BRAMPTON, ON - Sonia Sidhu, Member of Parliament for Brampton South, applauded the significant improvements made to the spousal sponsorship process as announced by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen.

“Today I'm happy to share with you that our government has fulfilled our commitment of reducing the spousal sponsorship backlog by 80%,” said MP Sidhu. “We have also made improvements and reduced processing times to 12 months, because we know that when processing times are long it becomes difficult for you, your spouses, and your families.”

In December 2016 the spousal sponsorship backlog sat at 75,000 cases. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it would reduce that backlog by 80% and by December 2017 achieved that by reducing the backlog to just 15,000.

“Family reunification has been a key issue for our government since being elected,” remarked MP Sidhu. “When families are reunited, newcomers are able to integrate and realize their potential – something that all Canadians benefit from.”

MP Sidhu shared the following changes the Government of Canada has made since being elected, including:

Bill C-6 Age Requirement Changes: Taking effect in October 2017, the age bracket for meeting language and knowledge requirements was changed from applicants between the ages 14-64 to those between 18-54 years of age. The new requirements give greater flexibility to both younger and older eligible immigrants to obtain citizenship.

Bill C-6 Physical Presence Requirement Changes: Previously the Citizenship Act required applicants to be physically present in Canada for four out of six years, with a minimum of 183 days in each of those four years. With the changes that took effect in October 2017, applicants only have to be physically present for three out of the last five years with no minimum number of days before applying for citizenship. This change allows for individuals who have already begun building lives in Canada achieve citizenship faster.

Parents and Grandparents Program: In an effort to bring families together more quickly, in 2016 the number of applications to be selected each year was doubled from 5,000 to 10,000 to address excessive backlog and processing times.

New Multi-Year Immigration Levels Plan: Processing times across the board are expected to decrease as a result of the new immigration levels plan. Starting with 310,000 new Permanent Residents in 2018, the plan will grow immigration levels to 340,000 by 2020.

Age of Dependent Definition Change: The government expanded the definition of dependent children from “under 19” to “under 22”. This change makes it easier for newcomers to come together as a family, allowing for easier integration and increased economic and social benefits.

However, more work remains to be done. The Government of Canada will continue to listen to Canadians and make improvements to create an immigration system that works for everyone.