During last year’s Canadian national election, won by the Liberal Party’s Justin Trudeau, a number of proposed reforms to Canada’s immigration system were promised by the winning candidate.
If these election promises are maintained, then over the coming year or so the following changes will affect various immigration categories:
Family
– The new Parent and Grandparent Super Visa Programme will double the quota of immigration visa applications for parents’ and grandparents’ sponsorship from 5,000 to 10,000 visas per year, allowing more parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada. Additionally, the budget for handling family class immigration applications will be doubled, allowing reduced wait times for families.
– Candidates who have siblings in Canada will be able to receive more points on their Express Entry application.
– The two year waiting period for “Conditional Permanent Residence” for spouses of sponsored individuals will be bypassed.
– The maximum age for dependents will be restored from 19 to 22, making it easier for immigrants to bring their older children with them to Canada.
Health
– The CDN$1,000 Labour Market Impact Assessment fee for families seeking caregivers for members with mental or physical illness will be eliminated.
Education
– Adjustments will be made to the Canadian Experience Class Programme to help remove barriers for international students, making it easier for them to achieve a Canadian Citizenship, and the Canadian Citizenship residency time credit will be restored for them as well.
Although these changes are yet to be initiated, it is widely expected that it will only be a matter of time before all these reforms are introduced.