OTTAWA - In a surprising turn of events, Canada has announced a temporary halt on applications for parent and grandparent permanent residency sponsorships.

This significant move comes as part of a recent directive that aims to address the growing backlog in immigration applications.

Government's Commitment

The directive, which was officially published in the Canada Gazette, emphasizes the government’s commitment to family reunification while shifting focus toward processing applications submitted in the previous year.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller stated that this approach will "best support" the administration’s immigration goals and bolster family reunification efforts amidst ongoing challenges.

Other Immigration Streams

Recently, other immigration streams have also experienced similar pauses in new sponsorship applications.

This strategic decision is part of a broader immigration levels plan that anticipates a decrease in overall immigration over the next three years, while still aiming to admit over 24,000 individuals through the parent and grandparent stream within this year alone.

Application Processing Plans

Under this new directive, Canada aims to process a maximum of 15,000 applications made in the year 2024 through the family reunification program.

In early 2024, approximately 35,700 applicants were randomly selected to submit their applications, with a target to accept around 20,500 of them.

Current Backlog and Processing Times

As of the end of 2023, a staggering 40,000 parent and grandparent permanent residency sponsorships are still pending, indicating a substantial backlog that the government is eager to alleviate.

The latest report to Parliament on immigration reiterated that the average processing time for these sponsorship applications currently stands at a lengthy 24 months.

Concerns Among Applicants

This pause has raised concerns among potential applicants and their families, many of whom were hopeful for a future reunion after navigating the complexities of immigration processes.

While the government reassures the public of their commitment to family reunification, the indefinite nature of this pause raises questions about how long families will have to wait to be together.

Conclusion

Stay tuned for updates on this evolving situation as Canada tackles these immigration challenges head-on!