IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Canada reopened the Sponsors of Parents and Grandparents residency program today. A maximum of 5,000 applications will be accepted.

What does the change mean? The program is extremely popular, and the 5,000-application cap is likely to be reached in a matter of days. Those interested in bringing parents or grandparents to Canada who are unable to secure one of the 5,000 spots should consider other options, including the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa program.

  • Implementation time frame: Immediate.
  • Visas/permits affected: Permanent residency.
  • Who is affected: Qualifying Canadian citizens and permanent residents seeking to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residency.
  • Business impact: The relatively low quota limits this program’s potential benefit as an incentive to draw foreign employees to Canada.

Background: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (formerly called Citizenship and Immigration Canada) began accepting new applications to sponsor parents and grandparents today.

Those eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent are Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are living in Canada, are at least 18 years of age, meet basic income requirements and demonstrate that they can provide basic support for the parent or grandparent. The cap was set at 5,000, the same as the past two years, despite expectations that Canada’s new liberal government might double the cap to 10,000.

Applications received after the cap is reached will be returned.

BAL Analysis: The cap of 5,000 applications will likely be reached in a matter of days. Those interested in bringing parents or grandparents to Canada should file applications immediately or consider other options, including the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, which is valid for up to 10 years and allows parents and grandparents to visit family for up to two years without renewing their status.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Canada. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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