Today, the Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that Immigration Canada will accept up to 30,000 additional applications, giving more Canadians and permanent residents than ever before the opportunity to bring their loved ones to Canada.

Starting September 20, 2021, Immigration Canada will send invitations to apply to potential sponsors who have already submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020, using the same random selection process as used in the previous years. Those invited to apply as part of this process will be able to use our new Permanent Resident Digital Intake tool, which allows applications to be submitted electronically.

For the 2020 tax year, the income requirement will continue to be the minimum necessary income, instead of the minimum necessary income plus 30%, and will allow regular Employment Insurance benefits and temporary COVID-19 benefits, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, to be included towards the sponsor’s income. This measure will ensure that applicants are not penalized for losing income during the pandemic.

(Source: IRCC)