Parents & Grandparents Program 2025 - WHY SHOULD IRCC STOP USING A 5 YEAR OLD POOL? [FAQs]
The Canadian government made one thing clear: they have no intention of opening a fair and transparent intake for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).
For the fifth year in a row, IRCC will choose applicants from the same outdated pool created in 2020, shutting out thousands of Canadians who’ve become eligible since then.
Why It Matters
TL;DR:
- Outdated and Unfair Selection Pool
IRCC continues to select potential sponsors from a 2020 pool that was open for only a few weeks and did not verify eligibility. Many entries wouldn’t have qualified at the time, but they remain in the draw today. - No Historical Income Checks
IRCC only checks income from the three most recent years when an application is submitted. Not the three years prior to when someone entered the pool. This loophole allows ineligible individuals in 2020 to now qualify and benefit unfairly. There are no checks in place to prevent this specific immigration fraud. - Honest Applicants Left Out
Canadians who followed the rules and waited to apply, trusting IRCC’s promise that the form would reopen in 2021, have been locked out ever since. They’ve never even had the chance to express interest. - Government’s Response
Officials insist the process is fair and transparent, despite clear evidence to the contrary. Drop-off rates in recent years show that nearly half the pool is either ineligible or no longer interested.
The Full Story (and FAQs Below)
The Interest to Sponsor Form (ITSF) for the PGP was last open in 2020, for just three weeks.
At that time, IRCC did not verify sponsor income before accepting entries. This allowed thousands of people to enter the pool whether or not they qualified. IRCC also publicly stated that the pool would reopen in 2021, a promise that was quietly broken.
Since then, every round of PGP invitations — in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2025 — has drawn from that same flawed 2020 pool. Many individuals who were not eligible when they entered are now being invited to apply — essentially being rewarded for jumping the line.
IRCC does not verify income for the three years prior to 2020. They only verify income for the three most recent years before the application is submitted. This policy, confirmed in the government's official response to Petition e-4180, means speculative or dishonest entries from 2020 are now being approved, while honest citizens and permanent residents have no path forward.
Examples of this are widespread on social media, people openly admitting they applied in 2020 when ineligible and are now receiving invitations.
Meanwhile, hardworking Canadians who waited their turn and followed the rules continue to be excluded from the process entirely.
What This Website Is For
This platform was created to urge IRCC, Immigration Minister, and the federal government to:
- Open a new interest to sponsor form
- Restore fairness and transparency to the PGP
- Ensure every eligible sponsor, not just those in a flawed 2020 draw, has a fair shot at family reunification
Make Your Voice Heard
- Sign up to be notified when the new petition is launched.
- Use the templates on this site to contact your MP.
- Share this page to spread awareness of how broken this process has become.
We deserve better.
We deserve a system that rewards honesty, not one that’s built on secrecy, loopholes, and broken promises.
Let’s hold our government accountable.
What is the Interest to Sponsor Form?
The "Interest to Sponsor" form is a document that Canadian citizens and permanent residents use to express their intention to sponsor their parents or grandparents for immigration to Canada. It's the initial step in the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) to show a desire to financially support and sponsor their family members for residency.
There was NO verification of required income during the initial phase that the form was open. You simply fill & submit. Around 200,000 people filled out the form in 2020. Currently, just over 100,000 remain.
How Are Potential Sponsors Chosen?
Those that submitted their interest are then chosen from a lottery. Since 2020, their have been multiple draws. Let's talk about the most recent.
In 2023, IRCC sent 24,200 invitations, with a view to receiving 15,000 complete applications. In 2024, IRCC will be sent 35,700, with a view to receiving 20,500 complete applications. In July 2025 IRCC announced they will be sending over 17,500 invites with a view to recieving 10,000 complete applications.
Therefore IRCC believes that nearly 40% of the current pool was not eligible in 2023, 43% in 2024 and over 45% in 2025.
How Does IRCC Verify Income of a Potential Sponsor?
IRCC evaluate the income of 3 previous tax years. For 2024 this information can be found here. Now you see why this is a problem?
IRCC DO NOT EVALUATE THE INCOME 3 YEARS PRIOR TO 2020.
This means that someone who was not eligible in 2020, but then submitted their interest anyway, and was selected. They could now BE ELIGIBLE TO SPONSOR THEIR PARENTS & GRANDPARENTS.
Meanwhile someone who was honest in 2020, and waited until the next cycle is not being rewarded with the interest to sponsor form being frozen for the past 5 years.
What Does IRCC or the Immigration Minister Have to Say About This?
You can see for yourselves.
The Government are proud of their decision. In e-petition e-4180 the response, by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Marie-France Lalonde, M.P. states:
"All potential sponsors invited to apply as part of the 2022 intake were required to submit their application by December 24, 2022 and had to meet the income requirement for three previous tax years (2019, 2020, and 2021). As such, no potential sponsor randomly selected from the 2020 pool, who does not meet the necessary income requirements, is eligible for parent and grandparent sponsorship."
The basically refused to answer the question about the loophole.
In a CBC article, they further refuse to answer the question about the loophole.
Department spokesperson Isabelle Dubois said:
"IRCC is catching up on a list of 200,000 potential sponsors who expressed interest in 2020. Approximately 132,000 people remain in the pool.
"Given the volume of interest-to-sponsor forms received in 2020 that remain, IRCC will continue to use this pool of submissions for the 2023 intake," said Dubois in an emailed statement.
She also confirmed that IRCC will only be assessing the income of potential sponsors for the 2020-2022 tax years.
"No potential sponsor randomly selected from the 2020 pool, who does not meet the necessary eligibility requirements, is eligible for parent and grandparent sponsorship," she said.
"IRCC takes program integrity very seriously and is committed to ensuring our programs are fair and equally accessible."
Again, they refused to answer the question about the loophole.
It does not take a genius to work out that unless you verify the income of the sponsors for the 3 years prior to 2020, the freezing of the pool is absolutely unfair to sponsors that have been waiting since.
(A Canadian has been in touch - they have been waiting for 15 years. They did not qualify in 2020, took official advice & thought they would wait until 2021 when the form re-opens. Now they are locked out) This policy is damaging & affecting real people.
How Was The Interest To Sponsor Form Handled Before 2020?
Since the Liberal Government won the election, each year there has been a new interest to sponsor form. This idea of the form being full is a new phenomenon that was developed by governing bodies in 2020.
There has always been more demand than places. The PGP has been criticized in the past, but eligible folks have never been locked out in the way that they are now.
So What Can Be Done?
Contact your M.P.
Contact the Media (resources to be provided soon).
Sign the petition (once ready) to go.
Are People Really Disappointed and Angry?
Don't take our word for it. Look at the replies to IRCC's announcement on Facebook and X.
