A temporary policy that since 2019 had let certain refugees sponsor undeclared family members lapsed on September 10, and the government now says it ended the measure due to unspecified “potential integrity concerns.” The exemption had been renewed in 2023 after a departmental memo said it posed “minimal risk” and had a 90 % approval rate over roughly 2,000 applications. Refugee advocates argue that the sudden cancellation will prolong family separation, noting that humanitarian and compassionate applications—the fallback option—carry wait times exceeding 10 years. Legal scholars warn the decision could disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ refugees and parents of recently discovered children, groups that often rely on the exemption. They also question whether IRCC’s increasing use of automated processing may inadvertently penalise applicants who make honest mistakes on original forms. For corporations involved in refugee sponsorship or corporate social-responsibility relocation, the expiry complicates planning. Organisations should consult legal counsel to explore alternative pathways, such as one-time humanitarian requests or provincial programs that permit family reunification under specific conditions.
Source: CityNews / Canadian Press
