Canada's family sponsorship program is in for changes
Starting next year, Canada is changing the rules for submitting applications for sponsoring parents and grandparents. As "Russian Toronto" notes, this essentially means a return to the system of processing applications on a first-come, first-served basis that was in place before 2017, and the abolition of the lottery.
Currently, the system for accepting applications for family sponsorship for parents and grandparents works as follows. Applications from sponsors are accepted without restrictions, accumulated, and then a lottery is held. Those sponsors whose applications are selected and who meet the requirements are given the opportunity to provide family sponsorship to their relatives. Those who are unlucky in the lottery lose the opportunity to sponsor relatives at this stage and must participate in the next lottery.
The number of applications selected through the lottery is determined by a quota set annually by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. For 2018, the quota for applications for sponsoring parents and grandparents was set at 10,000 per year, but in July of this year it was raised to 17,000 per year. However, in November 2017, Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Ahmed Hussen, announcing his ministry's plans for the next three years, said that in 2018 the quota for this category would be 20,000 applications. Therefore, there is a chance that by the end of the year the quota will be increased further, to the planned level of 20,000.
As for the planned changes, first, the Liberals have decided to abandon the idea of a lottery and return to what was in place before 2017, when applications were processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
The previous system worked poorly and drew many complaints and grievances. Because the number of people wishing to sponsor their relatives always exceeds the allocated quotas, under the previous first-come, first-served system, everyone tried to submit their application as soon as applications opened, literally within the first hours.
Nevertheless, the situation still arose where many were rejected because their application did not fall into the right place in the queue. Due to the lack of transparency and oversight of how applications were selected, there were numerous complaints, and often those who were not selected filed lawsuits against the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.
The introduction of the lottery was an attempt, and far from the best one, to shield itself from lawsuits and remove responsibility for the results of application selection. However, the situation where some had to participate in the lottery multiple times and wait several years, while others succeeded on the first try, in turn generated a large number of people dissatisfied with this system. Therefore, the Liberals decided in 2019 to cancel the lottery and return to processing applications on a first-come, first-served basis, with all the attendant problems.
The second piece of news is that the Liberals announced an increase in the quota for 2019 to 20,000 applications – although, as mentioned above, such an increase was planned earlier, and this quota was supposed to be in effect already this year. So this news is not really news; it is merely skillfully presented information that the Liberals are trying to use to their advantage in the pre-election period.
In the story of the return to the previous system for selecting applications for sponsoring parents and grandparents, the following is interesting. The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Canada shared information that as of June 2018, 26,000 applications were awaiting participation in the lottery. Given that in the new year no fewer applications will be submitted than in the current year, which will also be added to those already awaiting processing, it is unlikely that a quota of 20,000 will somehow save the situation.
All this will happen against the backdrop of federal elections, which will take place in the fall of 2019. At the same time, Trudeau's position is quite shaky – poll results show very low support both for him personally and for the Liberal Party he leads. Speaking of his immigration policy, it causes acute discontent in the country, including among immigrants, on whom the Liberals are counting heavily in the elections.
One of the points that causes irritation among immigrants is precisely the inability to bring their parents to Canada due to limited quotas, while the country accepts a record number of refugees. In this regard, Canadians from immigrant backgrounds reasonably express dissatisfaction: we work here, pay taxes, but cannot bring our parents to Canada, whom we also undertake to support. And at the same time, our tax money goes to support refugees, who are accepted in much larger numbers than sponsored parents and grandparents.
Such sentiments seriously weaken support for the ruling party among immigrants, and it is obvious that in 2019 the Liberals will be forced to do something about it. The most logical step for them would be a sharp increase in the quota for the number of applications accepted for sponsoring parents and grandparents, in order to process if not all, then at least the vast majority of submitted applications. Moreover, the Liberals could increase quotas again in the middle of the year, closer to the elections, to win the sympathy of voters from ethnic communities.
Given how poor the Liberals' position is now, such a scenario is more than possible. Therefore, those who plan to sponsor their parents should seriously consider doing so in 2019, as this will be the most opportune time for it.