Canada has ended a special exemption that allowed certain refugees to sponsor family members who were not declared during their original permanent residence application.
The temporary public policy, which had been in place for several years, expired on September 10, 2026. The change means refugees will once again generally be required to have declared all eligible family members when applying for permanent residence if they want those relatives to be eligible for sponsorship later.
The policy had provided an exception for refugees who were unable to declare certain family members for various reasons. In some cases, refugees may not have known the whereabouts of relatives because of war, displacement or difficult communication conditions. Others may have been unable to safely disclose family relationships at the time of their application.
Under Canada’s immigration rules, applicants for permanent residence are normally required to declare their family members, even when those relatives are not accompanying them to Canada. Family members who are not declared and examined can generally be excluded from later sponsorship.
Refugee advocates have raised concerns about the end of the exemption, arguing that some refugees face circumstances beyond their control when completing their immigration applications. They say the policy had helped families reunite in situations where disclosure was difficult or impossible.
The government has indicated that people who submitted applications before the policy expired may continue to have their cases assessed under the previous rules, provided they meet the applicable requirements.
For refugees who are no longer covered by the exemption, humanitarian and compassionate considerations may remain an option in certain circumstances. However, such requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis and do not guarantee approval.
The policy change is expected to have a significant impact on some refugee families who have been separated for years and were hoping to reunite in Canada. Immigration lawyers and advocacy organizations are urging affected individuals to carefully review their options before submitting new applications.