Canada Halts Acceptance of Residency and Citizenship Applications for Immigrants' Parents

The Canadian government has stopped accepting applications for permanent residency and citizenship for the parents and grandparents of foreign immigrants. This is the first time the Canadian government has halted this popular and widely used pathway for foreign immigrants who have become citizens or permanent residents of the country. It is estimated that thousands of Iranian parents or grandparents have obtained permanent residency and then citizenship in Canada over the past decade using this program. Earlier this week, the Canadian government issued a directive stating that no new applications for the parent and grandparent sponsorship program will be accepted in the current year, 2025. Canada also announced its intention to significantly reduce the number of new immigrants. The government added that the immigration department will only process applications under this program that were submitted before the end of 2024. The Ottawa government clarified that the suspension of this program aligns with its vision to reduce permanent residency applications over the next three years. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has set a target to reduce the acceptance of permanent residency applications across all programs by 20% in 2025. In recent years, the government has faced major challenges, including housing issues, due to granting numerous permits to foreigners for residency, work, or study. The Canada Gazette, the official information agency of the Canadian government, announced that the directive to halt the parent and grandparent sponsorship program is indefinite and will continue until a new decision is made regarding this matter. This report indicated that out of previously submitted official applications under this family sponsorship program, only 15,000 applications will be accepted. Prior to this decision, the Canadian immigration department had aimed to grant permanent residency to 34,000 parents and grandparents in 2025. According to official data provided by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to the Canadian Parliament, in 2023, 28,313 parents and grandparents were accepted, which is 4% more than in 2022, while over 40,000 applications for permanent residency for these family members were registered with the department in 2023. No precise statistics have yet been provided regarding applications registered under this program for 2024. Social research has shown that Eastern immigrants from countries like Iran, India, Bangladesh, and China have utilized the Canadian government's program for obtaining permanent residency and subsequently citizenship to bring their parents and grandparents to the country. The Canadian government has stated that the 'Super Visa' program for parents and grandparents remains in place. One of the conditions for obtaining a 'Super Visa' is assurance from the immigration officer that the applicant will return to their home country. Another requirement of this program is having Canadian health insurance with a minimum coverage of $100,000. Recently, Justin Trudeau's government has also halted several other immigration programs. Mark Miller, the Minister of Immigration, expressed hope that recent decisions will speed up processing times for other applications in remaining programs and better manage the country's resources. The Canadian government has also reported the initiation of deportation proceedings against another senior Iranian official. After the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, the Canadian government granted work and study permits to Iranians who managed to reach Canada through various means, including travel. It appears that tens of thousands of Iranians, including those in other countries, have taken advantage of this opportunity. Additionally, following the Gaza war, the Canadian government granted similar work and study permits to Palestinians and their relatives worldwide. However, tens of thousands of foreigners who have received permits for work and study will not benefit from previous facilities for obtaining permanent residency due to the political and social changes in the country. This week, the Canadian government faced a worsening crisis that began with Justin Trudeau's meeting last month with Donald Trump, the elected President of the United States, over new tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canada. On Monday, Justin Trudeau stepped down from the leadership of the Liberal Party and will remain in the Prime Minister's position until a new leader is appointed. Evidence suggests that his conservative rival is likely to win in the next elections; a party that opposed some of Trudeau's immigration programs.