Pause on Parents and Grandparents Sponsorships

Summary#

These are ministerial instructions from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration that pause new family-class applications from parents and grandparents. As of January 1, 2024, only applications and sponsorships that were received in 2023 and meet the instructions’ conditions will be processed, up to a limit of 15,000 sponsorship applications.

What it does#

• Says no new permanent resident visa applications made by parents or grandparents — or sponsorships tied to those applications — will be accepted for processing in 2024 unless new instructions are issued.
• Limits processing in 2024 to applications and sponsorships that were received in 2023 and that meet specific conditions.
• Caps the number of sponsorship applications accepted for processing in 2024 at 15,000 (this cap may be changed by later instructions).
• Requires that eligible applications submitted in 2023 be filed by electronic means (apply online). Alternate formats are allowed if a person cannot apply online for reasons such as a mental or physical disability, or where the Minister specifies other means.
• Sets processing conditions, including that:
  • Sponsors must have been invited to apply based on an earlier “interest to sponsor” submission.
  • Application information must match the earlier interest to sponsor (or explain and prove why it changed).
  • Duplicate interest forms are handled so only the most recent accepted form counts.
  • Required documents from the Department’s application package must be included.
  • Applications must be received by the deadline on the invitation, which must give at least 60 calendar days to apply. If fees and the application arrive in that period but some documents are missing, the Department will ordinarily give an extra 30 calendar days to supply them.
• States that applications meeting the conditions are processed in the order they are received.
• Says humanitarian and compassionate requests made from outside Canada that accompany an application that was not accepted under these instructions will not be processed.
• Any application that does not meet the conditions will be returned.
• The instructions refer to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. They take effect January 1, 2024 and were dated December 27, 2023.

Who's affected#

• People who want to sponsor a parent or grandparent under the family class. This mainly affects those who submitted an “interest to sponsor” in the 2020 intake window (between October 13, 2020 and November 3, 2020) and anyone who filed a sponsorship or permanent resident visa application in 2023.
• Parents and grandparents who applied for a permanent resident visa in 2023 and their sponsors.
• Immigration representatives who help clients with these applications.
• People who did not apply or get invited in 2023. The instructions make it clear many of them cannot get new applications processed in 2024 unless new instructions are issued.

Why it matters#

• It pauses new family reunification processing for parents and grandparents for 2024. That can delay or block people who planned to sponsor family members this year.
• Only a limited number of past submissions (up to 15,000) will move forward. That creates competition and uncertainty for sponsors and applicants who relied on earlier intake steps.
• The online-only requirement means applicants and sponsors should be prepared to apply electronically, or to document a valid reason for using an alternate format.
• If you or someone you know is relying on a sponsorship or parent/grandparent visa, check whether the application was received in 2023, whether you were invited, and whether your materials meet the stated conditions.