Locked out by Canada's family reunification program: These immigrants can't even get into the queue to sponsor parents and grandparents

Andrew

May 31

No easy way to manage given that demand always exceeds levels (various governments have tried different approaches) and P&Gs exacerbate aging demographics:

...Canada has a lottery system that rations a limited number of sponsorship spots for parents and grandparents. Canadian citizens and permanent residents must submit an expression of interest to enter the pool each year; only those who are randomly drawn are "invited" to apply. Officials will then screen them for eligibility based on criteria such as a sponsor's income level.

However, during the pandemic, the Immigration Department delayed the opening of the program in 2020 for other priorities amid lockdowns and border closures. Despite promising to reopen the program the following year, it has remained closed to new expressions of interest.

Potential sponsors were outraged earlier this month when the Immigration Department again announced it was sticking to the same 2020 candidate pool.

"Starting May 21, we will invite 35,700 potential sponsors from the pool of remaining interest to sponsor forms submitted in 2020 to sponsor parents and grandparents," the department said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"We will send out invitations over the course of approximately two weeks. If you submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020, please check the email address you used at that time."...

Source: Locked out by Canada's family reunification program: These immigrants can't even get into the queue to sponsor parents and grandparents