Conservative government’srecent sponsorship changes,which now require would-besponsors to demonstrate incomelevels that are 30 per cent higherthan the previous norm and apromise to look after the financialneeds of their loved ones for20 years, instead of the previous10 year commitment.
OTTAWA – The Conservativegovernment claimed onThursday an official end to thetwo-year freeze it imposed onCanada’s parent and grandparentimmigration stream, a measureit deemed necessary to dealwith an application backlog,caused by the Conservative’sown mismanagement.But the supposed victory is facingtough criticism from theNDP, which says it’s nothing tocrow about.“It’s hardly a success story,” saidJinny Sims (Newton-NorthDelta), the NDP’s critic forEmployment and SocialDevelopment, and its formerImmigration critic.“Only the first 5,000 completedapplication forms will beprocessed, on top of alreadyheightened sponsorship criteria.Families throughout my ridingand all over the country remaindevastated, missing loved ones.”Sims referred to theConservative government’srecent sponsorship changes,which now require would-besponsors to demonstrateincome levels that are 30 percent higher than the previousnorm and a promise to lookafter the financial needs of theirloved ones for 20 years, insteadof the previous 10 year commitment.Canada remains a competitiveoption for bright and talentedprospective immigrants in partbecause it offers family reunification;but, the low number ofapplications processed annuallycould hinder Canada’sappeal.“First they freeze theprogram altogether;now it’s supposedlyopen, but to a minisculenumber of applicants,and only the most economicallyadvantaged,” saidSims.“This personally affects my constituentsby the thousands. I,along with my New Democratcolleagues, am fighting hard tomake family reunification a toppriority for immigration.”
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