Canada's sponsor visas are suspended, parents and grandparents cannot be taken

For decades, permanent residents in Canada could sponsor their parents and grandparents to bring family members to the country for permanent residence (PR) under the Sponsorship Program (PGP). However, this popular opportunity is no longer being maintained in the country.

A directive issued by the country's Immigration Minister Mark Miller said that new applications for permanent residence sponsorship for parents and grandparents have been temporarily suspended as the focus is on quickly clearing the backlog of existing applications.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it will not be accepting any new applications under this program this year. This move by the Canadian government has also left many Bangladeshi families uncertain.

To clarify, IRCC said it will continue to process applications submitted in 2024. No new applications will be accepted under the PGP program this year. In the past, this program allowed permanent residents of Canada to bring their parents and grandparents to live in the country permanently.

Now, families living in the country can instead consider the Super Visa program, which allows relatives of permanent residents to live in Canada for up to five consecutive years.

The new decision by IRCC is part of a broader effort to reduce the number of immigrants in the country. As a result, the PR allocation rate in the country is expected to decrease by 20 percent by 2025. IRCC plans to finalize 24,500 applications under the PGP program this year. However, Immigration Canada has said this number will decrease rapidly in the coming years.

It is worth noting that Canada's immigration policy is becoming stricter daily due to rising commodity prices, living standards, bank loan interest rates, rising unemployment rates, and rising house rents. Canada is historically known for its immigrant-friendly policies. However, the administration led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has changed this policy to deal with the pressure on the housing and healthcare systems caused by rapid population growth.