Canada Witnesses Significant Increase in Family Sponsorship Immigration in 2023

Newcomers landing in Canada under the Family Sponsorship Immigration programs increased significantly by around 60% in the beginning of 2023. As per immigration levels plan 2023, Canada has a target of welcoming 465,000 permanent residents in 2023.

Family Sponsorship Immigration:

• Canada is aiming to welcome 106,500 permanent residents under the family sponsorship, including spouses, partners, children, and parents and grandparents (PGP) program.
• Canada has already welcomed more than 13,000 newcomers under these two programs in 2023.
• PGP welcomed 2,065 new permanent residents in January 2023, up from 1,300 in the same month in 2022.

Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) 2023 Update:

• Canada is aiming to land 28,500 permanent residents under the lottery system of PGP in 2023.
• This number is up 67.2% from the 1,235 new permanent residents who arrived in Canada under this program in January 2020 (prior to pandemic).
• 27,255 new permanent residents to Canada entered through the PGP last year, which is 132.2% greater than the 11,740 in 2021.
• IRCC processing times for applications already in processing are also picking up the pace.
• The immigration department has now reduced processing time by 14 months for PGP.

Spousal Sponsorship Update:

• Canada is aiming to land more than 78,000 permanent residents under the spousal sponsorship program.
• In January, Canada welcomed 10,065 new permanent residents through spousal sponsorship immigration.
• This is an increase of 90.1% from the 5,295 immigrants who rejoined their loved ones under same program in 2022.
• Spousal sponsorships almost returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2021, increasing by more than 78.4% to 64,440 that year before dipping somewhat in 2022.
• IRCC is yet to attain the service standard of processing spousal sponsorship applications within 12 months, but progress has been made.

Canada’s family sponsorship immigration programs have seen a significant increase in 2023, with more than 13,000 newcomers already welcomed under the two programs. The processing times for applications in processing have also improved, although IRCC is still struggling to reinstate the service standards for PGP. Canada is aiming to welcome more than 465,000 permanent residents in 2023, and the increase in new applications will continue to be challenging for IRCC.