Grandparents – Immigration Lawyer Vancouver, Canada

BlogPrediction: The Parents and Grandparents program won’t re-open any time soon! The numbers and history tell the story.

14 April 2026by Catherine Sas, K.C.

Among Canada’s varied immigration options, the Parents and Grandparents (PGP) category has been a cornerstone of Canada’s family re-unification program for decades. However the PGP has had its ups and downs over the past couple of decades. The program has been suspended, re-opened, levels have gone up and gone down, it has occasionally transitioned to a lottery system and in October 2020 it evolved into a re-vamped lottery system where sponsors registered an expression of interest (EOI) and then were drawn and offered an invitation to apply (ITA). From that initial EOI program in 2020, there have been no further openings to the program while IRCC continues to make annual draws from the backlog of 165,000+ registered sponsors in the pool. There is little likelihood that the program will re-open any time soon nor in any way similar to what the program has resembled in the past 20+ years. Let’s review the numbers to understand why.

BlogAlternative Options to the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program

13 August 2025by Victor Ing

It’s only mid-August 2025 but many Canadian citizens and permanent residents are already looking ahead to 2026 to see if they’ll be fortunate enough to be invited by the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to sponsor their parents or grandparents (PGP) for Canadian permanent residence. The 2025 sponsorship intake process has just concluded following a two-week period during which IRCC sent invitations to eligible Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their loved ones. IRCC began sending invitations out on July 28, 2025 and, unfortunately, those who did not receive one this year will have to try their luck next year or consider alternative immigration options to achieve their goals of reuniting in Canada. In this blog, I will provide a brief history of the PGP sponsorship program and explain what the alternative options are.

Blog Business Immigration Canadian Immigration Programs Family Re-unification Family Reunification in CanadaCanada’s immigration program and Adam Smith: grappling with the laws of supply and demand

28 May 2024by Catherine Sas, K.C.

Adam Smith is often considered the father of modern economics and a significant proponent of the law of supply and demand. This economic theory postulates that when supply of a good is in abundance prices will fall and when the supply is diminished that prices will rise. Applying the principles of supply and demand to Canada’s immigration program, the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is in the enviable position of being able to “set their price” by being choosy as to who, how and when they will select which applicants to be able to come to Canada. A quick review of a few of our current immigration programs demonstrates this reality.

Blog Family Re-unification Family Reunification in CanadaIRCC’s Parents and Grandparents Program Reopening Soon!

14 May 2024by Victor Ing

Starting on May 21, 2024 the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin inviting eligible Canadian citizens and permanent residents over the course of approximately two weeks to sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residence in Canada. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the May 21 date.

HomeTag Grandparents

BlogPrediction: The Parents and Grandparents program won’t re-open any time soon! The numbers and history tell the story.

BlogAlternative Options to the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program

Blog Business Immigration Canadian Immigration Programs Family Re-unification Family Reunification in CanadaCanada’s immigration program and Adam Smith: grappling with the laws of supply and demand

Blog Family Re-unification Family Reunification in CanadaIRCC’s Parents and Grandparents Program Reopening Soon!

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