"We understand there is a lot of excitement about the reopening of the program for parents and grandparents. Please note that the program will not start on January 2, but at the end of the month. Rest assured, we will give advance notice before it opens," said a tweet from Canada's immigration ministry.
As Russianweek.ca notes, during 2017, when the lottery was in effect, more than 95,000 people filled out online forms wanting to bring their relatives to Canada. In the end, only 10,000 potential sponsors were selected to submit full applications.
The reaction of opposition parties to the lottery system was extremely negative. Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel called it "a complete abdication of responsibility." The New Democrats believed it was a failure from the start.
Although Ottawa is returning to the previous system, one lawyer calls it at best a temporary solution. "The system itself is unfair. It is not a means," said Rezaur Rahman in an interview with CBC News. "Many people are interested in coming to Canada legally – they are parents, grandparents. But if we try to stop them within the quota system, what will be the consequences?" he asks.
According to the lawyer, the quota system was introduced to relieve pressure on understaffed immigration offices. The lottery, he believes, only made things worse.