Canada Halts Parent and Grandparent Permanent Residency Applications

OTTAWA - In a significant move affecting family reunification efforts, Canada has announced a pause on new applications for parent and grandparent permanent residency sponsorships until further notice. This decision comes via a directive issued by Immigration Minister Marc Miller, who emphasizes that this measure aims to better streamline the processing of existing applications.

The directive states that while the Canadian government remains dedicated to family reunification, the current priority will be to address the backlog of applications submitted in the previous year. Miller believes this adjustment will best support the government's broader immigration goals, particularly as Canada grapples with an unprecedented backlog of immigration requests.

As part of an initiative to reduce processing delays, other immigration streams have also seen new sponsorships suspended. The government's immigration levels plan indicates a strategic decrease in overall immigration numbers over the next three years, but hopes to welcome over 24,000 individuals through the parent and grandparent sponsorship stream this year alone.

Currently, the government has set a cap of processing just 15,000 applications from the family reunification program for 2024. Last year, 35,700 applicants were selected to submit their sponsorship requests, with an initial target of approving 20,500 applications.

With over 40,000 parent and grandparent sponsorship applications pending as of the end of 2023, the average processing time for these submissions has now reached a staggering 24 months, according to the 2024 annual report on immigration presented by Minister Miller.

This pause not only raises questions about the future of family reunification in Canada but also reflects broader challenges within the immigration system as authorities strive to stabilize processing times and manage the inflow of applications.

Stay tuned for more updates as the situation develops, and consider how these changes may affect your own immigration prospects!