Canada Ends Special Family Sponsorship Exemption for Refugees

Canada has quietly ended a special policy that allowed certain refugees to sponsor family members whose names were not included in their original immigration applications.

Under the temporary policy, some refugees and permanent residents were able to sponsor spouses or children who had not been declared in their initial applications. The policy, introduced about seven years ago, expired on Thursday following a decision by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab.

Under current Canadian immigration rules, permanent residents generally cannot sponsor family members who were not declared during the original application process.

An Immigration Department spokesperson said affected individuals can now seek an exemption only on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.