The coming month will likely be one of the busiest for the Canadian immigration sector. After all, various end-of-the-year developments and announcements are anticipated in the next few weeks. The developments are expected to be a major foundation for Canada’s immigration trends and targets over the next year and after.
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will give comprehensive details on the Parents and Grand Parents process and program 2022 at later dates of October. Later, they will announce the Immigration Levels Plan for the 2023 to 2025 period by 1 November. Besides, Statistics Canada will also release immigration census data for the first time in half a decade in 2021. Additionally, there are higher chances of reducing the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score for the newly-commenced Express Entry draws. The score is anticipated to decrease until the 500 mark, as it was before the Coronavirus pandemic struck.
Reuniting Families: 2022 Parents and Grandparents Program
Family reunification is an integral part of the Canadian immigration process. Reuniting families with their parents and grandparents has provided outstanding contributions to Canadian communities and the country. In addition, the country’s impressive family sponsorship program makes it easy for Canadian permanent residents and citizens to reunite with their parents and grandparents and bring them into the country as permanent residents.
The IRCC confirmed that the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) would be available within the next few weeks. The confirmation was made to CIC news through an email on 6 September. The program allows interested applicants to organize for their parents and grandparents to the Great White North. Previously, IRCC had to evaluate and select the parents and grandparents eligible for this program. All the same, it is still unclear whether the conditions will still apply this year. Well, the IRRC will give a comprehensive guide to the application process as part of the major announcements.
The sponsor applying for the Parents and Grandparents Program must be a permanent resident or Canadian citizen above 18 years old. The applicant must also provide verifiable evidence that they meet and exceed the minimum income required for the sponsorship. They must also be willing to sign an undertaking which is a legal document indicating that they are fully responsible for their parents and grandparents and extend enough support for them for up to 20 years or ten years if the sponsors are Quebec residents.
Note that parents and grandparents for Canadian citizens can also apply for Super Visa which allows them to visit and stay in the country for five years. The visa is valid for 10 years.
Counteracting the 2020 Covid19 Pandemic Disruption
In 2019, Canada welcomed up to 341000 immigrants, which was the highest to record in over a century. Macro Mendicino had announced the IRCC plans to welcome over 1 million immigrants based on the 2020-2022 immigration Levels Plan. This was before the COVID-19 pandemic, which shook the entire world. Several days later, the country announced an indefinite closure of its borders to many international travelers. However, a few temporary foreign workers, new immigrants, family members, and international students were still allowed into the country. Despite the pandemic disruptions, the country’s immigration system was still operational, with Provincial Nominees Program and Express Entrée draws regularly occurring. Unfortunately, coronavirus interruptions, including border closures and reduced international flights, saw a significant fall in Canadian immigration.
The IRCC offered a PGP lottery in 2021, inviting over 30000 sponsors to complete and submit their applications for the program. However, last year recorded a significantly higher figure to compensate for the lower figure in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, only 10000 applicants were invited to apply as sponsors for the 2020 PGP program.
