Another Major Decision by Canada: Immigration Minister Issues Directive to Halt Parent and Grandparent Permanent Residency Sponsorship

In a move to focus on clearing the backlog of existing cases, Canada has temporarily suspended accepting new applications for permanent residency sponsorship under the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP). Immigration Minister Marc Miller issued the directive, emphasizing the need to address pending applications.

According to the directive published in the Canada Gazette, the decision aligns with the government’s commitment to family reunification while prioritizing the processing of applications submitted last year. Minister Miller highlighted that this step is consistent with the government’s broader immigration goals.

Canada Suspends New Sponsorships in Other Immigration Streams to Restore Order

In an effort to streamline immigration processes, Canada has also halted new sponsorship applications in other immigration streams. As part of its immigration levels plan, which aims to reduce overall intake over the next three years, the government has set a target to accept approximately 15,000 applications submitted this year under the Family Reunification Program. This move reflects the government’s broader efforts to manage immigration more effectively.

Canada Invites 35,700 Randomly Selected Applicants for Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship in 2024

Under the Parent and Grandparent Program, Canada invited 35,700 randomly selected individuals to submit applications in 2024, with a target of accepting 20,500 applications. 

According to the 2024 Annual Report on Immigration presented by Minister Marc Miller in Parliament, by the end of 2023, there were over 40,000 parent and grandparent permanent residency sponsorships in the inventory.

The report also highlighted that the average processing time for sponsorship applications was 24 months.