Maple News reports that the Government of Canada has introduced a temporary public policy to ease income requirements for family-class immigration sponsors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The intention behind this policy is to protect family reunification opportunities for Canadians who experienced financial hardship during the 2020 tax year.
Under normal circumstances, sponsors are required to demonstrate they meet the Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) plus an additional 30% when sponsoring certain family members, such as parents and grandparents. However, for the 2020 taxation year, the additional 30% requirement has been waived. This change means more Canadians may now qualify to sponsor loved ones, even if their income was impacted by the economic effects of the pandemic.
Additionally, the policy allows sponsors to count regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits toward their income total for 2020. Previously, only special EI benefits, like maternity or parental leave, could be included.
These changes take effect as of October 2 and apply to sponsorship applications submitted under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), along with other family-class categories. Eligible relationships include spouses and common-law partners, dependent children, orphaned minors such as siblings or nieces/nephews, and in rare cases, a relative of any age if the sponsor has no other close family in Canada.
It’s important to note that this policy does not apply to sponsors residing in Quebec, as the province administers its own family sponsorship program with separate guidelines and requirements.
Despite the 2020 relaxation, sponsors must still meet all other standard eligibility conditions, including meeting the typical income thresholds for all tax years outside of 2020. For those years, the 30% income buffer remains in place, and only special EI benefits can be used.
Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino emphasized the necessity of the new rules, stating that the 2020 income year poses a unique challenge. “This could result in otherwise eligible permanent residence applicants having their application refused,” he noted. The measure aims to avoid punishing Canadians and permanent residents for circumstances beyond their control.
This initiative represents an empathetic adjustment in Canada’s immigration policy, reaffirming the country’s commitment to family reunification while acknowledging the unprecedented financial strain caused by the global pandemic.
According to Maple News, these temporary modifications will remain in place until all eligible applications referring to the 2020 tax year are processed.