Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab has allowed a temporary policy that let certain resettled refugees sponsor undeclared family members to expire on 10 September 2026. Department officials said the decision followed "potential integrity concerns," but offered no data to back the change. Introduced in 2019, the exemption was widely used by LGBTQ+ refugees and parents of children born after initial applications. A 2023 departmental memo found “minimal risk” and reported a 90 percent approval rate across roughly 2 000 cases. Advocates argue that reverting to humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) pathways—now quoting wait times of more than ten years—will re-separate families and undermine Canada’s protection objectives. For global mobility teams assisting refugee workers and their employers, the sunset means future family reunification requests must proceed through standard sponsorship or lengthy H&C channels. Employers should prepare contingency plans for staff affected by prolonged family separation, including mental-health support and extended leave policies. Policy analysts note the move aligns with IRCC’s broader effort to tighten program integrity amid public scrutiny of temporary resident numbers. However, the lack of transparency may invite litigation and erode confidence among settlement partners who help integrate refugee talent into labour-short markets.
Source: CityNews / The Canadian Press
