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

The immigration department says it ended a permanent residency sponsorship exemption for some refugees over unnamed “potential integrity concerns.”

The temporary policy, which was introduced in 2019 and ended on Sept. 10, allowed certain refugees to sponsor family members who were not initially declared on their own applications.

That could include, for example, children who were not born when the application was made.

Permanent residents are barred from sponsoring family members not listed in their initial documents but the government says exemptions could be granted under humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

The policy was last extended in September 2023 and a memo for the immigration minister at the time said about 2,000 applications had been received and that there was “minimal risk” to program integrity.

Refugee advocates were informed about the policy’s imminent end on Sept. 9, but no explanation was given, and they have asked Immigration Minister Lena Diab to restore the exemption policy.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2026.

By David Baxter | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.