Humanitarian PR pathway

[Cgar]

Anyone got ideas on how this is going to look like? Is it going to be really as simple as any relative can apply?

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2023/10/statement-from-minister-miller-on-canadas-commitment-to-support-migrants-in-the-americas.html#:~:text=“Today, I am announcing that,new humanitarian permanent residence pathway.

 

[YVR123]

That's ONLY for Colombians, Haitians and Venezuelans. In collaboration with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). So it's a wider coverage for Refugee-like situation. They haven't announced the details. So not sure if the sponsor (Canadian citizen and PR) needs to show any support/undertaking to their extended family apply under this new pathway.

"Colombian, Haitian and Venezuelan foreign nationals located in Central or South America or the Caribbean who have extended family connections in Canada will be eligible to apply for this new pathway. To qualify, the principal applicant must be a child (regardless of age), grandchild, spouse, common-law partners, parent, grandparent or sibling of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident."

 

[scylla]

Anyone got ideas on how this is going to look like? Is it going to be really as simple as any relative can apply?

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2023/10/statement-from-minister-miller-on-canadas-commitment-to-support-migrants-in-the-americas.html#:~:text=“Today, I am announcing that,new humanitarian permanent residence pathway.

It's not any relative. It's the specific list of relatives listed in the announcement.

 

[Cgar]

That's ONLY for Colombians, Haitians and Venezuelans. In collaboration with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). So it's a wider coverage for Refugee-like situation. They haven't announced the details. So not sure if the sponsor (Canadian citizen and PR) needs to show any support/undertaking to their extended family apply under this new pathway.

"Colombian, Haitian and Venezuelan foreign nationals located in Central or South America or the Caribbean who have extended family connections in Canada will be eligible to apply for this new pathway. To qualify, the principal applicant must be a child (regardless of age), grandchild, spouse, common-law partners, parent, grandparent or sibling of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident."

I know which countries are involved. So, does it mean the applicants need to be registered with UNHCR or IOM?

 

[YVR123]

I know which countries are involved. So, does it mean the applicants need to be registered with UNHCR or IOM?

You knew but you did not show that in the post nor the title.
I don't think the applicants need to be registered with UNHCR or IOM. At least not from the announcement.
We likely need to wait for the details to come.

 

[Mortygarner]

You knew but you did not show that in the post nor the title.
I don't think the applicants need to be registered with UNHCR or IOM. At least not from the announcement.
We likely need to wait for the details to come.

To put it simply, it is a refugee program like program except that the applicant does not need to be a refugee or have any qualifications except having an extended family in Canada (Not even immediate family)? Did I get that right?

A person from the said country can have their mother, father, brother, sister, old children, grandmothers and grandfathers over here with PRs in a span of a few months. Indirectly, that can lead to their uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews being eligible if this program continues into next year? All of whom need not be qualified?

I know we have programs for Parents and Grandparents and immediate family. But expanding that to apply to extended family is just insane.

 

[scylla]

I know which countries are involved. So, does it mean the applicants need to be registered with UNHCR or IOM?

I don't think any of us can answer that question with any certainty. I agree that you will need to wait for the full details to become available.

 

[canuck78]

Isn't that why we have refugee applications? So, we are just planning to give PRs away without any qualifications or requirements? that is just wonderful. They left out first cousins, second cousins, third cousins, uncles and aunties.

Might as well start a weekly ferry to Africa and South America, lets pile on people to an already burdened health system and housing market. Who cares if it takes a year to get an appointment with a specialist doctor? Hell, I should start paying my taxes to the UN, seems like that is where all the money is going anyways.

This was part of the deal to close Roxham road with the US (formally closing the loophole for safe 3rd country agreement). Canada had to agree to welcome a certain number of asylum seekers from the Americas as part of the deal. I assume this is one off program.

Sadly agree that the government seems to be announcing refugee and humanitarian programs regularly while we have paid over to a billion dollars welcoming refugees in the past 5+ years. Actually likely a lot higher but just in shelter costs the government keeps renting our hotels and people are remaining in the hotel for 6-12 months even if when they have found employment. Given the pressure on housing, healthcare, foodbanks, etc. it is shocking that this isn’t ever a factor in these announcements. I have no idea how Canada hasn’t looked at the TRV system given the amount of refugees arriving from certain countries who are arriving by plane without funds or family in Canada. There is clearly something wrong with the TRV processing system which could easily be addressed and TRVs already issued reviewed. Instead we have asylum claimants living on the streets with winter coming. We also still have rented hotels in Windsor and Niagara Falls that the governments has been paying for for over a year. Many hotels are also full in many cities across Canada. Not sure how many of these families will ever be able to move into the rental market especially in some areas but adding more people will certainly not help.

