Family Sponsorship Update — May 28, 2026
Thursday, May 28, 2026
As of February 17, 2026, family sponsorship processing times — particularly for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) — have dropped compared to January 2026 levels, bucking the trend of rising processing times seen in other application categories.
Super visa processing times from the US have increased sharply (by 112 days), while work permit processing from Pakistan has risen by 17 weeks, and all study permit processing times have increased.
What You Should Do
- If you have a pending Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) sponsorship application, check current processing times at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html — times have decreased as of February 2026.
- If you are applying for a super visa for a parent or grandparent from the US, budget for approximately 112 additional days in processing time compared to January 2026 estimates — confirm the latest timeline at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html.
- If you are a Canadian citizen or PR sponsoring a spouse or partner, check current spousal sponsorship processing times weekly at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html, as times are updated weekly and vary by application type and origin country.
Sources
Topics Covered
Spousal Sponsorship Processing Improvements: Broader family sponsorship processing times declined in February 2026, suggesting IRCC has capacity to process family class applications more efficiently despite increases in other categories.
Parents and Grandparents Program Regional Disparities: PGP sponsorship processing times decreased between January 15 and February 17, 2026, while super visa processing from the US spiked by 112 days — highlighting continued inconsistencies across application types and origins.
More Family Sponsorship Updates
Family Sponsorship Update — June 11, 2026
Jun 11, 2026
Family Sponsorship Update — June 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
Family Sponsorship Update — June 4, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
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