Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 159, Number 52: GOVERNMENT NOTICES
December 27, 2025
DEPARTMENT OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION
IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE PROTECTION ACT
Ministerial Instructions with respect to the processing of applications for a permanent resident visa made by parents or grandparents of a sponsor as members of the family class and the processing of sponsorship applications made in relation to those applications
These Instructions are published in the Canada Gazette in accordance with subsection 87.3(6) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (the Act).
These Instructions are given, pursuant to section 87.3 and subsections 92(1.1) and (2) of the Act, by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration as, in the opinion of the Minister, these Instructions will best support the attainment of the immigration goals established by the Government of Canada by seeing families reunited in Canada.
These Instructions are intended to ensure that as of January 1, 2026, no new permanent resident visa applications made by parents or grandparents of a sponsor and no sponsorship applications made in relation to those applications are received for processing until further Instructions are issued. The Department of Citizenship and Immigration (the Department) will continue accepting for processing permanent resident visa applications made by parents or grandparents of a sponsor and sponsorship applications made in relation to those applications that were received in 2025 pursuant to the conditions outlined below.
Scope
These Instructions apply to applications for a permanent resident visa of a sponsor’s parents or grandparents made under the family class, referred to in paragraphs 117(1)(c) and (d) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (the Regulations), respectively, as well as to sponsorship applications made in relation to those applications.
Applications received in 2025
These Instructions authorize sponsorship applications received in 2025 and made in relation to applications for a permanent resident visa, which are made by sponsors’ parents or grandparents under the family class, to be accepted for processing in the 2026 calendar year, which begins on January 1, 2026, and ends on December 31, 2026. Applications will be accepted into processing in accordance with the conditions established in the Instructions given on March 13, 2025, for applications received by the Department in the 2025 calendar year. For clarity, these conditions are reproduced below.
Interests to sponsor
The Department accepted interests to sponsor from persons who wanted to sponsor a parent or grandparent beginning at noon, Eastern Daylight Time, on October 13, 2020, and ending at noon, Eastern Standard Time, on November 3, 2020. The interests to sponsor were to have been completed and submitted to the Department using the electronic means available for this purpose, and if a potential sponsor was unable to submit an interest to sponsor by the electronic means made available by the Department due to a mental or physical disability, the Department made alternate formats available.
Invitations to submit a sponsorship application
Invitations to submit a sponsorship application were issued to potential sponsors in 2025 using a randomized selection process from among non-duplicate interests to sponsor received in 2020 that were not yet issued an invitation. Invitations issued by the Department were not transferable.
Applications
In order to be accepted for processing, any sponsorship or permanent resident visa application referred to in these Instructions that was received in 2025 must have been submitted using electronic means (apply online).
Applications — submission by other means
An alternate application format would be provided to foreign nationals, sponsors, and their representatives who were unable to apply online.
Applications received by the Department on or after the coming into force of these Instructions that were not submitted by electronic means will not be accepted and processing fees will be returned, except in the case of foreign nationals, sponsors or authorized representatives who may submit an application by any other means that are made available or specified by the Minister for that purpose, in accordance with these Instructions.
Conditions — sponsorship applications
In order to be processed, any sponsorship application referred to in these Instructions that was received in 2025 and that has not been returned under section 12 of the Regulations for not meeting the requirements of sections 10 and 11 of the Regulations — for example by not using all the applicable forms provided by the Department in the application package made available on the website of the Department or by not including all information, documents and evidence referred to in paragraph 10(1)(c) of the Regulations — must meet the following conditions:
- (a) the sponsorship application is made by a person who, having indicated — during the period during which they could do so — their interest in making a sponsorship application by means that have been made available by the Department for that purpose, has been invited to make the application by the Department;
- (b) the sponsorship application indicates the same information (name, date of birth, address, country of birth, copy of status in Canada document [including its number and must be one from the list of acceptable documents listed in Guide 5772—Application to Sponsor Parents and Grandparents, made available on the website of the Department and as amended from time to time]) that was included with the interest to sponsor in relation to which the invitation to make a sponsorship application was issued by the Department; or in the case of any difference in information between the interest to sponsor and the sponsorship application, the application includes an explanation of the reason for the change in information and satisfactory evidence that the application pertains to the same potential sponsor identified on the interest to sponsor in relation to which the invitation to make a sponsorship application was issued by the Department;
- (c) in the event duplicate interest to sponsor forms were submitted, the sponsorship application is made in relation to an invitation that is based on the most recent interest to sponsor form accepted by the Department from persons who wanted to sponsor a parent or grandparent beginning at noon, Eastern Daylight Time, on October 13, 2020, and ending at noon, Eastern Standard Time, on November 3, 2020;
- (d) the sponsorship application is accompanied by the documents required by the application package made available on the website of the Department, as amended from time to time; and
- (e) the sponsorship application has been received by the Department no later than by the deadline indicated on the sponsor’s invitation to make a sponsorship application, which shall be at least a period of 60 calendar days from the date the Department sent the sponsor an invitation to make a sponsorship application. If the sponsorship application and fees required to be paid pursuant to the Regulations are received prior to this deadline, but some documentation required by these Instructions or the Regulations is missing, the sponsor has an extension of an additional 30 calendar days from the date the Department issues the request to submit the missing documentation.
