Sponsorship Program and Conservative Government

Liberal government: Since the former Conservative government imposed a quota in 2014, the parent-and-grandparent sponsorship program has accepted just 5,000 new applications a year, cutting off intake after that number has been reached, according to Toronto Star. The paperwork must be submitted to a single government processing centre in Mississauga by mail or registered courier, and applications are considered in the order in which they arrive. Immigration experts say demand for the program far outstrips the available spots, and that planned reforms by the new Liberal government may not go far enough. More on thestar.com:It a gamble and a scramble trying meet deadline, sponsorship families find Courier services crucial in successful sponsorship application This year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced it had stopped taking applications on Jan. 7 — just three days after the program opened because it had already received 14,000 submissions. Applicants who are anxious to be reunited with loved ones are now turning to local couriers who offer special sponsorship services and guarantees their clients’ applications will be among the first to land in government hands. Those who missed the cut-off will have to wait another year to apply. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.