January 11, 2016 – The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program reached its annual quota of 5,000 applications last week, shortly after reopening on January 4, 2016. The very popular program permits Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents or grandparents to come to Canada.

Because of recent commitments by the Canadian government to double the annual quota for the program, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that they will retain the first 10,000 submitted applications, placing the first 5,000 in the application queue, and holding the second 5,000 pending further instructions.

Green and Spiegel will continue to monitor this program and will provide updates when they become available.

Canadians and Permanent Residents who were unable to sponsor their parents or grandparents to come to Canada may wish to consider applying for the Parent and Grandparent Supervisa (the Supervisa). The Supervisa is a multiple-entry visa that permits holders to stay in Canada for up to two years without any requirement to renew their status.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.