November 6, 2012

Citizenship and Immigration Canada plans to admit 25,000 parents and grandparents in 2013

Major progress has been made in reuniting families more quickly and reducing the backlog of Parent and Grandparent (PGP) program applications.  For the second year in a row, Canada plans to admit 25,000 parents and grandparents.  This is a 60 percent annual increase from 2010 and the highest level in nearly two decades.

CIC is also taking measures to reduce the backlog of PGP applications which currently sits at approximately 165,000 applicants, with wait times of about eight years. CIC expects to reduce the backlog by about 20 percent.

CIC is looking to redesign the PGP program to ensure that future applicants are processed faster and that the program operates on a sustainable basis.

Furthermore, the new Parent and Grandparents Super Visa which allows parents and grandparents to visit Canada for up to two years at a time has been a great success. Over 10,000 Super Visas have been issued since it launched in December 2011, with an acceptance rate of 87 percent.

Click here to learn more about the Family-Class Sponsorship program