Today Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a new immigration pathway for families impacted by the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
The department confirmed that starting February 27th, 2024, it would accept up to 3,250 applications from single applicants or families. This is a new family sponsorship pathway that will grant successful applicants permanent residence (PR). IRCC has confirmed it will waive the right of permanent residence fee and provide free settlement services to individuals who successfully receive PR through this pathway.
Who can apply under this new pathway?
To be eligible for this pathway applicants must:
- Have been living in Sudan on April 15th, 2023;
- Not have another country to return to other than Sudan or Canada;
- Be the child (of any age), grandchild, sibling, parent or grandparent of an eligible anchor*
- Provide a statutory declaration from their anchor stating that:
- They plan to support you and any family members accompanying you for one year; and
- They have not and will not accept any money from you or your family members.
- Plan to live in a province or territory other than Quebec; and
- Not be admissible for reasons other than financial ones.
- In addition to the above criteria, individuals may apply if:
- Their spouse or common-law partner is missing, presumed dead, deceased, or can’t leave Sudan;
- Their spouse or common-law partner is the child (of any age), grandchild, sibling, parent or grandparent of an eligible anchor willing to support you; and
- They meet all other eligibility criteria.
*An anchor is an extended family member who agrees to support you and/or your family during the first year in Canada. They will provide financial assistance, and help you get your basic needs, including housing, food, clothing and other necessities.
Who can be an anchor?
An anchor must:
- Be 18 years or older;
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
- Live in Canada (but not in the province of Quebec);
- Prove they have enough income/funds to meet the financial requirement.
- An anchor cannot be:
- In the process or applying to renounce their Canadian citizenship or PR status;
- In jail or prison;
- Subject to a removal order in Canada;
- In default of making a payment on an immigration loan, performance bond or any other amount they are legally bound to pay to the Government of Canada (including deferring payments);
- In default of a sponsorship undertaking, support payments or repaying any debt owed to the Government of Canada;
- Bankrupt;
- Receiving social assistance for any reason other than a disability; and/or
- Convicted of a criminal offence listed in the public policy.
How can eligible people apply for this pathway?
Individuals must apply through the PR portal. All necessary documents and forms must be submitted here, including necessary declarations and forms from the anchor.
If an application is found incomplete, it will be returned. In these cases, applicants will have the option to re-apply if the pathway is still open. More information on how to apply can be found here.
Sudanese in Canada
According to data from Census 2021, 17,485 people in Canada claimed Sudan as their country of ethnic or cultural origin. 4,690 of these individuals are recent immigrants to Canada who report Sudan as their country of birth.
