Family reunification program to continue: Canada to issue just over 23,000 invitations

On October 11, 2022, the government announced that it will continue to reunite families by accepting up to 15,000 complete applications for sponsorship under the Parents and Grandparents Program this year.

Over the course of 2 weeks following the announcement, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is sending invitations to apply to 23,100 interested potential sponsors—enough to meet the goal of 15,000 applications.

Due to the number of interest to sponsor forms remaining in the pool of submissions from 2020, IRCC will send invitations to apply to randomly selected potential sponsors from that pool instead of opening a new interest to sponsor form. This is the same approach taken for the 2021 intake.

Anyone who submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020, but who did not receive an invitation to apply in January 2021 or September 2021, is encouraged to check the email account they provided when they submitted their interest.

As with last year, those invited to apply as part of this process will use the new Permanent Residence Portal or the Representative Permanent Residence Portal, which allows applications to be submitted electronically. This is part of our commitment to modernize Canada’s immigration system, and speed up and simplify the application process.

Those who wish to reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada, but who are not invited this year, may consider having their parents or grandparents apply for a super visa, a multiple-entry visa that is valid for 10 years. Enhancements to the super visa, implemented in the summer of 2022, allow super visa holders to stay in Canada for up to 5 years at a time, with the option to extend their visit by up to 2 years at a time without leaving the country. These changes make it easier for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada for longer periods of time.

Canada has an extremely generous family sponsorship program, which allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents the option to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada as permanent residents. Family reunification plays a significant role in attracting, retaining and integrating immigrants.

According to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, “Family reunification is an essential part of Canada’s immigration system. Building on recently announced enhancements to the parents and grandparents super visa, opening a Parents and Grandparents Program sponsorship intake and accepting up to 15,000 applications in 2022 demonstrates the government’s commitment to reuniting families while strengthening Canada’s immigration system.”

For more information, visit the IRCC website.