Canada doubles cap for parent, grandparent permanent residence program

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Canada has announced that it will process up to 10,000 Sponsorship of Parents and Grandparents permanent residence applications—up from the 5,000 that authorities initially said they would process.

What does the change mean? Up to 10,000 parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents will be eligible for permanent residency under the program this year.

• Implementation time frame: Processing is ongoing. The application period closed Jan. 7, after more than 14,000 applications were submitted.
• Visas/permits affected: Permanent residency for parents and grandparents. 
• Who is affected: Qualifying Canadian citizens and permanent residents who filed applications in January to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residency.
• Business impact: The business impact is minimal, though the increase in the quota in future years may slightly expand the program’s benefit as an incentive to draw foreign employees to Canada.

Background: Canada’s new Liberal government said during last year’s campaign that it would double the cap for the popular parent and grandparent program from 5,000 to 10,000. More than 14,000 applications were submitted in a four-day period in January, and instructions published in the Canada Gazette on Feb. 27 state that “a maximum of 10,000 new complete applications for sponsorship of parents and grandparents as members of the family class will be accepted” for processing this year.

BAL Analysis: The additional 5,000 spots will be filled from among the 14,000 applicants who submitted applications in January. Those who did not file applications but wish to bring a parent or grandparent to Canada, are advised to consider other options for doing so, 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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