Canadian province introduces cap on family sponsorship applications

TORONTO - Canada's largest province, Quebec has implemented new restrictions on family sponsorship applications, setting a cap that will remain in place until June 25, 2026.

The move comes amidst efforts to manage immigration flows amid concerns over housing and integration and reflects what other global powers including the UK and Australia are doing at the moment.

Under the new policy, Quebec will accept a maximum of 13,000 sponsorship applications, with specific allocations among different categories. The majority, 10,400 applications, are reserved for spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children aged 18 and above. The remaining 2,600 spots are designated for fathers, mothers, grandparents, or other eligible relatives seeking sponsorship.

Once the cap is reached, the Ministry responsible for immigration will cease accepting further applications for the specified period.

There are a few exceptions to the cap which include dependent minor children of sponsors, minors the sponsor wishes to adopt, and orphaned minor children of specified relatives. Additionally, adult children dependent on a parent due to disability are also exempt from the cap.

It has also been clarified that to claim exemption from the cap, the individual being sponsored cannot be married or in a common-law relationship as reported by CIC news.

This limitation also does not restrict applications to include a dependent of a sponsored person who is already included in an application, or to add a dependent to a sponsored individual awaiting permanent resident status after an application has been approved.

Quebec officials have pledged to notify the public once the cap limit has been reached. Any non-exempt applications received after this point will be returned without processing or fee charges.

The introduction of the cap follows a series of measures by the government to stem the tide of immigration. The government has also announced to reduce the inflow of international students by 35 percent as compared to 2023. Similar measures have also been introduced by the United Kingdom (UK) to stop the flow of immigrants.