One of the more frustrating elements of visa applications is the fact that the criteria and processes can change so often. Sometimes it can feel difficult to keep up with current changes and to know where you stand. One such visa is the Canadian family reunification visa, which over the years has seen some backlash and controversy over its application and acceptance process.The visa has been completely revamped and is now largely aimed at parents and grandparents who are looking to join their children or grandchildren in Canada. In this article, we take a look at the new family sponsorship options available in Canada and how they can help you.
What is Family Sponsorship?
Family sponsorship is a system in which you can sponsor a relative from abroad to come and live in Canada. Essentially, you will support them and ensure they don’t need social assistance. The person you sponsor will need to meet the Canadian permanent residence requirements.
You can sponsor certain relatives to come to Canada providing you are at least 18 years old and either a Canadian citizen, a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act or a permanent resident of Canada. Other criteria such as your residency status and income also apply.
The government website states that:
“You will agree in writing to give financial support to your relative and any other eligible relatives coming with them, beginning on the date they become a permanent resident for up to 20 years (depending on their age and how you’re related). The person you sponsor must sign an agreement saying they will make the effort to support themselves. This includes sponsored dependent children 18 or older. Dependent children under 19 don’t have to sign this agreement.”
Parents And Grandparents Sponsorship Visa
Family reunification is a top priority for Canada when it comes to immigration. One of the latest changes is the parents and grandparents sponsorship visa. This visa had been unavailable but is now being re-opened with some changes in terms of applications and eligibility. The parents and grandparents program, also referred to as the PGP, allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents of age 18 and over to sponsor their parents and/or grandparents for Canadian permanent residence.
There will be a cap of 20,000 accepted applications throughout the course of 2019, which is an improvement 17,000 in 2017. The biggest change will see the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) moving away from its previously controversial processing system, whereby applicants were accepted or rejected through a randomised lottery-style selection. Applications will now be processed on a first come first served basis until the quota is full.
These changes to the visa processing are welcome for those who have been waiting for years to sponsor their parents or grandparents to come to Canada. The interest to sponsor form became available on the 28th of January 2019.
How Does This Help You?
The new system means that people won’t miss out on their chance to bring their family over simply because they were not selected at random. There are currently several petitions circulating which call for the quota cap to be increased further. The new family sponsorship options will allow you to bring over your parents or grandparents, reuniting your family and lessening the burden and financial implications of, for example, childcare.
We hope that this article on the new Canadian family sponsorship options has been helpful to you. We would also like to recommend these extremely helpful social media channels for the IRCC, where you can keep up to date with the latest changes and announcements:
You can check your eligibility to become a sponsor here.
Find out here how much income you will be required to prove in order to sponsor your relatives.
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