IRCC announced a new 2-year pilot to allow immigrants who did not initially declare lost family members to sponsor them at a later date. The current policy creates a hardship for refugees trying to reunite with family members who were lost during war, violence or natural disasters such as a typhoon; and for migrants who failed to disclose the existence of children they didn’t know were theirs.

The pilot project will launch September 9, 2019, and run until September 9, 2021. Sponsorship applications for previously undeclared family members to become permanent residents that are already underway will be processed under the new rules. IRCC Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen told attendees at a Canada Bar Association meeting:

“Newcomers who failed to declare immediate family members as they first came to Canada were barred to sponsor them (later). “Today, we right that wrong.”

Family Class Sponsorship section 117(9)(d) previously barred immediate family members from sponsoring undeclared family members who did not accompany them to become Canada permanent residents.

The pilot program is in support of Canada's commitment to family reunification.