Canada PGP: Do Separated or Divorced Parents Need One Application or Two?
For Canada’s Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), the application structure depends on the parents’ legal relationship. If they are separated but not divorced, IRCC says they must be included in one application. If they are divorced, each parent needs a separate application. Living at different addresses is not the same as being divorced.
Separated but still married: one application
IRCC’s instructions say that parents who are separated but not divorced must be included in one application because they remain married. A long separation or separate households does not by itself change their legal marital status. The forms should reflect the actual status; do not choose one or two applications based only on whether the parents currently live together.
Divorced: separate applications
If the parents are legally divorced, IRCC requires separate applications for them. If either parent has a current spouse, common-law partner or another eligible family member, check the official instructions for that applicant’s family composition. Do not list divorced parents as a couple on one application, or copy one parent’s family details into the other’s file without reviewing them.
For a couple, choose the principal applicant carefully
When parents are a couple and are eligible to apply together, one must be designated as the principal applicant and the other parent is listed as the spouse dependant. IRCC says the principal applicant cannot be changed after the application is submitted. Confirm the relationship, identity details and forms before filing rather than assuming the designation can be corrected later.
Other children of the parents cannot be added simply because they are siblings of the sponsor. They can be included only if they meet IRCC’s dependent-child definition. If the family structure includes grandparents, parents or more than one couple, IRCC may require a separate application for each couple. Use the official examples for the specific family arrangement.
Check whether new PGP applications are currently accepted
As of 21 October 2026, IRCC’s 15 July 2026 notice says it has paused new PGP intake. It will not receive new interest-to-sponsor forms or invite potential sponsors to apply until further notice, while existing applications continue to be processed. This article explains the program’s family-application rules and arrangements for existing invitations or applications; it does not mean a new case can be started now. If you already have an IRCC invitation, follow its deadline and instructions. Without an invitation, do not treat an old intake process or confirmation number as proof that a new round is open.
PGP and the Super Visa have different application rules
PGP is a permanent-residence family sponsorship program with an invitation process and limited intake. A Parent and Grandparent Super Visa is a temporary visitor visa. IRCC says dependants cannot be included in a Super Visa application, so each parent generally applies separately. Do not transfer the PGP rule that a couple can be included together to the Super Visa, or treat a Super Visa as approval for permanent residence.
Before responding to an invitation
First confirm whether the parents are separated but still legally married or legally divorced. Then follow the relevant one-application or separate-application instructions, select the correct principal applicant, and check who can be included as a dependant. If an invitation is already in hand, verify its deadline and use the current forms. Report changes to a parent’s marital or partner status as required by IRCC rather than assuming older information remains accurate.
Information checked on 21 October 2026. PGP intake status and forms can change; recheck the IRCC pages below before taking action. This information does not determine eligibility or guarantee approval.
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