Are you planning to sponsor your loved ones in Canada for 2024-25? If so, here are some big changes the Canadian government has announced for spouse and parent sponsorship in September 2024 that you must know!
The Canadian government is taking strict actions on the immigration process to mitigate the risk of fraudulent immigrants and reduce backlogs with the introduction of AI in the process, as well as the Super Visa to help families reunite faster. Read this article to discover the spouse, and parents’ or grandparents’ sponsorship rules in Canada for 2024. It will help you adhere to the new changes and edit your application form accordingly
Spouse Sponsorship in Canada
It would much get tougher than before for sponsoring your spouse Introduction. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has tightened the requirements for spouse sponsorship in Canada; however, unlike earlier fears the 2-year conditional permanent residency rule has not been reinstated in 2024. This time emphasis would be paid to the assessment of the validity of the established relationship. The host country can challenge any kind of identification proof, details of the calls in relation showing continuous communication, photographs and videos showing travel and functions together, and records of financial expenses jointly.
In addition to these requirements in 2024, IRCC has added a renewed emphasis on the verification of relationship history, especially for couples from regions where fraudulent marriages have been a higher concern, although that does not mean all couples from these regions are being subjected to extra scrutiny. Applicants may need to go through thorough background checks and in some cases interviews with both the sponsor and spouse. Hence, you should prepare detailed records of your relationship ensuring you meet all the updated requirements. This detailed evaluation, thorough background verification, and interview of the spouse will help prevent fraudulent immigration due to false marriage.
Income Criteria for Canadian spouse sponsorship
There is no fee for Canadian spouse sponsorship, but the sponsor should be able to demonstrate financial security enough to provide for the spouse and dependent children so that they are not expected to become reliant on social assistance and then turn into a liability of the Canadian Government. Typically, a sponsor’s ability to financially support his or her spouse is assessed according to income, assets, and current employment. You should, therefore, provide the last three years’ tax returns so you do not delay in sponsoring your spouse as a permanent resident.
PR for Parents in Canada
The 2024 updates for PR for parents in Canada have introduced longer processing times and higher income thresholds, making it essential to prepare thoroughly.
Major Key Changes in PR for Parents in Canada
- Extended Processing Time: Application processing time for the PGP program has increased from 6 months to 12-24 months.
- Reduced Sponsorship Slots: The number of slots for Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) programs has been reduced to 150,00 by the year 2025, whereas it was earlier 205,00 by the year 2024.
- Launching of the Super Visa Program: Overcoming these challenges, IRCC introduced the Super Visa program that made it possible for families to reunite faster and simplified processes.
Income Requirement for PGP Sponsorship in Canada
Sponsors must now meet a higher Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) threshold to qualify for Parents and Grandparents Program sponsorship. This ensures financial readiness to support parents or grandparents without burdening Canada’s social assistance system.
Income Requirement for PGP Sponsorship in Canada
The permanent residency for parents of Canada will definitely impose a huge financial burden upon the sponsors in the year 2024. This is so because the government has increased income requirements for these individuals. So, the total number of individuals who can sustain this new high income requirement and become sponsors to apply for this PGP program might be declined.
The policy aims at ensuring that sponsors are financially sound enough to care for their parents or grandparents without overburdening Canada’s social support mechanisms. The parents will have to provide proof of income over a period of three years and exceed a higher threshold based on the size of their family to be able to fill the PR application.
The figures below represent Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) requirement for individuals in 2024 seeking for Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship, residents in Canada and outside the Province of Quebec:
Source: Link
Please refer to this page to discover the MNI for Family Sponsorship in Quebec.
New Changes in Canada’s Super Visa for Parents
Some of the best changes that were brought about this year include the reforms on the Super Visa for Parents or Grandparents in Canada. The Super Visa is a temporary resident visa applicable for 2 years but now extended to 10 years – up to 5 years per visit. The reason for the change is to facilitate faster processing and reunite the families. Actually, the applications do not need to go back to their country of domicile for the extension of the visa. The Super Visa grants multiple entries.
The Super Visa has two major conditions, viz.
- Private Medical Insurance: Applicants must be covered by Canadian insurance companies. This insurance must cover the applicant for at least one year and include emergency medical coverage for issues such as hospitalization or medical emergencies. The applicant can even get insurance from an international insurance company if they find better options than the insurance companies in Canada.
- Minimum Income Requirement: The sponsor must fulfill the income requirement to get the super visa for the parents as per new changes in 2024.
Optimizing the Immigration Process
The IRCC is planning to introduce AI in the immigration process where biometrics will help the officers to access the applicant’s information with the fingerprints. Thus, the officers can quickly process routine applications by identifying straightforward cases through a FastTrack system and spending time on a complicated application that needs detailed verification. New officers will also be hired to reduce the backlogs and streamline the process.
These were some of the major application updates this year that would affect your immigration process. Need any help with the application process for your spouse and parents or grandparents? Breakway Immigration is always there to help you! With over a year of experience in the immigration process for students and PR applicants, we have helped thousands of individuals land their dream destination in Canada.
These updates are set to transform the immigration process for 2024. Whether you’re applying for spouse sponsorship in Canada, seeking PR for parents in Canada, or exploring the Canadian spouse sponsorship process, understanding these changes is vital for success.