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Cassandra Fultz Immigration Consultant
Author: Cassandra Fultz, RCIC
Cassandra specializes in Canadian immigration cases pertaining to Procedural Fairness Letters (PFL), Study Permits, PR Card Renewal on Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds, Criminal Rehabilitation, Temporary Resident Permits, Canadian citizenship, Family Sponsorship, and Visitor Visas. She has advocated for her clients with an impressive success rate, including for applications with prior refusals.
Minister Of Immigration Blames Canadians And 2015 Conservative Government For Parental Sponsorship Disaster
Canadian citizens and permanent residents have gotten used to looking forward to January so that they can submit their applications to sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residence.
The previous two years had incorporated a lottery system in order to invite prospective applicants to apply for permanent residence.
But on January 28, 2019, the new system of a first-come, first-served online “Intent to Sponsor” form was closed in less than 8 minutes, leaving around 80,000 Canadians out in the cold. They will now have to wait another year to try again to sponsor their parents.
In response to fierce criticism, Minister Ahmed Hussen first blamed the previous government who was last in power in 2015, and then put the onus on Canadians for the disastrous outcome: “After hearing directly from Canadians, we implemented a 1st come 1st serve online system to ensure it was fair, & created safeguards against abuse.” (link: https://twitter.com/HonAhmedHussen/status/1090051771341434880)
As the leaders of Canada, the Ministers and their staff are supposed to be able to see a reasonable distance down the road of possible outcomes. In what way is it fair that a Canadian who types more slowly than another Canadian gets the first place in line? In what way is it fair that a permanent resident with a disability who types more slowly than another permanent resident will never get to sponsor their parents if the current system remains in place?
The first words on the Government of Canada Accessibility page are: “Accessibility in Canada is about creating communities, workplaces and services that enable everyone to participate fully in society without barriers.” It does not appear that Minister Hussen took this into account at all when deciding to implement this system, opening his government up to lawsuits and judicial reviews.
This first-come, first-served system was implemented in response to backlash over the lottery system after some applicants had not been chosen two years in a row. The lottery system allowed applicants who wanted to sponsor their parents a certain number of days (not minutes) to submit the “Interest to Sponsor” form. Applicants would then be drawn at random to be invited to sponsor their parents. This was a vast improvement from the previous system of sending a same-day courier on January 2 of the new year, with only the first 5000 applications being accepted.
Inaccessibility is not acceptable. Inequity is not acceptable. Land rushes ended in the 19th century. It is a disgrace that Canadians must literally race to attempt to reunify their families.
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Immigration Canada Increases Minimum Settlement Funds Required For Express Entry
As of January 2019, candidates who wish to immigrate to Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades program and many of the Provincial Nominee Programs under Express Entry will be required to have a little more money in the bank than before.
If you have already received an invitation to apply or have received an expression of interest from a province, then the amount of settlement funds required will be locked in for the previous settlement fund figures.
Although this increase is not substantial and it is not the first time this figure has been increased, this will have a direct impact on candidates who already have an Express Entry profile submitted or candidates who are currently in the process.
For current candidates who have already submitted their profile and are ONLY eligible for Federal Skilled worker stream may receive a message within their profile stating that their profile ineligible without being told the specific reason.
Candidates who are eligible for Federal Skilled Trades Category (FST) AND do not have a valid job offer may also receive the same message stating that their profile in ineligible.
Provincial Nominee applicants who are required to demonstrate settlement funds as part of their PNP applications will also be required to show that they have the updated amount.
Keep in mind that settlement funds are part of the eligibility for each of the above named programs. This means that if you cannot demonstrate that you have access to the minimum settlement funds, which is dependent on the amount of family members who are accompanying you to Canada, then you will not be eligible for the program.
The current and previous amounts of settlement funds required are as follows:
| Number of family members | 2018 amount (in Canadian dollars) |
2019 Amount | Increase |
| Principal Applicant Only | $12,474 | $12,669 | $195 |
| 2 | $15,530 | $15,772 | $242 |
| 3 | $19,092 | $19,390 | $298 |
| 4 | $23,181 | $23,542 | $361 |
| 5 | $26,291 | $26,701 | $410 |
| 6 | $29,652 | $30,114 | $462 |
| 7 | $33,013 | $33,528 | $515 |
| Each additional family member | $3,361 | $3,414 | $53 |
*Candidates who are eligible for Canadian Experience Class will not be affected by these changes as there is no requirement to demonstrate settlement funds under the eligibility criteria.
** Candidates who are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST) who also have a valid job offer AND are currently working for the employer who offered the job AND their employer is listed on their work permit will not be affected by these changes.
*** Applicants are only required to have settlements funds at the time the application for permanent residency is submitted. Applicants are not required to have the settlement funds at the time they create their Express Entry profile.
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