A Comprehensive Review of Family Class Immigration Changes in Canada – 2024

In 2024, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced several key changes to family class immigration and spousal work permit programs. These updates aim to streamline processes, address unique global crises, and adapt to evolving immigration needs. Here’s a detailed look at the significant developments from the past year and their potential impact in 2025.

Key Updates in 2024 Family Class Immigration

1. Reduction in Family Sponsorship Targets for 2025
   
   As part of a broader reduction in immigration levels, IRCC has lowered landing targets for family sponsorship programs in 2025:
• Spouses, Partners, and Children: Reduced from 82,000 in 2024 to 70,000 in 2025.
• Parents and Grandparents: Lowered from 32,000 to 24,500.

These targets refer to final landings, not application submissions, meaning delays may occur as fewer landings are processed within a year. While this reduction may slow the process, sponsored family members can stay in Canada temporarily through programs like the Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) while waiting for permanent residence.

2. Changes to Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) Eligibility
   
   Major updates to SOWP eligibility were rolled out in 2024:
• March 2024: SOWPs were restricted to spouses of international students enrolled in master's or doctoral programs, with exceptions for professional degrees like medicine, law, and engineering.
• September 2024: Further restrictions limited SOWPs to spouses of master’s students in programs lasting at least 16 months. Additionally, eligibility for spouses of temporary foreign workers was narrowed to those working in highly skilled roles (e.g., scientists, engineers, professors) or in sectors with critical labor shortages.

These changes aim to balance demand but are expected to reduce SOWP issuances by 150,000 over the next three years.

3. Quebec Family Sponsorship Policy Adjustments
   
   Quebec implemented new measures to address delays in family sponsorship:
• Federal authorities intervened to process 20,500 applications for Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) holders despite the province’s annual cap of 10,000 applications.
• A new cap limits family sponsorship applications to 13,000 between June 2024 and June 2026, with specific allocations for spouses, partners, dependent children, and other family members.

Applications exceeding the cap will be returned without processing, ensuring critical cases like dependent minor children remain unaffected.

4. Advanced Automation for Faster Processing
   
   IRCC introduced advanced automation tools to speed up spousal and partner sponsorship applications. These tools streamline the initial review process, enabling quicker approvals for routine cases while maintaining manual oversight for final decisions.
   
   

5. Reopening of the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP)
   
   In 2024, IRCC reopened the PGP and issued 35,700 invitations to apply for family sponsorship.
• Sponsors from the 2020 "Interest to Sponsor" pool were eligible.
• Applications had to be submitted by August 2, 2024.
• IRCC plans to approve 20,500 permanent residence applications under this program.
  
  

6. Temporary Resident Pathway for Families in Gaza
   
   In response to the Gaza crisis, IRCC launched a pathway for extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to seek temporary residence in Canada.
• Eligible family members include spouses, children, parents, grandparents, siblings, and their dependents.
• Temporary resident visas are valid for up to three years, with access to settlement services, health coverage, and fee-exempt study or work permits.
• This program will run until April 22, 2025, or until 5,000 applications are approved.
  
  

7. New Sponsorship Pathway for Sudanese Families
   
   A new pathway was introduced for Sudanese family members affected by the ongoing conflict. This program allows Sudanese relatives of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to apply for:
• Open work permits, study permits, visitor records, and temporary resident permits (TRPs).
• Permanent residence as sponsored spouses, partners, or children.

Eligibility requires applicants to have entered Canada before July 15, 2023. Applications are open until October 27, 2025.