Canada Has Authorized Immigration Sponsorship of Undeclared Family Members

Canada is launching a pilot program under which certain categories of immigrants will be able to sponsor immediate family members not specified in the application for immigration to Canada.

When applying for a permanent residence permit in Canada, the applicant needs to include in the application all family members (spouse or civil partner and dependent children), even those who do not immigrate to Canada with them.

For various reasons, including lack of information or lack of knowledge of the family members whereabouts, many immigrants cannot include some of their family members in their application. This leads to the fact that the applicants deprive their undeclared family members the right to sponsorship for immigration to Canada.

To address these consequences, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced the launch of a pilot program that will allow certain categories of immigrants to sponsor undeclared immediate family members (spouse or civil partner and dependent children) for immigration to Canada.

Under the pilot program, the following categories of applicants will be able to sponsor undeclared immediate family members:

  • Resettled refugees
  • Protected persons in Canada
  • Those who have been sponsored for the purpose of immigration to Canada as a spouse, partner or child

The pilot program starts on September 9, 2019 and will be effective for 2 years.

This program will facilitate family reunification and ensure that people who are not listed on their family member’s immigration application do not experience further difficulties entering Canada. It will also allow some immigrants to sponsor undeclared family members.