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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced the suspension of accepting new applications for the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program (PGP). This decision was made to maintain the immigration system, which is described as 'well-managed and sustainable.'

Reasons for Suspension and Current Situation

According to IRCC, interest in the PGP continues to exceed the available number of spots. Consequently, no new expressions of interest will be accepted, and no new invitations for applications will be issued until further notice.

The Ministry clarified that the analysis of existing processes is ongoing. It is planned to approve up to 15,000 people for permanent residency under this program by 2026, aligning with the Immigration Levels Plan for 2026–2028.

Volume of Applications Being Processed

Currently, approximately 60,500 applications are under review, with an average processing time of about 33 months, which can reach 66 months in the province of Quebec.

The PGP was launched in 2020 when over 200,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents expressed a desire to sponsor one of their parents or grandparents for permanent residency in Canada. Since then, the Government has annually sent invitations to selected candidates from this initial group to formally submit sponsorship requests.

Future Plans and Overall Statistics

The announced suspension does not change the goal set in the Government's immigration plan, which is to accept up to 15,000 parents and grandparents in 2027 through existing processes. The immigration plan published in autumn 2025 provides for the entry of 380,000 permanent residents annually between 2026 and 2028, and it has also reduced targets for temporary residents, including international students and workers.

According to government data, approximately 112,900 people received permanent residency in Canada between January and April of this year through various immigration programs.

Document Processing Challenges

The immigration department continues to face significant delays in document processing. As of April 30, over 2.1 million applications were under review, more than 922,000 of which exceeded the standard processing times set by the ministry itself.

Nevertheless, Canadian citizens and permanent residents can utilize the 'super visa,' which allows parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for up to five years on a single entry and make multiple trips within a maximum period of 10 years. IRCC also reminded that this visa regime was recently simplified due to changes in income and medical insurance requirements.

In India's capital, Delhi, social activist Sonam Wangchuk was admitted to the hospital as his condition deteriorated on the twenty-first day of his hunger strike. He initiated this protest demanding the resignation of the federal Minister of Education.

Reasons and Support for the Protest

Wangchuk, aged 59, has been on a hunger strike since June 28 in solidarity with the youth party Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). This party demands that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign due to examination paper leaks in May that affected millions of students.

Medical Intervention and Court Order

Delhi police reported that Wangchuk was transferred to the hospital 'for necessary medical care' based on a court order following his health decline on Saturday. Previously, on Thursday, the Delhi High Court had directed authorities to closely monitor his health and intervene if necessary, in response to a petition calling for forced feeding as his health weakened.

Future Plans and Allegations

Protesters from CJP announced plans to march to the Indian Parliament on July 20, when the monsoon season begins, to press for Pradhan's resignation and push for educational reforms. Wangchuk is a central figure in the CJP protests, lying on a mattress in the middle of the scene while his supporters and visitors move around the protest site.

Last year, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Wangchuk of inciting people through provocative statements during violent protests in Ladakh, the federal Himalayan territory to which he belongs. Wangchuk spent about six months in prison before being released in March of this year. He rejected these accusations, stating that the violent protests reflect dissatisfaction with the federal government.

Activist's Statement

On the third day of his fast, Wangchuk told Reuters that his hunger strike would last six weeks unless he died sooner. He noted: 'But I hope we won't have to go that far. A sensitive government in a democracy listens to the suffering of the people, and I hope they will take action.'

Sonam Wangchuk was removed from Jantkar Mantar on the twenty-first day of the hunger strike and subsequently transported to the hospital. This incident caused unrest.