New IRCC pilot program regarding the sponsorship of certain undeclared family members

Immigration legislation requires permanent residence applicants to declare their immediate family members (i.e. spouse, common-law partner, dependent children - including those who will not accompany them to Canada) on their application. In conformity with sections 117(9)(d) and 125(1)(d) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, the consequence of not including these family members, even due to a lack of awareness or knowledge of a person's whereabouts, is a lifetime bar for the applicant to sponsor the family members in question.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced a pilot program beginning on September 9, 2019 and running for two years, allowing family reunification with their undeclared immediate family members to those who immigrated to Canada as a resettled refugee, were granted refugee protection in Canada, or were sponsored as a close family member.