Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has informed that it would end the Parents and Grandparents sponsorship lottery in 2019. Afterwards, invitations to apply under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) will be issued in a first-come, first-served basis. The application cap will also be raised further from 17000 to 20000.
Parents and Grandparents Program
The Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is a stream of the Family Class sponsorship program and it allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada. Under the program, the parents and grandparents will receive permanent residence and eventually, they can apply for Canadian citizenship.
The randomized selection process for the Parents and Grandparents Program was introduced in 2017, replacing the first-come, first-served selection process. But now, the authorities are reverting to the old selection system, ending the randomized selection process which was widely criticized as unjust.
IRCC has revealed that latest changes were introduced to the Parents and Grandparents program in response user concerns. According to Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Immigration Minister, the changes were evidence of Canada Government’s commitment to helping families live, work and thrive together, in Canada.
The inventory of PGP applications in June 2018 was 26000, compared to 167,000 in 2011. It is this drastic reduction in the inventory of applications that has helped IRCC to increase PGP intake quota to 20,000 in 2019. This is double of the applications cap for 2018, which was set at 10000 in the beginning of the year. It was later increased to 17000 last month. A second invitation round for the PGP was announced in July and those who have received invitation must submit the complete application before October 5, 2018.
Those who want to sponsor their parents and grandparents in 2019 must first fill up an Interest to Sponsor form online at the beginning of the year. In 2018, the applications were accepted between January 2 and February 1.
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