Sponsoring Un-examined Children Pilot Program Requirements

[Gurpinder]

Me and my wife came to Canada from India in 2010 as refugee claimants and we have been residing in Canada ever since. In our refugee claim application, we did not tell the immigration department that we have 2 kids (currently aged 13 and 14) back in India because our agent told us that our case might be refused if we mentioned our children in the application. Me and my wife miss our children very much and we would like for them to come to Canada. I heard that the Canadian immigration department has started a new pilot program which lets you sponsor your children who weren’t previously examined. Can I sponsor my children from India under this pilot program?

[Rajpal (Admin)]

The ‘Pilot for Excluded Family Members” which began on September 09, 2019, exempts some people from the conditions of IRPR section 117(9)(d). This means that as per the pilot program, family members who are eligible under this pilot can be sponsored through the Family Class category even if they were unexamined. In order to be eligible to be sponsored under the pilot program, the sponsor must have become a permanent resident himself/herself through:

– the Refugee Class (the person was resettled as a refugee, or the person was recognized as a refugee/Protected Person by the Immigration and Refugee Board or in a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment, or the person was a family member of such a person), OR

– the Family Class, as a spouse, common-law partner or dependent child (including the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class)

In your case, since you became a PR through the refugee class, you will be eligible to sponsor your children under the new pilot program.

For further information about the pilot program, please click on the following link:

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/results-by-topic.asp?st=14.2.5