 

[jekapatrim]

After a statement, how long does it take more or less for details to be released? Does anyone have an idea? I was hoping to get invited to apply to sponsor my parents this year but I doubt that will happen. It’s heartbreaking. This new humanitarian PR pathway is my only hope as my parents aren’t getting younger.

 

[scylla]

After a statement, how long does it take more or less for details to be released? Does anyone have an idea? I was hoping to get invited to apply to sponsor my parents this year but I doubt that will happen. It’s heartbreaking. This new humanitarian PR pathway is my only hope as my parents aren’t getting younger.

I don't think any of us know the answer to that question.

 

[canuck78]

After a statement, how long does it take more or less for details to be released? Does anyone have an idea? I was hoping to get invited to apply to sponsor my parents this year but I doubt that will happen. It’s heartbreaking. This new humanitarian PR pathway is my only hope as my parents aren’t getting younger.

Are your parents living in their home country? The statement seems to imply that the Colombians, Venezuelans or Haitians are living in a 3rd country but may be reading too much into the statement. Believe the original goal was to accept part of the population who was in the process or at risk of seeking asylum in the US. I would assume there will be an attempt to prioritize younger people/families who will hopefully be able to work and contribute to the tax base and add more children to our ageing population. The majority of those coming to the US to claim asylum are younger. I can’t imagine that IRCC will allow the majority of these new spots to go to seniors although many things at IRCC don’t make sense. Hard to say how IRCC would prioritize a certain population or limit the number of seniors applying, Maybe they’ll set a fixed quota for seniors from each country. All issues that make these programs tougher to set up than it may appear. Given the deal with the US required it to be in 2023 I would imagine we will receive details of the program in 2023 and program likely will be opened in 2023 to keep the US happy. Selection and processing is more likely to start in 2024.

If parent sponsorship was guaranteed parents and grandparents could be included during the original PR application. The demand will always exceed the amount of spots available. Given our ageing population and our healthcare system in crisis any parent/grandparent sponsorship is already placing demands on a system that doesn’t have the capacity to absorb more seniors. The Canadian government should be clear that parent sponsorship is not guaranteed so anyone considering coming to Canada will make their decision based on the fact that
aren’t sponsorship may not be possible and if possible may take 10+ years. How long have you met LICO for 3 years in a row? Many say that they have been waiting for a long time but have only recently met the 3 years of LICO. Waiting for 5-10 years to get selected is not uncommon. Some do get lucky but wait lost was even longer when you could send applications by courier and waitlists were so long they stopped the system and went to random selection. Given the amount of immigrants and the demand for the program there is pressure to create a system that prioritizes people who have been waiting the longest. The random system allowed some to get selected on their first attempt while other waited 10+ years without getting selected. Using the same pool over many years has been the first attempt to prioritize. Ensuring everyone qualified for the pool should be the first thing that happens if a new pool is opened.

 

[jekapatrim]

Thanks a lot for your input! I agree with you and you are right. However, why would the government add parents to the list if they weren’t going to consider that population? But you are right, it might be a limited number.
I’ve qualified to sponsor them since 2016. Working full time non stop since I arrived to Canada. Sadly, not everyone has considered this before they submit their interest to sponsor and the ones who qualify have suffered the consequences. Anyways, I’m optimistic one day I’ll have my parents with me. They are not 50 but they are not that old and by no means they will be a burden to the government as I’m here for them.

 

[canuck78]

Thanks a lot for your input! I agree with you and you are right. However, why would the government add parents to the list if they weren’t going to consider that population? But you are right, it might be a limited number.
I’ve qualified to sponsor them since 2016. Working full time non stop since I arrived to Canada. Sadly, not everyone has considered this before they submit their interest to sponsor and the ones who qualify have suffered the consequences. Anyways, I’m optimistic one day I’ll have my parents with me. They are not 50 but they are not that old and by no means they will be a burden to the government as I’m here for them.

Didn’t say no parents would be accepted but I would imagine there may be a limited number because this isn’t a replacement for parent sponsorship. The goal is likely to accept people who will be young enough to work and become self-sufficient. Unless your parents are making millions when they come to Canada they will cost Canada significantly more than they will contribute to the system. Just facts of anyone arriving later on in life. You taking care of some of their daily living expenses won’t stop them from accessing all firms of “free” healthcare, getting all the tax benefits they will likely qualify for, likely getting OAS/GIS after 10 years, etc.

 

[jekapatrim]

No updates yet? Just want to make sure I haven’t missed any information. Thanks!

 

[canuck78]

No updates yet? Just want to make sure I haven’t missed any information. Thanks!

Good chance that Canada is trying to delay this announcement until the end of 2023 to keep their promise to the US but given the current refugee crisis in Canada and the potential of imminent evacuations doubt they want to actually process the applications until 2024.