CIMM – Family Reunification – November 25, 2024

Key Facts and Figures

The Family Reunification Program is a longstanding component of Canada’s immigration system and facilitates the reunification of family members with their loved ones in Canada.
In 2023, Canada welcomed more than 100,000 permanent residents under family class sponsorship:
- 81,423 spouses, partners and children became permanent residents;
- 28,314 individuals were admitted under the parent and grandparent category.

The recently tabled Immigration Levels Plan continues to underscore the government’s ongoing commitment to family reunification. In 2025, nearly 24% of overall permanent resident admissions will be allocated to the family class.
While admission targets for family class permanent residency categories will decrease in the coming years (94,500 in 2025, 88,000 in 2026 and 81,000 in 2027), clients can continue to leverage alternative, temporary immigration programs to reunite with family in Canada, including the ability to visit family members on a temporary resident visa (TRV) as well the Super Visa for parents and grandparents.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has implemented several measures to support and accelerate the processing of spousal permanent resident applications. These measures include file digitization, remote processing of applications, online portals, and an increase in the number of decision-makers.
In addition, in May 2024, IRCC implemented processing improvements by expanding its use of advanced analytics and other automated technology to overseas spouse and partner permanent resident applications. This builds on existing automated tools used to process in-Canada spouse and common-law partner permanent resident applications.
As of September 2024, processing times for spouse, partner and children permanent resident applications (excluding Quebec) are approximately 12 months (overseas) and eight months (in Canada). Processing times for spousal permanent resident applications destined to Quebec are approximately 26 months (overseas) and 22 months (in Canada).

Alongside measures to speed up the processing of spousal permanent resident sponsorship applications, in May 2023, new measures were announced to strengthen family reunification. This included faster TRV processing times for eligible spousal permanent resident applicants; new and dedicated processing tools for spousal TRV applicants; an open work permit for spousal and family class applicants; and open work permit extensions for open work permit holders expiring between August 1 and December 31, 2023.

The number of people interested in sponsoring their parents and grandparents significantly exceeds available admission targets in the Immigration Levels Plan. As a result, IRCC conducts periodic intakes of applications from interested potential sponsors.
In May 2024, IRCC invited potential sponsors from the remaining pool of Interest to Sponsor forms from 2020. Over the course of approximately two weeks, IRCC invited 35,700 potential sponsors to apply with the goal of receiving 20,500 complete applications.
Processing times as of September 2024 in this category are 30 months for applicants destined outside of Quebec and 35 months for applicants destined to Quebec. New applications received in 2024 will experience wait times of approximately three years to be processed.

Parents and grandparents who are unable to access the permanent residency sponsorship pathway may be eligible to apply for a Super Visa, which is a multiple entry visa that allows parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to stay in Canada for extended lengths of time.
On June 22, 2023, private member’s Bill C-242 received Royal Assent, enshrining enhancements to the Super Visa in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Super Visa holders may now visit Canada for five years at a time, without leaving the country.
IRCC is also working towards an approach to allow for Super Visa applicants and visa holders who purchase private health insurance from insurance companies outside Canada that are approved by the Minister, in addition to Canadian companies, to satisfy the requirement that Super Visa applicants must have private health insurance when applying for a Super Visa.

Information on an intake of parent and grandparent applications is not available at this time. Details will be posted on our website and social media channels as soon as they are available.

Quebec provides the number of immigrants it wishes to be admitted to Quebec each year including those coming under the Family Class sponsorship program, and Canada takes this number into account in our Immigration Levels Plan. IRCC receives more Family Class applications than what Quebec targets each year, which has resulted in a backlog.
IRCC continues to work closely with Quebec on solutions to address long processing times.

2025-03-18