4 January: Canada has temporarily halted new parent and grandparent permanent residency sponsorship applications to prioritize clearing a significant backlog, according to a ministerial directive published in the Canada Gazette. The government, while reaffirming its commitment to family reunification, announced it would focus on processing existing applications to streamline immigration operations.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller emphasized that the suspension is intended to align with the government’s broader immigration and family reunification goals. Miller stated that prioritizing the processing of pending applications would “best support” these objectives. The decision comes as Canada grapples with delays caused by high demand and system pressures.
Under the government’s current immigration levels plan, more than 24,000 people are expected to be admitted through the parent and grandparent stream in 2024. However, the directive limits processing to a maximum of 15,000 applications received last year under the family reunification program. In 2024, 35,700 individuals were randomly invited to apply, with the government targeting 20,500 approvals.
The 2024 annual report to Parliament on immigration revealed over 40,000 sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents were still in process as of the end of 2023. On average, processing these applications takes 24 months. Other immigration streams have also been paused temporarily to manage backlogs effectively.
This announcement is part of Canada’s revised immigration strategy, which includes reducing overall immigration levels over the next three years. The government aims to address operational challenges while maintaining a commitment to reuniting families, balancing competing priorities in its immigration framework.
The pause reflects a broader push to improve the efficiency of Canada’s immigration system while ensuring timely decisions for those already in the queue. Families awaiting reunification hope these measures will expedite long-pending applications and improve transparency in the system.
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