Canada: Pause on sponsoring parents is a blow to immigrant families

The Canadian government recently announced it is indefinitely pausing new permanent residency sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents.

Up until the pause, a limited number of qualifying Canadian citizens and permanent residents were able to apply to bring a parent or grandparent to Canada. Now the only option is a 10-year super visa which only allows them to stay in Canada for up to five years at a time.

The pause is part of the federal government’s broader push to reduce permanent immigration by 20%.

This announcement could be devastating news for thousands of immigrant families settled in Canada hoping to reunify with their parents. The pause could also further undermine Canada’s efforts to recruit and retain skilled immigrants and address chronic worker shortages.

Definitions of family

While some western cultures identify the family unit as couples and their children, many other cultures see that unit as larger, with parents as an integral part of the family and household.

I grew up in China and as the only child in my family, it was a hard decision to come to Canada to work. I dedicated my PhD dissertation to my parents: “I want to thank my parents…It was not easy for them to spend every day, in particular Chinese New Years, without their only daughter by their side. They love me so much that they let me be...

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