If you're a Canadian citizen or permanent resident trying to bring your parents or grandparents to Canada, 2026 is the year the decision got simpler — because one of your two main options effectively isn't available right now. The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) has no open intake, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) just changed how it calculates income eligibility for the Super Visa, the program most families are now relying on instead.

This guide walks through exactly where both programs stand today, the income and insurance numbers you actually need to hit, and how to build a realistic family reunification strategy around a program that's currently closed.

The 2026 Reality Check: PGP Has No Open Intake

Let's be direct about where things stand, because a lot of older content online is now misleading on this point.

As of January 1, 2026, IRCC is not accepting any new PGP sponsorship or permanent residence applications under new ministerial instructions. This isn't the same as previous "pauses" where invitations simply weren't being issued — new applications submitted outside the approved intake are being returned outright.

Here's what's actually happening behind that freeze:

• In 2025, IRCC issued invitations to apply from the existing 2020 Interest-to-Sponsor pool.
• Invitations went out from July 28 to July 30, 2025.
• The deadline to submit a complete application under that invitation was October 9, 2025.
• IRCC capped this round at a maximum of 10,000 complete applications.
• No new Interest-to-Sponsor form is open, and IRCC has not announced when, or whether, one will reopen in 2026.

The bigger structural change is in the numbers behind the program. The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan cuts PGP admissions from 24,500 in 2025 down to 15,000 per year for 2026, 2027, and 2028 — a roughly 39% reduction. Even when a new intake eventually opens, it will be competing for fewer spots than families have grown used to.

What this means practically: if you don't already have an invitation in process from the 2025 round, permanent residence through PGP is not currently accessible to you, and there's no published timeline for when that changes. This is exactly why the Super Visa has become the default strategy for most families this year — not as a "nice alternative," but as the only functioning pathway.

What Is the Super Visa, Exactly?

The Super Visa is a long-term, multiple-entry temporary resident visa — not permanent residence — designed specifically for parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or registered Indians.

• Stay per entry: up to 5 years, for anyone who applied on or after June 22, 2023.
• Document validity: up to 10 years, multiple entries.
• Application fee: starts from CAD $100, plus the cost of the medical exam and private insurance.
• No dependants: the application covers only the named parent or grandparent.
• No lottery: unlike PGP, you can apply any time, year-round.

The trade-off is real: Super Visa holders cannot work or study in Canada without a separate permit, and they are not covered by provincial health insurance. This is why the private insurance requirement is non-negotiable.

New for 2026: How Super Visa Income Is Now Calculated

This is the most important update on this page, and it's recent enough that most articles online still describe the old rules. On March 20, 2026, IRCC announced two new ways for hosts to qualify, effective March 31, 2026. The change applies retroactively to applications already in processing on that date, not just new ones.

Previously, the host in Canada had to show income meeting the threshold for the single most recent tax year. Now there are two additional paths:

Option 1 — Two-Year Window

Your host and co-signer, if any, can qualify using whichever of the last two tax years shows the stronger income. If last year was affected by a layoff, parental leave, reduced income, commission changes, or self-employment fluctuations, the previous year may now support the application.

Option 2 — Host Floor + Parent's Own Income

If the host's income, including a co-signer's income if applicable, reaches at least 75% of the required threshold in the year before applying, the visiting parent or grandparent's own documented income can be added to cover the remaining gap.

This may include pension income, rental income, investment returns, or other acceptable documented income. This is a major change because the visiting parent or grandparent can now contribute financially to their own eligibility instead of being treated only as a dependant.

Families who already met the old requirements still qualify. These are additional options, not stricter rules.

Minimum Income by Family Size: Current LICO Table

This Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) table reflects the income figures currently in force, last updated July 29, 2025:

How family size is counted: add together the host, the host's spouse or common-law partner, the host's dependent children, every Super Visa applicant being supported, and anyone the host or co-signer is currently sponsoring or hosting under a still-active undertaking.

For example, a host inviting two parents, with a spouse and two children, is counted as a family of six and needs to meet the income requirement for six people.

The Insurance Requirement Hasn't Changed

While the income rules became more flexible, the medical insurance requirement remains strict:

• Minimum $100,000 in emergency medical coverage.
• Valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry.
• Must come from a Canadian insurer or an approved foreign insurer that meets IRCC requirements.
• Must be paid in full or under an approved instalment plan.
• A quote is not acceptable as proof of insurance.
• The policy must cover hospitalization and repatriation.
• Insurance must be renewed for each new entry if it would otherwise lapse during the stay.

This is where many applications face issues. Some families buy a policy that meets the dollar amount but misses repatriation coverage or does not come from an acceptable insurer.

Super Visa vs. PGP vs. Visitor Visa: Full Comparison

A Note for Quebec Families

If your host lives in Quebec, the PGP sponsorship undertaking is 10 years, not 20. Quebec sets its own financial commitment length and requires a separate Certificat de sélection du Québec alongside the federal sponsorship process.

This distinction is important because it materially changes the long-term financial commitment for Quebec-based sponsors.

Other Routes Worth Knowing About

These are not primary strategies for most families, but they may be relevant in exceptional cases.

Humanitarian and Compassionate Applications

Humanitarian and Compassionate applications remain a last-resort PR pathway based on exceptional circumstances, such as strong family ties, the best interests of children involved, or genuine hardship if the parent returned home.

This route can take years, has no guaranteed outcome, and may not provide secure temporary status while the application is pending. It is usually realistic only for parents who are fully dependent on their Canadian family or have no remaining support network abroad.

Provincial Nominee Programs

Provincial Nominee Programs may occasionally offer indirect options, such as entrepreneur streams for parents with business experience or province-specific family referral streams. However, these options change frequently and often depend on a job offer, business plan, or province-specific eligibility.

Families should verify current eligibility directly with the relevant provincial program before relying on this route.

So Which One Should You Choose?

Given where things stand in 2026, this is not really an “either/or” decision for most families. It is a sequencing question.

If you do not already have a 2025 PGP invitation in process: the Super Visa is your only realistic near-term option. With the new March 2026 income flexibility, more families may qualify than would have a year ago, especially hosts with variable income or parents with their own pension, rental, or investment income.

If you do have a pending 2025 PGP application: you can still apply for a Super Visa in parallel while waiting for a decision. Submitting a Super Visa application does not affect your PGP sponsorship file, and you can withdraw the sponsorship application later if your plans change.

Either way, families should plan for a longer runway than the old “lottery reopens any year now” mindset assumed. With PGP admissions cut to 15,000 a year and no announced reopening date, the Super Visa should be treated as the primary way many parents and grandparents will spend meaningful time in Canada for the foreseeable future.

This article reflects IRCC policy as published on canada.ca as of June 2026, including the income calculation changes effective March 31, 2026 and the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan. Immigration rules change frequently — confirm current requirements directly with IRCC or a licensed RCIC before applying.