Conditions — permanent resident visa applications
In order to be processed, any permanent resident visa application referred to in these Instructions that was received in 2025 and that has not been returned under section 12 of the Regulations for not meeting the requirements of sections 10 and 11 of the Regulations — for example by not using all the applicable forms provided by the Department in the application package made available on the website of the Department or by not including all information, documents and evidence referred to in paragraph 10(1)(c) of the Regulations — must meet the following conditions:
- (a) the permanent resident visa application is made by an applicant sponsored by a person whose sponsorship application meets all of the conditions for processing sponsorship applications established by these Instructions;
- (b) the permanent resident visa application is accompanied by the documents required by the application package made available on the website of the Department, as amended from time to time; and
- (c) the permanent resident visa application has been received by the Department no later than by the deadline indicated on the sponsor’s invitation to make a sponsorship application, which shall be at least a period of 60 calendar days from the date the Department sent the sponsor an invitation to make a sponsorship application. If the permanent resident visa application and fees required to be paid pursuant to the Regulations are received prior to this deadline, but some documentation required by these Instructions or the Regulations is missing, the applicant has an extension of an additional 30 calendar days from the date the Department issues the request to submit the missing documentation.
Number of applications to be accepted for processing in a year
Only applications received in 2025 will be accepted for processing in 2026.
These Instructions authorize a maximum of 10 000 sponsorship applications received in 2025 and made in relation to applications for a permanent resident visa, which are made by sponsors’ parents or grandparents under the family class, to be accepted for processing in the 2026 calendar year, which begins on January 1, 2026, and ends on December 31, 2026.
This maximum may be amended in accordance with any subsequent Instructions the Minister may provide. Unless subsequent Instructions are given for the 2026 calendar year, no other permanent resident visa applications made by parents or grandparents under the family class and no sponsorship applications made in relation to those applications will be accepted for processing in 2026.
Order for processing
Applications meeting the applicable conditions established by these Instructions are processed in the order in which they are received by the Department.
Humanitarian and compassionate requests
A request made under subsection 25(1) of the Act from outside Canada and that accompanies an application that was not accepted for processing under these Instructions will not be processed.
Disposition of applications
Any application that does not meet the applicable conditions established by these Instructions will be returned.
Coming into effect
These Instructions take effect on January 1, 2026.
December 12, 2025
The Hon. Lena Metlege Diab, ECNS, KC, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT
CANADA SHIPPING ACT, 2001
Interim Order No. 3 Prohibiting the Carrying of Certain Oils on Board Vessels in Arctic Waters
Whereas the Minister of Transport believes that the annexed Interim Order No. 3 Prohibiting the Carrying of Certain Oils on Board Vessels in Arctic Waters is required to deal with a direct or indirect risk to marine safety or to the marine environment;
And whereas the provisions of the annexed Interim Order may be contained in a regulation made under paragraphs 35(1)(d)footnote a and 190(1)(c) of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 footnote b;
Therefore, the Minister of Transport makes the annexed Interim Order No. 3 Prohibiting the Carrying of Certain Oils on Board Vessels in Arctic Waters under subsection 10.1(1)footnote c of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 footnote b.
Ottawa, December 9, 2025
Steven MacKinnon
Minister of Transport
Interim Order No. 3 Prohibiting the Carrying of Certain Oils on Board Vessels in Arctic Waters
Interpretation
1 Unless the context requires otherwise, words and expressions used in this Interim Order have the same meaning as in the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and the Vessel Pollution and Dangerous Chemicals Regulations.
Application
2 (1) This Interim Order applies in respect of the following vessels in Arctic waters, as defined in regulation 46.2 of Annex I to MARPOL:
- (a) Canadian vessels;
- (b) Canadian pleasure craft that are not Canadian vessels;
- (c) foreign vessels, if the Arctic waters are waters under Canadian jurisdiction; and
- (d) foreign pleasure craft, if the Arctic waters are waters under Canadian jurisdiction.
Non-application
(2) This Interim Order does not apply in respect of any of the following vessels:
- (a) a vessel dedicated to oil spill preparedness and response;
- (b) a ship delivered on or after 1 August 2010, as defined in regulation 1.28.9 of Annex I to MARPOL, that has an aggregate oil fuel capacity of 600 m3 or more;
- (c) a Category A vessel or Category B vessel, as those terms are defined in section 12 of the Arctic Shipping Safety and Pollution Prevention Regulations,
- (i) that is constructed on or after January 1, 2017,
- (ii) that has an aggregate oil fuel capacity of less than 600 m3, and
- (iii) whose oil fuel tanks with a maximum individual capacity of more than 30 m3 are separated from the outer shell of the vessel by a distance of at least 0.76 m.
Prohibition
3 (1) It is prohibited for a vessel to use or carry an oil referred to in regulation 43.1.2 of Annex I to MARPOL or for its authorized representative to permit such an oil to be used or carried.
