Expedite Sudanese family reunification
Petitioners ask the Minister to expedite security checks, allow Sudanese protected persons to sponsor extended family before PR, and waive dependent age limits for reunification. The government responds that it has prioritized Sudan applications and opened humanitarian pathways.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would speed family reunification for Sudanese protected persons, reducing prolonged separation and humanitarian harm to relatives in conflict zones.
- Allowing sponsorship before PR and waiving age limits prevents dependents from aging out while applications process, preserving family units.
- Expedited security checks and a dedicated humanitarian pathway focus resources on urgent cases, enabling faster resettlement for vulnerable people.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Expediting checks and pre-PR sponsorship may strain immigration resources and processing capacity, risking slower decisions elsewhere.
- Faster or waived screening could raise public safety concerns if security vetting is shortened or bypassed.
- Creating group-specific exceptions may set precedents, complicating policy and prompting requests from other nationalities or situations.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship There are prolonged delays in immigration processing that are adversely affecting Sudanese refugee claimants, Convention refugees, and Permanent Residency applicants; These delays have significant humanitarian implications, particularly in hindering family reunification efforts; Many individuals have been awaiting decisions on their immigration applications for years; This protracted processing time has rendered them ineligible for programs such as the Sudanese Family Reunification Pathway, which require finalized immigration status; Consequently, numerous families remain separated, with loved ones trapped in conflict zones and facing dire circumstances abroad; Many Sudanese refugee claimants in Canada are still awaiting court decisions while their dependent children abroad near the age limit for inclusion in permanent residency applications. Ongoing delays, worsened by the conflict in Sudan, risk permanent family separation; Protected persons in Canada currently cannot apply to reunite with family members such as parents and siblings still in Sudan until they obtain permanent residency — a process that often takes years. Given the dangerous conditions many of these family members are facing due to the ongoing conflict; and Sudanese children abroad, separated from their parents in Canada, are being denied access to education, healthcare, and safety - rights due to administrative backlogs. We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to: 1. Prioritize and expedite the completion of security checks for Sudanese applicants; 2. Facilitate the timely reunification of families affected by Sudanese war; 3. Consider a policy solution or humanitarian exception to the age limit for dependents in such cases; 4. Create a special humanitarian pathway that allows Sudanese protected persons to apply for the reunification of extended family members prior to receiving PR. 1. Prioritize and expedite the completion of security checks for Sudanese applicants; 2. Facilitate the timely reunification of families affected by Sudanese war; 3. Consider a policy solution or humanitarian exception to the age limit for dependents in such cases; 4. Create a special humanitarian pathway that allows Sudanese protected persons to apply for the reunification of extended family members prior to receiving PR.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Signed by PETER FRAGISKATOS, M.P. Canada recognizes the serious humanitarian impacts of the ongoing conflict in Sudan and the concerns raised in this petition, particularly regarding family reunification and processing delays. Accordingly, the Government of Canada remains committed to supporting vulnerable Sudanese nationals and their families while maintaining Canada’s longstanding humanitarian tradition. Data as of August 26, 2025, indicates that since the conflict erupted in Sudan in 2023, a total 11,543 approved Permanent Resident applicants have landed in Canada. In response to the conflict in Sudan, Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada introduced a suite of measures to support those most affected. Humanitarian pathways In February 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada launched a humanitarian pathway to facilitate permanent residence for Sudanese and non-Sudanese nationals directly impacted by the conflict with family in Canada. This pathway was expanded in February 2025 to allow Canada to welcome approximately 10,000 people under this pathway. While application intake has closed, processing and arrivals continue. As of July 29, 2025, of the 5,121 applications received and accepted into processing, 1,070 applications have been approved, representing 2,154 individuals, and 1,689 people have arrived in Canada through the family-based permanent residence pathway. Approximately 3,914 applications (representing 8,833 persons) are still being processed. Furthermore, earlier this year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced that it would resettle 4,000 Sudanese citizens as Government-Assisted Refugees by the end of 2026. It also put measures in place to support an additional 700 Sudanese refugees through private sponsorship. This is taking place through two initiatives: A public policy that accepted new applications to resettle approximately 350 Sudanese refugees privately sponsored by Groups of Five and Community Sponsors by waiving the requirement for a refugee status determination document. Applications for this initiative were accepted into processing as of July 25th, 2025. 350 more spaces (in persons) for Sponsorship Agreement Holders to submit applications to sponsor Sudanese refugees in 2025. Sponsorship Agreement Holders are responsible for determining who they would like to sponsor each year, within the allocation of spaces they are provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. They may submit applications through to the end of 2025. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has also introduced a number of temporary measures to support those seeking safety in Canada, including loved ones of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. For example, those affected by the conflict in Sudan may apply for a fee-exempt extension of their status in Canada, enabling them to continue studying, working or visiting family. Protected Persons in Canada An individual may be granted refugee protection through a positive decision from the Immigration and Refugee Board, or as a result of a positive Pre-Removal Risk Assessment. If approved, they receive protected person in Canada status. Protected persons in Canada are eligible to apply for Permanent Resident status, and can include their dependent family members in their application, regardless of whether the family member resides in Canada or abroad. Once the protected person in Canada is granted permanent residency, the dependent family member’s application can then be finalized. From 2024 to August 2025, a total of 365 family members of protected persons in Canada have been admitted to Canada from Sudan, reunifying families safely in Canada. While applying for permanent resident status is optional, the intent is to encourage protected persons to achieve full integration into Canadian society through the attainment of permanent residency and eventually Canadian citizenship. The majority of people who receive protected person in Canada status go on to apply for permanent residence and the majority are approved, with the average approval rate being 99% over the last four years (2020-2024). The Government of Canada recognizes that the number of protected persons and their dependent family members abroad applying for permanent residence has outpaced the number of applications processed, resulting in a steadily growing inventory of applications and rising delays in processing times. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is continuously looking to explore solutions to inventory management to mitigate these delays, and to support timely family reunification. Priority Processing At the onset of the Sudan conflict, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada immediately prioritized temporary and permanent residence applications from its inventory. We continue to prioritize the processing of temporary and permanent residence applications already in our inventory for those affected by the conflict in Sudan, in accordance with the Immigration Levels Plan. This includes individuals who are still in Sudan and those who have fled the country to surrounding regions. By prioritizing those impacted by the situation in Sudan, this helps to reduce processing times for these individuals, and provide safety to those most in need. Of note, since 2014, the age of dependent children is locked in at the time that the claim is made, therefore they will not be subject to an age limit at a later date upon processing of the application. This policy ensures that family members are able to remain together, and facilitates faster processing. The Government of Canada remains committed to supporting those in need and most vulnerable and will continue to monitor the situation in Sudan and respond accordingly.