Canada to cap Parents and Grandparents sponsorship at 15,000

Canada has announced new immigration targets as part of its 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan. A key component of this plan is a cap on the Parents and Grandparents Programme (PGP), which will be limited to 15,000 admissions per year. Additionally, the federal department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), will pause new applications for this specific programme starting in January 2026.

Under the new plan, the broader Family Class—which includes spouses, partners, and dependent children—is expected to account for approximately 22% of all planned permanent resident admissions. For 2026, admissions for spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children are set at 69,000, with a slight decrease to 66,000 in the following two years.

Regarding financial eligibility, Canada has released the minimum income requirements for the 2025 PGP intake. These requirements vary based on family size and cover the three relevant tax years. For sponsors outside Quebec, the required income for a two-person household starts at $43,082 for the most recent tax year, while a seven-person household requires $91,582. Sponsors must prove their income using Notices of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.