Family Sponsorship Update — July 23, 2026
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Family sponsorship processing times dropped in February 2026, with notable decreases under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), while most temporary resident application types saw increases.
Quebec will reopen family sponsorship intake on July 2, 2026, accepting up to 15,700 applications over two years (13,300 for spouses, 2,400 for parents/grandparents); adult dependent children aged 18+ are newly exempt from the cap.
Applications received beyond Quebec's cap will be returned unprocessed with fees refunded; MIFI will prioritize older applications once intake opens.
What You Should Do
- If you plan to sponsor a family member in Quebec, prepare your undertaking application now so you are ready to submit on July 2, 2026, when MIFI reopens intake at canada.ca or directly through the MIFI portal.
- If you are sponsoring an adult dependent child (age 18-21) in Quebec, confirm their eligibility under the new cap exemption by reviewing the MIFI press release details before submitting your application on July 2, 2026.
- Check current IRCC processing times for your specific family sponsorship stream (e.g., spousal, PGP) at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html to see if recent drops affect your timeline.
- If your sponsor or sponsored person's last country of residence is the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, or Uganda, be aware that IRCC is not finalizing those applications currently — check the special measures page at canada.ca for updates before taking any action.
Sources
Topics Covered
Spousal Sponsorship Processing Improvements: IRCC's February 2026 processing times update shows a decline in family sponsorship wait times, including for spousal sponsorship streams, compared to January 2026 figures.
Parents and Grandparents Program Regional Disparities: Quebec is reopening its family sponsorship intake on July 2, 2026, with a two-year cap of 2,400 undertakings for parents and grandparents, and is exempting adult dependent children from the cap for the first time.
More Family Sponsorship Updates
Family Sponsorship Update — July 20, 2026
Jul 20, 2026
Family Sponsorship Update — July 16, 2026
Jul 16, 2026
Family Sponsorship Update — July 13, 2026
Jul 13, 2026
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