Dec 14, 2016 | In the News, Parental Sponsorship
Today, December 14, 2016, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the changes to the application process to sponsor parents and grandparents this coming 2017 intake period. The intake period begins on January 3rd, 2017. Canadian sponsors (either Citizens or Permanent Residents) will be required to complete an online application form and submit their information indicating their interest in sponsoring their parent(s) or grandparent(s).
IRCC will make the online form available beginning at 12:00 PM (EST) on January 3rd, 2017 and will close the intake period at 12:00 PM (EST) on February 2nd, 2017, allowing sponsors 30 days to make an expression of interest. Immigration Canada will randomly select 10,000 sponsors and send them invitations to submit a complete application. IRCC recommends that sponsors submit their information once, as duplicate copies will be removed from the system.
How will it work?
Sponsors who have submitted an online application and have been selected (or invited) will have 90 days to submit a complete paper application with all of the necessary and required supporting documents. The paper application kit along with guide is expected to be available on January 9th, 2017. It is important to remember that only those sponsors who have been randomly selected may submit their application packages.
A sponsor will receive notification from IRCC if they have been selected to apply. Those who are not selected for 2017 intake period will have the opportunity to apply once again in 2018.
Why the sudden change in the intake process?
In the past, IRCC would accept first-come, first-serve applications beginning on a specific day and time. IRCC would receive thousands of applications and some of these would be returned to the sponsors if they were incomplete or did not meet the minimum requirements. The submission of so many applications at one time would fill the cap (allowed number of applications) within just a few days. IRCC has made the changes to the way they accept applications to ensure a fair process to all applicants.
“We’re listening to what past applicants had to say and making the process fairer for people who want to sponsor their parents or grandparents. We’re ensuring everyone can access the application process by giving them the same chance to have their name chosen.” – IRCC Minister John McCallum.
Dec 9, 2016 | In the News, Parental Sponsorship
The Parent and Grandparent sponsorship program (PGP) will re-open on January 3rd, 2017. With an intake cap of only 10,000 applications, Immigration Canada is expecting to receive well beyond that number. This means that those who are not ready to submit their applications on January 3rd will most likely have to wait until next year, as the quota is expected to fill within just a few days. Applicants who submit incomplete applications or those applicants that do not meet the minimum requirements will have their application returned, and will only be able to file the following year.
The parent and grandparent sponsorship program is designed to allow eligible sponsors to bring their parents and/or grandparents to become permanent residents of Canada. In the past, there was no maximum number of applications accepted per year, and over the years, an extraordinary backlog was created. This resulted in processing times that exceeded well beyond 5, and even 7 years. The conservative government placed this program on a temporary pause for a couple of years, and re-opened the program in January of 2013. In 2013, 2014 and 2015 only 5,000 applications were accepted. This year, the liberal government doubled the intake cap to 10,000.
As in the last 3 years, the parent and grandparent sponsorship program operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. In the last intake year, more than 14,000 applications were submitted between January 4 and January 7 of this year, of which only 10,000 were processed. While the government expected to retain only 5,000, they accepted double that, and it was far less than the actual demand.
As this year comes to an end, thousands of Canadian citizens and permanent residents prepare to submit their applications. It is highly advisable that Canadian sponsors retain the services of an authorized representative to ensure their application is complete, and will be submitted as soon as the program opens to provide for best chances of having their parent and grandparent sponsorship applications accepted for this intake period. With less than 30 days to submit, it is imperative that sponsors are aware of the requirements.
Sep 30, 2015 | Parental Sponsorship
Don’t Miss The Boat!
If you have been waiting to sponsor parents to Canada or sponsor grandparents to Canada for permanent residence, now is your opportunity. Citizenship & Immigration Canada will be re-opening the Parental Sponsorship program on January 1st, 2016. As per the previous couple of years, a maximum of 5000 applications in total will be accepted for 2016.
It is important that you consider the time it takes to prepare an application. Your application should be submitted to the Case Processing Centre no later than the first week of January to ensure your application is one of the first 5000 applications submitted. Last year, the program opened on January 1, 2015 and by January 16 (two weeks only) CIC received 5000 applications. Applications that are not within the first 5000 submitted will be returned. In this case, the sponsor will have to wait until the following year, in January 2017 to submit again.
We are often receiving calls from Canadian sponsors who wish to sponsor their parents, but in many cases the sponsors do not begin the preparation of the file early enough, and are left with little or no time to put an application together. There are many documents that must
be collected from both the sponsor and the parents who are in most cases overseas. This preparation can take several weeks and in may cases, several months. So when should you begin? Now.
What are the requirements of the Canadian sponsor?
- Must be the son or daughter or grandson or granddaughter of the person being sponsored
- Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
- Must meet the minimum income requirement for the three (3) most recent tax years (2012, 2013 & 2014)
- Must not be in receipt of social assistance or welfare for any reason other than disability
- Must not have defaulted on a court-ordered support order such as alimony or child support
- Must not have been convicted of a violent criminal offence any offence against a relative or any sexual offence
- Must not have defaulted on an immigration loan-late or missed payments
- Must not be in prison or,
- have declared bankruptcy and have not yet been discharge from it
Assessment for Eligibility:
Call our office to speak with an immigration consultant to determine if you qualify to sponsor. As per above, your application must be submitted to Immigration Canada’s Case Processing Centre no later than the first week of January to ensure it is considered for the 2016 intake.
Jan 19, 2015 | Parental Sponsorship
As of January 16, 2015, Citizenship & Immigration Canada have received 5000 complete applications for the parent and grandparent sponsorship. If you were preparing your file for submission, you will have to wait until January 2016 to submit. Those applicants who submitted applications that were not accepted within the 5000 cap will be returned.
If you would like to submit a sponsorship in January 2016 we suggest that you contact our office immediately so we can advise you best on what is needed and how to make sure your application will be accepted.
Super Visas are a way for you to bring your parent or grandparent to Canada. If you meet the minimum requirements your parents and/or grandparents could apply for a Super Visa which will allow them to remain in Canada for up to 2 years at a time. For more information the Super Visa, please click here.
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