By Sukhram Ramkissoon

It was announced last year that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will resume intake of new applications to sponsor parents and grandparents starting Jan. 2 at 8 a.m. It was required that applications be individually packaged and sent to the Case Processing Centre, Mississauga (CPC- M).

The release also stated:

“CPC-M accepts applications received by mail, from local couriers and major courier services only. CPC-M is not open to the public and no in-person deliveries are accepted.

“Couriers must have a waybill. It requires a signature by CPC-M staff to prove that the application was delivered as well as the date and time of delivery. CPC-M does not accept envelopes or packages from non-courier services such as taxi companies. Bulk deliveries are not accepted.

Starting Jan. 2, 2015, CIC will accept applications until the 5,000 cap of complete applications has been reached. All applications received after the cap has been reached will be returned to the applicant.

“Precise instructions on how to complete the application, including a checklist, application forms, guidelines and information on how to prepare a PGP application, are currently available on the immigration website. Only applications received on or after Jan. 2, 2015, which have been completed according to the application kit requirements, will be accepted.

“This means that all necessary documentation and fees, as set out in the application kit, must accompany the application together with the applicable processing fees and the method of payment.

Applications will be selected randomly for processing until approximately 5,000 approved applications are finalized. Applications that are not retained will be returned.

“It is expected that selected applicants will receive a decision on their applications within approximately six months of submitting all required documentation. Successful applicants will become permanent residents.

“This approach will help prevent a backlog of applications, provide fair access to the application process to a greater number of applicants, ensure that a variety of applications are received and ensure efficient processing.”

On Jan. 16, there was another press release which stated that Citizenship and Immigration Canada has received 5,000 new, complete Parent and Grandparent program (PGP) applications for 2015.  Intake is paused and any applications received before intake reopens will be returned to the applicant.

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

To date, more than 45,000 Super Visas have been issued, the release stated. Since 2012, Canada has welcomed more than 70,000 parents, grandparents and their dependents through the Parents and Grandparents program. This year, Canada will welcome a additional 20,000 as part of the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification.

Persons who wish to sponsor their parents and grandparents should commence planning from now so that when the new intake opens they may have a chance that their application will be accepted.

A token number of 5,000 is a drop in the bucket when we have tens of thousands of children who are desirous of sponsoring their parents permanently to Canada.

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration should immediately increase the cap to at least 20,000 per the year as the same amount of visitors that are expected to visit Canada under the Parents and Grandparents program.

Sukhram Ramkissoon is a member of ICCRC and specializes in immigration matters at 3089 Bathurst St., Toronto. Phone 416-789-5756.