Sponsorship Intake and Online Visa Rules

Summary#

The federal Minister published two sets of instructions under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act about family sponsorship and temporary-resident applications. One sets the rules for the fall 2020 intake for sponsoring parents and grandparents, including a random draw and a cap of 10,000 sponsorship applications to be processed in 2021. The other requires most people outside Canada to submit new temporary resident, work and study permit applications online between October 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021, with a few exceptions.

What it does#

• For parents and grandparents sponsorship (fall 2020 intake)

  • Sets an online window to register an “interest to sponsor” beginning at noon, Eastern daylight time, on October 13, 2020 and ending at noon, Eastern standard time, on November 3, 2020.
  • Removes duplicate interests, then uses a randomized selection to issue invitations to apply. Invitations are not transferable.
  • Says invited sponsors must send complete sponsorship and visa application packages within 60 days of the invitation.
  • Allows an ordinary extension of 30 days (so 90 days total) when fees are paid within 60 days but documents are missing.
  • Allows a longer COVID-19 extension (an extra 90 days, so 150 days total) if the sponsor shows they could not provide documents within 60 days because of service disruptions caused by COVID‑19.
  • Limits processing to a maximum of 10,000 sponsorship applications linked to parent and grandparent visa applications in the 2021 calendar year (Jan 1–Dec 31, 2021). Applications received before the end of December 2020 may count toward that cap.
  • Requires certain information and testing of eligibility, and says applications that don’t meet the listed conditions will be returned.
  • Takes effect on September 29, 2020.

• For temporary resident, work and study permit applications from outside Canada

  • Requires foreign nationals outside Canada to apply using electronic means (“apply online”) for new temporary resident visas, work permits and study permits submitted on or after the order’s start.
  • Lists exceptions who may use other methods:
    • people who cannot use online systems because of a disability;
    • people with certain travel documents described in the regulations (special cases such as stateless or non-national residents who can’t get passports);
    • seasonal agricultural workers under international arrangements.
  • Says applications received by non-electronic means on or after the start date will not be accepted and fees returned, except for the exceptions above.
  • Comes into force on October 1, 2020 and expires January 31, 2021.

Who's affected#

• People in Canada who want to sponsor their parents or grandparents under the family class and who planned to register an interest in fall 2020.
• Parents and grandparents who would be sponsored and who will need to submit the permanent resident visa application when invited.
• Foreign nationals outside Canada seeking temporary resident visas, work permits or study permits during the period the online rule applies.
• People with disabilities or specific travel-document situations: they may be allowed to use alternate submission methods but must follow the special windows and rules.
• Immigration applicants who rely on in-person or paper filing and who do not qualify for an exception. They may have their applications returned and fees refunded.

Why it matters#

• The parents-and-grandparents process is lottery-style for fall 2020. That makes who gets an invitation a matter of chance, not first-come-first-served, and limits the number of families who can be reunited under this intake to 10,000 applications in 2021.
• The short windows and strict deadlines (mostly 60 days, with limited extensions) mean invited sponsors must act quickly or risk having their application returned.
• Moving submissions for many temporary resident applications to an online-only system can speed processing and reduce paper handling. But it can also block people abroad who lack reliable internet, can’t use the online system, or don’t meet the listed exceptions—potentially causing delays.
• COVID‑19 is explicitly recognized: the rules include extra deadlines and carve-outs tied to pandemic-related service disruptions. This creates specific flexibility but also new procedural steps applicants must follow.