Immigration Office: First-Serve System and Canadian Press

immigration office: Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo By Stephanie Levitz The Canadian Press Wed., Dec. 14, 2016 OTTAWA Coveted spots for the parent and grandparent visa program will be awarded by lottery in 2017 after the federal Liberals have scrapped the old first-come, first-serve system that had raised concerns over people paying to be at the front of that line, according to Toronto Star. Applications for the always over-subscribed program had been accepted only via courier or mail at a single immigration office and since they were processed in the order received, couriers had been doing brisk business promising to be at the front of the line, in exchange for fees that could be as high as 400. We re ensuring everyone can access the application process by giving them the same chance to have their name chosen, he said in a statement. But that system has now been replaced by a random draw, the federal immigration minister announced Wednesday. Beginning Jan. 3, Canadians will have 30 days to fill out an online form indicating their desire to sponsor a parent or grandparent. We re ensuring everyone can access the application process by giving them the same chance to have their name chosen, Immigration Minister John McCallum said in a statement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.