Canada authorizes new immigration rules to bring relatives

Immigrants who did not declare a family member when they first arrived in Canada will now have the opportunity to bring them under a new two-year pilot project that begins on September 9.

This pilot project will allow a legal refugee, or an immigrant, who has not declared a family member the opportunity to sponsor him if he is a dependent. The announcement was made by Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen.

Ahmed Hussen, current Canadian Minister Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. (Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS / Frank Gunn)

Until now, the failure to declare a family member at the time of applying for permanent residence means that a legal immigrant cannot sponsor that family member in the future.

This lifelong ban, strongly criticized by migrant rights organizations, has been a source of controversy.

They had tried to revoke that section of law, 117, which was implemented along with the Immigration Act of 2002.

The Canadian Refugee Council (CCR) called it "an important barrier" for family reunification in Canada.

In a report on the subject, the CCR said that law 117 "has a disproportionately negative effect on refugees and vulnerable migrants who do not reveal a family member."

An important barrier is found in Canada's own legislation. Section 117 (9) (d) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations that imposes a lifelong sponsorship ban on family members who were not examined at the time of immigration of the sponsor to Canada. The regime established in R.117 (9) (d) is excessive, and inflicts devastating damage on vulnerable people, especially children.

-RCC Report

The initiative, which will begin in September, was announced by Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen with the aim of promoting family reunification.

“Newcomers who did not declare their immediate family members when they first arrived in Canada had been banned from sponsoring them. Today, we correct that error ».

– Minister Hussen at a conference of the Canadian Bar Association in Winnipeg.

The two-year pilot project will be launched on September 9 and will end on September 9, 2021.

Sponsorship applications for previously undeclared family members that are already in progress will be processed according to the new rules.

RCI with information from the Government of Canada – Canadian Refugee Council

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