Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) annually selects Canadian sponsors—permanent residents and citizens—who wish to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).
The process by which IRCC chooses sponsors has often been unclear due to the use of a special lottery system. However, recent government guidelines have shed light on how this selection process works.
For the 2024 intake, IRCC utilized a randomized selection method based on interest-to-sponsor forms submitted back in 2020. These forms were sorted in a sequential order, and selected email addresses received an invitation to apply (ITA). The ITAs were sent using a bulk email tool, inviting recipients to submit sponsorship and permanent residence applications.
IRCC issued 35,700 ITAs for the 2024 intake, aiming to accept 20,500 complete applications. The higher number of invitations took into account that not all invitees would submit their applications.
Key Details for the 2024 PGP Intake
- 2020 Sponsor Pool: Sponsors for the 2024 PGP intake were selected from the 2020 interest-to-sponsor submissions. As in previous years, applicants from this pool are subject to specific conditions. This practice may continue for future intakes.
- Documentation Requirements: Sponsors who received an ITA had to provide a copy of the same “status in Canada” document that they submitted in 2020. If there were discrepancies between the original interest-to-sponsor form and the sponsorship application, sponsors were required to explain the changes and provide evidence that the application related to the same individual.
- Priority of Processing: Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. New 2024 applications are placed behind those already in the queue, ensuring priority is given to those who have waited the longest.
The 2024 intake marks the fourth consecutive year IRCC has drawn from the 2020 pool. Despite a gradual increase in available spots (from 32,000 in 2024 to 34,000 in 2025 and 2026), the demand continues to exceed available allocations. This backlog, combined with extended processing times, has drawn criticism of IRCC’s family reunification efforts.
Even after the 2023 intake, IRCC had a backlog of 108,000 interest-to-sponsor forms, indicating that the department could still be processing the 2020 pool through 2024 and beyond.