On November 21, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officially announced that the temporary pause on accepting new applications from Groups of Five (G5) and Community Sponsors (CS) will be extended until December 31, 2026, according to the Government of Canada website https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/temporary-pause-extended-refugee-sponsorship-applications-groups-five.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
This decision directly affects friends, relatives, and community organizations that planned to independently sponsor refugees under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program — a model that has been in place for over 40 years and has enabled hundreds of thousands of refugees to start a new life in Canada.
1. Chronology of IRCC decisions
November 2024: first pause
On November 29, 2024, IRCC announced a temporary suspension of new applications from:
- Groups of Five
- Community Sponsors
under the PSR program.
The reason was an excessive volume of applications and very long processing times, as the number of applications from private sponsors significantly exceeded the number of places provided for in the immigration levels plan.
The pause was then set to last until December 31, 2025.
November 2025: extension until the end of 2026
On November 21, 2025, IRCC published a separate notice in which it:
- confirmed the extension of the pause on accepting new applications from G5 and CS;
- set a new deadline of December 31, 2026.
It is noted that:
- applications already submitted will continue to be processed;
- Canada will continue to accept refugees under the PSR program in accordance with the targets set out in the Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028.
At the same time, IRCC's official planning documents (Departmental Plan, Annual Report to Parliament) explicitly state that the ministerial instructions on the G5/CS pause are intended to stop the queue from growing further and return to more predictable processing times.
2. Who is affected by the pause and who is not
On the official IRCC website, the statuses are as follows:
Sponsor type Status of new applications What is currently allowed Group of Five (G5) Paused Can only apply through Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR); previously submitted PSR applications are being processed Community Sponsor (CS) Paused Similarly, only BVOR, PSR applications already submitted are being processed Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH) Open Can submit new applications to PSR (depending on their cap/quota) Separate IRCC pages for G5 and Community Sponsors explicitly state that:
- “New private sponsorship applications Paused”;
- G5 and CS can only submit new cases under the BVOR program;
- Applications submitted earlier will continue to be processed.
At the same time, the page “How to sponsor a refugee – Private Sponsorship Program” shows:
-
Sponsorship Agreement Holder – Open;
-
Group of Five – Paused;
-
Community Sponsor – Paused.
This officially confirms that:
The SAH route remains open and is not subject to the pause, unlike G5/CS.
3. Why IRCC is continuing the pause
Several key reasons can be identified from IRCC's official communications and planning documents:
Excessive backlog
The long-standing success of the PSR means that the number of applications from private sponsors exceeds the number of places provided for in the Immigration Levels Plan.
This has created a large and growing queue and very long processing times.
Need to regain control of the system
The ministry explicitly states that the pause is part of an approach to “regain control” of the immigration system and make it more sustainable and predictable.
Focus on quality and realistic expectations
The goal is not only to “clear the queue,” but also to ensure shorter and more predictable processing times for refugees and sponsors in the future.
Alignment with the 2026–2028 immigration levels plan
Canada maintains high refugee intake targets but wants the selection and sponsorship system to match the actual capacity to process applications.
4. What is changing in practice
4.1. If you were planning to sponsor as a Group of Five
You cannot submit a new PSR application as a G5 until December 31, 2026.
The options that remain are:
- look for an opportunity to act as a Constituent Group within an existing SAH (an organization with an agreement with the government);
- consider BVOR, where the selection of candidates takes place in cooperation with IRCC and UNHCR (for G5/CS, it is directly permitted even during the pause).
4.2. If you are a Community Sponsor
A new PSR application as a Community Sponsor is also not possible until the end of 2026.
The available options are very similar:
- cooperation with SAH;
- participation in BVOR, if IRCC allows recruitment through this program for CS.
4.3. If you are a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) or work with one
The pause does not apply to SAHs – their sponsorship agreements continue to operate and they can submit new applications within their quota (cap).
Many community groups that previously planned to sponsor as G5/CS are now seeking to collaborate with existing SAHs.
4.4. What about applications that have already been submitted
Both the original 2024 announcement and the notice of the pause's extension into 2025 clearly confirm:
All G5/CS applications already submitted continue to be processed; they are not canceled.
That is:
- if your application is already in the system, it remains in the queue;
- the pause only applies to new submissions after the date on which the ministerial instructions take effect.
5. Exceptions and special policies
Despite the general pause, IRCC sometimes applies temporary public policies that give G5/CS limited opportunities in special situations. For example:
- a public policy that allows G5/CS to sponsor certain refugees previously sponsored by SAH if their agreement has been cancelled (i.e., it allows them to find a new sponsor and avoid rejection solely due to the loss of SAH).
Such policies:
- are very narrow in scope;
- apply to specific groups of applicants (e.g., those associated with a particular SAH or a specific crisis);
- exist in parallel with the general rules and do not cancel the pause itself.
Therefore, if you have a very specific case (e.g., refugees have already applied through an SAH that has lost its status), you should:
- check the current public policies on the IRCC website;
- consult with a specialized organization or lawyer.
6. What this means for refugees and sponsors
For refugees whose applications have already been submitted
- Applications remain in processing, although the wait times may be long.
- The Immigration Levels Plan for 2026–2028 confirms that Canada will continue to accept a significant number of privately sponsored refugees.
For groups of friends and families who were just planning to sponsor
Until December 31, 2026:
- It is not possible to start a new standard sponsorship through G5 or Community Sponsor.
- You must either:
- Seek cooperation with a Sponsorship Agreement Holder.
- Or focus on other programs (BVOR, government programs, other immigration/protection routes depending on the individual's situation).
7. Practical steps now
Check the status of your case
- through your IRCC account / application status;
- based on the fact that applications already submitted should continue to be processed.
Find or join a SAH
- the official guide for SAH (Guide 5413) shows that this channel continues to operate;
- many SAHs involve volunteer groups as Constituent Groups.
Evaluate the possibility of BVOR
- G5 and CS can act through BVOR, even when new standard PSR applications for them are on hold.
Follow IRCC public policies and new announcements
- The Notices page and Public Policies list are regularly updated and contain exceptions and special measures.