Diaspora (Commonwealth Union) _ Canada‘s long-standing Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship (PGP) programme, which has allowed permanent residents to bring their parents and grandparents to live with them, is coming to an abrupt end. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that no new applications for the PGP programme will be accepted starting in 2025, leaving countless families, including many from Bangladesh, facing an uncertain future.
While the IRCC has committed to processing all applications submitted in 2024, the halt on new submissions marks a significant shift in Canada’s immigration policy. For decades, the PGP programme has been a beacon of family reunification for permanent residents, enabling them to provide a home for their elderly relatives. Now, families must rely on alternative pathways, such as the Super Visa programme, which allows relatives to stay in Canada for up to five consecutive years but falls short of the permanence offered by PGP.
The IRCC’s decision is part of a broader strategy to scale back immigration numbers, with a planned 20% reduction in permanent residency (PR) allocations in 2025. The total PR admissions quota, previously at 500,000, will drop to 395,000 in 2025, followed by further reductions to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027. Within these quotas, only 94,500 family sponsorship visas will be issued in 2025, with 70,000 reserved exclusively for spouses and children of PR holders, leaving limited options for extended family reunification.
The impact on Bangladeshi families is particularly acute. Over 100,000 Bangladeshis currently reside in Canada, with migration trends accelerating significantly since the 1980s. Many Bangladeshi immigrants, like Prosenjit Das Joy, a restaurant worker in Canada, and Salahuddin Bacchu, a long-time businessman, have expressed dismay over the increasingly stringent immigration requirements. Das Joy remarked on the heightened difficulty of securing PR due to stricter point-based systems, while Bacchu noted the dwindling chances of being selected under the lottery-based PGP application process.
Canada’s immigrant-friendly policies have garnered praise in recent years, especially after the introduction of liberal immigration reforms in 2015. These reforms saw immigrant populations surge, contributing to economic growth but also exacerbating challenges in housing availability and healthcare services. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s administration now seeks to address these pressures by tightening immigration controls, including the suspension of the PGP programme.
The reduction in PR allocations and the elimination of the PGP programme reflect a shift in priorities, with the government framing these measures as essential to manage population growth and alleviate strain on public services. Reports suggest that by 2025, over 1.2 million temporary residents may be compelled to leave Canada due to stricter immigration rules, underscoring the changing landscape for immigrants and their families.
For Bangladeshi families, the end of the PGP programme is not just a logistical setback but an emotional one. Many had envisioned a future where they could reunite with loved ones and offer them a stable life in Canada. Now, that vision is slipping out of reach. The Bangladeshi High Commission in Ottawa has acknowledged the growing challenges faced by immigrants, emphasizing that the new policies will likely complicate family reunification efforts further.
Despite the government’s assertion that these policy changes are necessary, they have left many families grappling with uncertainty. For those who had pinned their hopes on the PGP programme, the alternatives, such as the Super Visa, fall short of providing the long-term stability they desire.
As Canada continues to tighten its immigration policies, aspiring immigrants and their families are preparing for a challenging journey. For Bangladeshi families in particular, the suspension of the PGP programme serves as a stark reminder of the changing dynamics in one of the world’s most sought-after destinations for immigrants.
