For decades, Canada’s Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) program allowed permanent residents to bring their parents and grandparents to live with them permanently. But as of 2025, that will no longer be the case. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced it will stop accepting new applications under the PGP program, leaving many families, particularly those from Bangladesh, in a state of uncertainty.
While the IRCC will continue processing applications made in 2024, no new applications will be accepted in the coming years. Previously, the PGP program allowed Canadian permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents to join them in Canada. This change is part of a broader strategy by the Canadian government to reduce immigration numbers, with a 20% decrease in permanent residency allocations planned for 2025.
In 2025, Canada will accept 24,500 individuals under the PGP program, but that number will drop sharply in the years that follow. Instead of the PGP, families can explore the Super Visa program, which permits relatives to stay in Canada for up to five consecutive years.
This decision is part of a larger effort by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration to manage the strain on Canada’s housing and healthcare systems caused by rapid population growth. Reports indicate that by 2025, over 1.2 million temporary residents may be asked to leave Canada as immigration policies tighten. Additionally, annual PR quotas, which previously allowed 500,000 new immigrants, will be reduced to 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027. Of this reduced quota, only 94,500 visas will be available for family sponsorships, with the bulk reserved for spouses and children.
For many Bangladeshi families in Canada, this shift is particularly painful. Prosenjit Das Joy, a 35-year-old from Keraniganj, Dhaka, has been working in a Canadian restaurant for five years. He expressed how difficult it is now to get permanent residency, given the stricter point requirements. “Many Bangladeshis without PR status face an uncertain future,” he said. Similarly, Salahuddin Bacchu, a businessman who has lived in Canada for over a decade, shared his frustration: “It used to be much easier to bring family members here. Now, it’s much more complicated. Thousands apply for PGP every year, but only a few are selected through the lottery.”
The Bangladeshi community in Canada is large and growing. According to the Bangladeshi High Commission in Ottawa, over 100,000 Bangladeshis currently reside in Canada, a number that has significantly increased over the past few decades. However, as immigration policies become more stringent, reuniting families is becoming increasingly difficult.
The Canadian government’s justification for these changes is to control population growth and ease the pressure on public services, including healthcare and housing. While Canada’s immigrant population has surged in recent years, the Trudeau government now argues that stricter immigration controls are necessary to address the country’s growing challenges.
For many Bangladeshi families, these changes represent a major setback. The suspension of the PGP program, along with a reduction in the number of permanent residency spots, will leave countless families facing an uncertain future. As the government’s immigration policies continue to tighten, the path to family reunification looks increasingly difficult for those hoping to start a new life in Canada.
 program allowed permanent residents to bring their parents and grandparents to live with them permanently. But as of 2025, that will no longer be the case. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced it will stop accepting new applications under the PGP program, leaving many families, particularly those from Bangladesh, in a state of uncertainty.){kind=link}