Indians to benefit from Canada's family reunification programme
Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Jul, 2021 04:31 PM
A record number of 40,000 immigrant families will be allowed to sponsor their parents and grandparents to bring them to Canada in 2021.
This means 30,000 additional applications will be accepted as against the annual intake of 10,000 under the Parents and Grandparents Programme (PGP), which is aimed at family reunification.
Since Indo-Canadians are one of the fastest growing communities in Canada, they will be the major beneficiaries of the programme.
Applications can be submitted online over a two-week period, starting September 20.
Using the random selection process, those whose applications are accepted would be allowed to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada.
Since the sponsors have to show a certain minimum income requirement, the Canadian government has allowed them to include state benefits received during the Covid lockdown towards their income. This will ensure that applicants are not penalised for lost income during the pandemic.
Unveiling the programme, Canadian Immigration Minister Marco E.L. Mendicino said, "The importance of family has never been clearer than during the pandemic. That is why we are delivering on our commitment to help more families reunite in Canada.
"By strengthening the Parents and Grandparents Programme, inviting a record number of sponsors to apply, and by adjusting our requirements to adapt to the current times, we are once again proving our commitment to helping Canadian families stay together, and thrive together."
Justin Trudeau is being pressured by some of his own Liberal backbenchers to implement enforceable national standards for the operation of long-term care homes in Canada.
Aritzia Inc. says it expects net revenue for its first quarter to be about 45 per cent lower than at the same time last year due to the impacts of COVID-19.
Vancouver Police are asking witnesses to a hit-and-run in East Vancouver on Tuesday evening to contact police. The collision resulted in serious injuries to a cyclist.
Fans of car-sharing services in British Columbia are about to get another option within weeks of the closure of two other car-share businesses in the province.
The outbreak of a fast-spreading disease at the SPCA's animal centre in Vancouver has led to the discovery of a new feline virus that affected 43 cats in B.C.
Specialized health teams have been sent to fight COVID-19 outbreaks at two Metro Vancouver long-term care homes. The Fraser Health Authority appointed a pandemic response director on Thursday at Langley Lodge, where more than 20 people have died from the virus in recent weeks.
