Imagine waiting ten years to bring your elderly mother to live with you and still not knowing if it will ever happen. This is the harsh reality for Maria Torres and thousands of other Canadian citizens and permanent residents anxiously waiting under the Canada Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program 2025. What’s supposed to be a path to reunite families has become a process filled with uncertainty, emotional toll, and rising frustration.
Every year, hopeful sponsors sit on edge, praying their names will be picked from an old pool created back in 2020. But many feel like they’re playing a lottery with the lives of their loved ones.
Canada Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship – What Went Wrong?
In 2020, the federal government opened an “interest-to-sponsor” form, allowing citizens and residents to submit their intention to bring their parents or grandparents to Canada. However, five years later, the pool is still being used, meaning anyone who didn’t apply in 2020 has no way of even entering the process.
This has left families like:
- Maria Torres (waiting since 2015),
- Rohan Chandna (who didn’t meet the income requirement in 2020), and
- Soodeh Farokhi (unaware of the cutoff)…
Struggling with more than just red tape. They’re watching time pass alongside aging parents, medical emergencies, and fading hope.
Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program: How It Works (and Fails)
| Eligibility to Sponsor | Current Reality in 2025 |
| Must be 18+, Canadian citizen or PR | Still applies |
| Must live in Canada and meet income thresholds | Required for 3 consecutive years |
| Must submit interest form | Still restricted to 2020 pool only |
| 10,000 applications accepted yearly | Demand far exceeds supply—only 17,860 invited in 2025 |
Real Families, Real Pain
Here are just a few heartbreaking stories:
- Maria’s Story: Her 71-year-old mother can only visit on a tourist visa. Every goodbye might be the last.
- Rohan’s Story: A father who battled through his daughter’s illness with no family support. His parents were left behind because he was too new to Canada in 2020.
- Soodeh’s Story: A tech CEO with two kids, separated from her mother, suffering from depression due to isolation in Iran.
Each family speaks of the same feelings: helplessness, isolation, and being trapped in a system that doesn’t evolve with time.
Is the Super Visa a Real Solution?
The government suggests the Super Visa as an alternative. It allows parents and grandparents to stay for 5 years per visit, extendable by 2 more years. But it’s not permanent. It doesn’t offer healthcare benefits. And it doesn’t replace the emotional security of having parents close, especially in times of crisis.
Why Families Are Losing Faith in the System
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been clear: they’ll continue using the 2020 pool until it’s exhausted. But they won’t say when they’ll open new submissions. The silence has only added to the emotional fatigue of applicants.
Even legal experts are raising alarms.
“People want at least the chance to apply. But if you weren’t in the 2020 pool, you’re invisible,” said Tamara Mosher-Kuczer, a prominent immigration lawyer. This isn’t just a backlog—it’s a broken bridge between Canada’s promises and people’s lives.
What Needs to Change in the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program 2025
Families and advocates are urging the federal government to:
- Open a new intake pool beyond 2020
- Increase the number of yearly invitations to match demand
- Set transparent timelines and processing standards
- Offer better support and healthcare options for super visa holders
- Introduce regional pilot programs to ease urban pressure
A Glimpse of Hope—and a Call for Action
While the government maintains that it wants to reunite as many families as possible, words aren’t enough anymore. The Canada Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program 2025 needs a fairer, more modern approach. Because behind every application is someone’s mother. Someone’s father. A child waiting for a grandparent’s hug. A daughter like Maria, hoping her mother won’t die alone in another country. Canada can do better. And families across the country are waiting.
Canada Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program 2025 Needs Urgent Reform
The Canada Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program 2025 was built on the idea of family unity. But in its current form, it’s denying that very principle to thousands of people. What families want isn’t special treatment—they want fairness, clarity, and the chance to bring their loved ones home. It’s time for change. Let’s make sure no family is left waiting in the dark for another five years.
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