Exception — emergencies
(2) Despite subsection (1), such an oil may be used or carried on board a vessel if the vessel is engaged in saving lives, securing the safety of a vessel or preventing the immediate loss of a vessel.
Exceptions — cargo and previous use
(3) Despite subsection (1), such an oil may be carried on board a vessel in the following circumstances:
- (a) the vessel is carrying the oil as cargo; or
- (b) the vessel’s oil fuel tanks or piping systems contain a residual amount of the oil that the vessel previously used as fuel.
Authorized representative
(4) For the purposes of this section, a reference to the authorized representative of a pleasure craft that is not a Canadian vessel is to be read as a reference to the operator of the pleasure craft.
Repeal of this Order
4 This Interim Order is repealed on December 31, 2026.
Repeal
5 The Interim Order No. 2 Prohibiting the Carrying of Certain Oils on Board Vessels in Arctic Waters, made on June 30, 2025, is repealed.
Coming into force
6 This Interim Order comes into force on January 1, 2026, but if it is made after that day, it comes into force on the day on which it is made.
INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CANADA
RADIOCOMMUNICATION ACT
Notice No. SMSE-013-25 — Decision on the Policy, Technical and Licensing Framework for the Use of the Frequency Bands 21.2 – 21.8 GHz and 22.4 – 23.0 GHz by Fixed Services
Notice is hereby given that Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada has released the document entitled Decision on the Policy, Technical and Licensing Framework for the Use of the Frequency Bands 21.2 – 21.8 GHz and 22.4 – 23.0 GHz by Fixed Services.
This document sets out ISED’s decisions resulting from the consultation process undertaken in SMSE-007-25 — Consultation on the Policy, Technical and Licensing Framework for the Use of the Frequency Bands 21.2–21.8 GHz and 22.4–23.0 GHz by Fixed Services.
All comments received in response to the consultation are available on ISED’s Spectrum management and telecommunications website.
Obtaining copies
Copies of this notice and of documents referred to herein are available electronically on ISED’s Spectrum management and telecommunications website.
Official versions of notices can be viewed on the Canada Gazette website.
December 18, 2025
Wen Kwan
Director General
Engineering, Planning and Standards Branch
INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CANADA
RADIOCOMMUNICATION ACT
Notice No. SMSE-015-25 — Release of RSS-252, issue 3
Notice is hereby given that Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has published the following document:
- Radio Standards Specification RSS-252, issue 3, RSS-252 — Intelligent Transportation Systems’ (ITS) On-Board Units (OBUs) in the 5895-5925 MHz Band, which sets out certification requirements for licence-exempt radio apparatus operating in the 5895-5925 MHz band.
The document is now official and available on the Published documents page of the Spectrum management and telecommunications website.
Submitting comments
Comments and suggestions for improving the document may be submitted online using the Standard Change Request form.
December 12, 2025
Wen Kwan
Director General
Engineering, Planning and Standards Branch
OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
INSURANCE COMPANIES ACT
PACICC-SIMA General Insurance Company — Letters patent of incorporation and order to commence and carry on business
Notice is hereby given of the issuance,
- pursuant to section 22 of the Insurance Companies Act, of letters patent incorporating PACICC-SIMA General Insurance Company and, in French, Compagnie d’Assurance Générale PACICC-SIMA, effective July 21, 2025; and
- pursuant to subsection 53(1) of the Insurance Companies Act, of an order authorizing PACICC-SIMA General Insurance Company and, in French, Compagnie d’Assurance Générale PACICC-SIMA, to commence and carry on business, specifying that
- the company may only carry on business, with the prior written approval of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, which appertains to acquiring, reinsuring, servicing and transferring of policies of insurance companies that are members of the Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation against which a winding-up order under the Winding-up and Restructuring Act has been made, and
- the company may insure risks, limited to the activities and foregoing restriction, falling within the classes accident and sickness insurance, automobile insurance, boiler and machinery insurance, credit protection insurance, legal expense insurance, liability insurance, property insurance and other approved products insurance, effective January 1, 2026.
December 27, 2025
Peter Routledge
Superintendent of Financial Institutions
PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE
Appointment opportunities
We know that our country is stronger — and our government more effective — when decision-makers reflect Canada’s diversity. The Government of Canada has implemented an appointment process that is transparent and merit-based, strives for gender parity, and ensures that Indigenous peoples and minority groups are properly represented in positions of leadership. We continue to search for Canadians who reflect the values that we all embrace: inclusion, honesty, fiscal prudence, and generosity of spirit. Together, we will build a government as diverse as Canada.
We are equally committed to providing a healthy workplace that supports one’s dignity, self-esteem and the ability to work to one’s full potential. With this in mind, all appointees will be expected to take steps to promote and maintain a healthy, respectful and harassment-free work environment.
The Government of Canada is currently seeking applications from diverse and talented Canadians from across the country who are interested in the following positions.
Current opportunities
The following opportunities for appointments to Governor in Council positions are currently open for applications. Every opportunity is open for a minimum of two weeks from the date of posting on the Governor in Council appointments website.
| Position | Organization | Closing date |
|---|---|---|
| Parliamentary Budget Officer | Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer |