August 21, 2018 – Canada will end the controversial lottery system for selecting candidates under the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program in 2019.
From next year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will issue invitations to apply based on the order in which online interest to sponsor forms are submitted.
Invitations will continue to be issued until the government reaches 20,000 completed applications, up from a target of 17,000 in 2018.
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As in previous years, the application window will open in early January 2019.
Since 2017, names have been selected at random from all those who submitted an interest to sponsor.
Families complained that the randomized process gave them no way of knowing if they would ever be selected to reunite with their loved ones.
The process faced stinging criticism from potential sponsors, candidates and other stakeholders.
IRCC officials, including Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, defended the system, saying it was designed to make the process fairer.
However, they have now accepted the lottery system has not worked by changing it to an online version of the previous first-come, first-served process.
How Will the Parents and Grandparents Program Change In 2019?
| New Process | Current Process |
| 1) Application window to open in January for submission of ‘interest to sponsor’ forms. 2) Sponsors to be issued invitations to apply in the order ‘interest to sponsor’ forms are submitted. 3) Those issued invitations have 90 days to submit a complete application. | 1) Application window to open in January for submission of ‘interest to sponsor’ forms. 2) Sponsors are drawn at random from all those who submitted ‘interest to sponsor’ forms. The government conducted two draws in 2017 and two in 2018. 3) The sponsors drawn are issued invitations to apply, with 90 days to submit a full application. |
What are the Problems with the Existing Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship System?
1. Impossible to know if you will ever get selected
There were nearly 100,000 entries in the first intake period in 2017, of which 10,000 were selected.
2. Anyone can enter the lottery pool
Although IRCC added pre-lottery questions in 2018, the information is still self-declared. It is impossible to know whether those entering the pool are serious potential candidates.
3. Huge drop-off from lottery selection to complete application
Of the 10,000 candidates picked to apply in the first draw of 2017, just a few thousand submitted applications. Under the old system, the application quota would be met every year.
4. Outdated system for selecting candidates
Statisticians say the method for selecting candidates is open to manipulation
The federal government has reiterated its commitment to the PGP by increasing the target number of completed applications to 20,000 in 2019, from 17,000 in 2018.
In 2014, when the program reopened, the cap was set at 5,000 applications.
The government has also set about reducing the application inventory, from 167,000 in 2011 to 26,000 as of June 2018.
Sponsors who recently received an invitation to apply in the second draw of 2018 have until October 5 to submit a completed application.
How Many Parents and Grandparents Does Canada Admit?
Canada plans to welcome 20,000 parents and grandparents in 2018, 20,500 in 2019 and 21,000 in 2020, as per the multi-year immigration levels plan released in November 2017.
How to Sponsor a Relative for Canada Immigration
Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.
Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.
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