Jan 11, 2019 – Canadian citizens and permanent residents wishing to sponsor parents and grandparents for immigration will be able to do so under a revamped program from January 28, 2019.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced on Friday that the relaunched Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) would feature a ‘first-in-first-served’ process.
It replaces the previous lottery-style system that attracted strong criticism from stakeholders.
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Under the new system, IRCC will accept interest to sponsor submissions and invite potential sponsors to submit complete applications in the order they are received.
Sponsors will have 60 days to submit completed applications after invitation.
The process will continue until the 2019 cap of 20,000 completed applications is reached.
Further PGP changes for 2019 include:
- The need to upload a copy of a status in Canada document when submitting an interest to sponsor form
- An enhanced interest to sponsor form designed to help spot duplicate submissions and potential fraud.
Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said: “Family reunification is an immigration priority for the Government of Canada.
“It supports Canada’s economic prosperity and it further strengthens our communities. Parents and grandparents often help care for children, increasing their parents’ ability to work and study, and to make meaningful contributions to their communities.
“In reuniting Canadian citizens and permanent residents with their parents and grandparents, not only do we help these families to succeed – doing so also benefits our entire country.”
The federal government revealed it received nearly 94,000 interest to sponsor forms in 2018, highlighting the popularity of the PGP.
New Parents and Grandparents Program Process
Step 1: Potential sponsors indicate their interest
The interest to sponsor form will be available online at noon EST on January 28, so eligible potential sponsors can let IRCC know they wish to sponsor their parents and grandparents. The new form will require potential sponsors to upload a copy of a status in Canada document.
The form will remain available until a set number has been received.
Step 2: Invitations to sponsor are sent
Once the interest to sponsor period ends, IRCC will review the submissions and remove duplicates.
IRCC officials will then invite interested potential sponsors to submit a complete application to sponsor their parents and grandparents, in the order interest to sponsor forms were received. This process will continue until the cap of 20,000 completed applications is reached.
Step 3: Applications are submitted
Those who are invited to apply have 60 calendar days for IRCC to receive their complete application. Those who submit an interest to sponsor form and receive a confirmation number, but do not receive an invitation to apply in 2019, will have their form retained by IRCC for consideration in 2020.
Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.
Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.
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