Canada brings back family visa scheme

Photo: Steve Lee Now

Canada's Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) was first introduced to allow families to visit relatives in the country. Canada has welcomed more than 70,000 parents and grandparents since 2012, the highest level of parent and grandparent admissions in nearly two decades.

Parents and grandparents who wish to visit their family in Canada can also apply for the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa. It remains a fast, convenient option for parents and grandparents wanting to spend an extended period of time in Canada with their families.

To date, approximately 45,000 Super Visas have been issued with an approval rate of over 80 percent. Indeed, with more than 1,000 issued monthly, it has become one of CIC's most popular initiatives.

Now, though, Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander has announced that the PGP scheme is open once more for applications.

The United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand all have more restrictive criteria for the sponsorship of parents and only allow grandparents to be sponsored under exceptional circumstances, if at all.

Canada will accept a maximum of 5,000 new, complete applications.

"Canada has one of the most generous family reunification programs in the world and we are taking action to reduce backlogs and improve processing times—so that families are reunited with their loved ones more quickly," said Alexander.