OTTAWA – Just 33 days after the federal government began accepting new applications through the popular parent and grandparent immigration stream following a two-year moratorium, officials say they’ve reached their annual quota.
Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced Monday that his department had received 5,000 completed applications, the limit set for 2014.
The program is now closed to new applicants until next year, although parents and grandparents can still apply for a 10-year, multiple-entry supervisa should they wish to spend time with loved ones in Canada for up to two years at a time.
“Our government understands the importance of spending time with family and loved ones and we committed to improving the immigration system so that families can be reunited more quickly,” Alexander said in a statement, noting visa officers will now turn their attention back to working through the backlog of applications, which topped 165,000 with wait times as long as eight years back when the program was temporarily shelved.
According to Alexander, the backlog has already been cut by half and officials are expected to be three-quarters of the way through by the end of 2015.
While some say the program should be scrapped indefinitely since older people are less employable and tend to be a bigger burden on the health care system, others maintain they contribute a great deal. Not only do they provide child care, allowing both parents to enter the workforce, but many economic immigrants, they say, choose Canada precisely because it’s a country that supports family reunification.
The government also announced Monday that it was hiking the cost of study and work permits for those from abroad. Study permits will now cost $150, while work permits will cost $155. The cost of a 10-year, multiple-entry tourist visa, however, will be reduced to $100, from $150.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Stephen Harper also released a video announcing a date for the government’s long awaited citizenship bill. Dubbed the first major changes in “a generation,” Alexander said the bill – which will “spell out” the rules to ensure “carrying that passport remains a very respected thing” – will be tabled Thursday.
tcohen@postmedia.com
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