Amendments to the Parents and Grandparents Immigration Program
Description of the objective
The Government of Canada is considering regulatory changes to the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) Immigrant Program. Family reunification is one objective of Canada’s immigration system, however the demand to sponsor PGPs has significantly exceeded the space available, resulting in a growing backlog of applications. To address this, the Government introduced the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification in November 2011. The Action Plan paused the receipt of new PGP sponsorship applications for 24 months, introduced a ten-year multiple entry Super Visa permitting continuous stays in Canada of up to two years, increased annual PGP admissions to 25,000 for two years, and committed to consulting with Canadians on a redesigned PGP program that would avoid future backlogs and be sensitive to fiscal constraints.
The options being considered in the redesign of the program will focus on reducing wait times, avoiding backlogs, and ensuring that the PGP program is fiscally sustainable over the long run.
Changes considered are within the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, which are enabled by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Indication of business impacts
There are no expected business impacts.
Public consultation opportunities
Roundtable consultations with stakeholders and online public consultations solicited input on how best to redesign the PGP program.
(http://www.consultingcanadians.gc.ca/dp.jspx?dd=31&lang=eng&tp=p)
Respondents included those who did sponsor, are sponsoring, or intend to sponsor their parents and/or grandparents, as well as settlement provider organizations, ethno-cultural organizations and economists.
Departmental contact
- Date Modified:
