductions in targets to have a significant impact on processing times.
• Once in Canada, sponsored parents and grandparents provide social, cultural, and economic contributions to their families and communities. For example, sponsored parents and grandparents can act as economic enablers through the provision of childcare, allowing their sponsors to work and upgrade skills.

If pressed on the next intake of parent and grandparent sponsorship applications:

• IRCC most recently accepted new applications in the fall 2025, and is not currently accepting new applications.
• Ministerial Instructions came into force January 1, 2026, to allow the Department to continue processing these applications in 2026.
• Details about new intake will be posted on our website and social media channels as soon as they are available.

If pressed on Quebec processing times:

• Quebec provides the number of immigrants it wishes to be admitted to Quebec each year, including those coming under the Family Class sponsorship program, and Canada takes this number into account in our Immigration Levels Plan. IRCC receives more Family Class applications than what Quebec targets each year, which has resulted in a backlog. 
• IRCC continues to work closely with Quebec on solutions to address long processing times.

Super Visa for Parents and Grandparents

• An alternative temporary pathway to reunite parents and grandparents is the Super Visa for parents and grandparents.
• The Super Visa is a 10 year multiple entry temporary resident visa that allows parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to stay in Canada for extended lengths of time—five years per stay—should they demonstrate proof of private health insurance and have a host in Canada who meets a minimum income requirement.
• In 2025, approximately 52,900 Super Visas were issued.