Ottawa says it ended refugee residency sponsor exemption over ‘integrity concerns’

OTTAWA — Canada's immigration department has terminated a permanent residency sponsorship exemption for some refugees due to "potential integrity concerns," according to a recent announcement. The temporary policy, implemented in 2019 and terminated on September 10, 2026, permitted certain refugees to sponsor family members who were not initially disclosed on their original applications.

This could involve, for instance, children who were not born when the application was submitted. While permanent residents are prohibited from sponsoring family members not listed in their initial documents, the government stated exemptions could be granted based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. The policy was last extended in September 2023, with an immigration minister's memo indicating about 2,000 applications had been processed and suggesting minimal risk to program integrity.

Refugee advocates were notified of the policy's imminent end on September 9, but no explanation was provided. They have since requested Immigration Minister Lena Diab to reinstate the exemption policy. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on September 14, 2026.