Parent and grandparent sponsorship 2022 For those who applied in 2020

by Michael Scott

The “reunification of families” remains one of the objectives of the Immigration Act, s. 3(1) (d). Canada’s family sponsorship programs play an important role in attracting, retaining, and integrating immigrants who contribute to the country’s wellbeing.

On October 11, 2022, Sean Fraser issued a statement regarding the reopening of the Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship program for 2022. “Family reunification is important to Canadians and plays a key role in our immigration system,” stated Minister Fraser. “We recognize that reuniting parents and grandparents with their families in Canada provides immense contributions to our communities. Parents, their children, and their grandchildren, want to be together, and the government has made significant progress toward that. Today’s announcement will help reunited more families in Canada and is an important step in the right direction.”

The reopening of the Parent and Grandparent sponsorship program for 2022 is a little misleading because the program is not open to the submission of new applications to sponsor. Rather, IRCC will invite 23,100 potential applicants from the remaining pool of 155,313 potential applicants who submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020. The invitations are intended to help reach IRCC’s goal of accepting up to 15,000 complete applications.

If you were able to submit the interest to sponsor form in 2020 and you saw a page with a confirmation number, you may be eligible for the 2022 draw. Check if you received an e-mail message from the department letting you know they received your form. Once IRCC sends out all the invitations, interested parties can make inquiries using their specific confirmation number. Check the same email you used on your 2020 interest to sponsor form. Also check your junk mail or spam folder to see if you have received an email from the department.

If you have lost or forgot your confirmation number, you can use the Lost Confirmation Number tool to retrieve your confirmation number if you submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020 but have lost the confirmation number or are now using a different email. It is also important to note that IRCC understands that many are challenged to meet the lower income requirements to sponsor their parents and grandparents and for the 2020 and 2021 tax years, the income requirements for sponsors will be the minimum necessary income, instead of the minimum necessary income plus 30 per cent, and regular Employment Insurance benefits and temporary COVID-19 benefits (such as CERB) can be added to the sponsor’s income (Minister’s News Release, October 11, 2022). These measures will ensure that sponsors and applicants are not penalized for a sponsor’s temporary loss of income during the pandemic.

All families, including those who are not selected for the sponsorship of parents and grandparents, can have their parents or grandparents apply for a Super Visa with multiple entry that is valid up to 10 years. Enhancements to the Super Visa, implemented in the summer of 2022, allow holders to stay in Canada for up to five years at a time, with an option to extend the visit another two years at a time without leaving the country. These changes make it easier for Canadian citizens and permanent residents to reunite with parents and grandparents in Canada for longer periods of time.

Michael Scott is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC, R525678) who has 30 years of experience with Immigration Canada and the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. He currently works as a licensed consultant with Immigration Connexion International Ltd. Contact him at 204-691-1166 or 204-227-0292. E-mail: mscott.ici@gmail.com.