by Monica Beffa

Parents And Grandparents Sponsorship Selection Process

CANADA TO ACCEPT 20,000 PARENTS/GRANDPARENTS SPONSORSHIP APPLICATIONS IN 2019

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) declared it will end in 2019 its controversial lottery selection process under the Parents and Grandparents Program . IRCC will revert to a first-come, first-served approach to inviting interested sponsors to apply.

The news announced on August 20, 2018 also said that the IRCC will accept up to 20,000 new sponsorship applications in 2019 through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP).

Existing selection process

In 20177 IRCC’s implemented a randomized selection process for applications to the Parents and Grandparents Program. At that time, the government claimed that a randomized approach would level the playing field and give everyone the same opportunity to be selected to sponsor their parents/grandparents. Not everyone agreed, and the decision was widely criticized as unjust. Families complained that the randomized process gave them no way of knowing if they would ever be selected to reunite with their loved ones.

The changes announced last month are IRCC’s  response to these concerns. The IRCC said that “[a]s a result of listening to stakeholders and closely examining the PGP Program, the government is making further changes to the application intake process that will streamline access to the program and improve client experience.”

Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said that these changes are evidence of the Government of Canada’s “commitment to helping families live, work and thrive together, in Canada.”

Will it Help?

According to IRCC,  its inventory of PGP applications dropped from a peak of 167,000, in 2011, to just under 26,000, in June 2018. This reduction of inventory has allowed the IRCC to increase its intake quota to 20,000 in 2019.

This new cap doubles IRCC’s original applications cap for 2018, which was set at 10,000 and was increased to 17,000 in July 2018. To meet this increased 2018 quota, the second round of invitations sent by the IRCC at the end of July will have until October 5, 2018 to submit a complete application.

Those interested in sponsoring their parents/grandparents in the 2019 will have to complete an Interest to Sponsor form online at the beginning of the year. Even though a a first-come, first-served selection approach will not fully guarantee approval of every application, the increased yearly quota is definitely good news for the Canadian sponsors

At a glance

How will the parents and Grandparents program change?

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