Program directory · Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Family Reunification
- Program code
- BGE03 (CI)
- Core responsibility
- Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
In accordance with Canada’s annual Immigration Levels Plan, IRCC facilitates the admission of a targeted number of permanent residents under the family reunification category. Candidates include spouses, partners and dependent children, parents, grandparents and certain other relatives (such as an orphaned relative) wishing to join their family in Canada. Applicants must have an IRCC-approved sponsor that is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who accepts financial responsibility for the individual for a defined period of time. IRCC also verifies that the relationship is genuine. IRCC issues permanent resident documentation to successful applicants.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Reunification | This program | 2018-19 – 2028-29 | $532M |
No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Employees (FTEs) 831, against 687 in 2020-21 (+21%). | FTEs (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Indicators added: Number of sponsors whose family member is admitted to Canada as permanent resident; Percentage of applications of outside of Canada spouses, partners and dependent children that met 12 months processing times | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Indicators dropped: Number of family class immigrants admitted to Canada; Percentage of overseas applications of spouses, partners and dependent children that met service standards | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Number of family class immigrants admitted to Canada
Expected result: Family Class applicants are reunited with family members in Canada in a timely way
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 81,000 – 89,000 | 2018 | 85,179 In 2018, the total number of family class immigrants that were admitted to Canada was 85,179. This increase of 2,711 from 2017 was within the range of Canada’s 2018–2020 multi-year Immigration Levels Plan, which recognizes the essential role that family reunification plays in attracting, retaining and integrating newcomers so that they are able to build successful lives in Canada and contribute t… | Met |
| 2019-20 | 83,000 – 98,000 | 2019 | 91,311 In 2019, the total number of family class immigrants that were admitted to Canada was 91,311. This increase of 6,141 from 2018 reflects the increase of Family Class targets under Canada’s 2019–2021 multi-year Immigration Levels Plan, which recognizes the essential role that family reunification plays in attracting, retaining and integrating newcomers so that they are able to build successful live… | Met |
| 2020-21 | 84,500 – 96,000 | 2020 | 49,290 The slower processing time compared to previous years was primarily due to the impact of COVID-19 on the Department’s ability to process applications to completion as well as that of clients and partners to complete key steps in the application process. Specifically, overseas mission staffing levels were reduced to 55% and many IRCC staff were not fully equipped to work from remote locations earl… | Not met |
| 2021-22 | 76,000 – 105,000 | 2021 | 81,423 The target range was achieved in the spouses, partners and children program. The Department met the admissions target range for spouses, partners and children (61,000-81,000), admitting 69,278 persons in this category. Current modernization efforts underway will allow the department to continue and improve meeting the target range for spousal program in coming years. The target range was not met… | Met |
| 2022-23 | 90,000 – 109,000 | 2022 | 97,338 In 2022, IRCC met the total admissions target range for the Family Reunification Class, achieving a record number of admissions for this category. Moreover, the target range was achieved in both main categories: over 70,000 persons were admitted to Canada in the spouses, partners and children category (the target range was 68,000-81,000) and over 27,000 persons were admitted in the parents and gr… | Met |
| 2023-24 | 100,000 – 118,000 | 2023 | 109,730 Admission targets were met with a total number of 80,631 spouses, partners and children becoming permanent residents, steadily increasing at a 1% rate from 2022. In the parent and grandparents category, 28,313 individuals were admitted representing a 4% increase from 2022. IRCC was able to facilitate the reunification of extended family members, admitting 786 individuals into permanent residency.… | Met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 114,000 | 2024 | 105,990 The target range of 105,000 – 130,000 for this immigration category, as outlined in the 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan, was met. Of those admitted in the family class category, 77,995 were in the spousal, partners and children category; 27,330 were in the parent and grandparent category; and 660 were other family members. | Not met |
Percentage of overseas applications of spouses, partners and dependent children that met service standards
Expected result: Family Class applicants are reunited with family members in Canada in a timely way
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 80% | 2019 | 78% Processing times for spouse, partner and children applications have greatly improved. For the 2018-2019 fiscal year, 78% of the overseas applications under the Family Class were processed within 12 months. This progress to meet the service standard from previous years is the result of measures put in place to reduce inventory and processing times for spouses and partners applications, including M… | Not met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 80% | 2020 | 77% For the 2019-2020 fiscal year, 77% of the overseas applications under the Family Class were processed within 12 months. Although this is a 1% deviation from the previous year, it demonstrates the department’s continued efforts to meet the service standard. Due to measures that were put in place to reduce inventory and processing times for spouses and partners applications, including Ministerial I… | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 80% | 2021 | 38% Family reunification admissions were lower than planned in 2020 due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on operational capacity and clients’ ability to complete application requirements. IRCC mitigated many challenges by streamlining processes, digitizing paper-based applications, extending document submission deadlines, and temporarily waiving some requirements. IRCC also increased e-communi… | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 80% | 2022 | 53% Although the target was not achieved, IRCC implemented measures to improve processing times and achieve higher volumes and faster processing of new spousal applications. Efforts to date have allowed average processing times for spousal and common-law partner in-Canada and overseas sponsorship applications to return to the service standard of 12 months for new applications. These measures include… | Not met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 80% | 2023 | 66% The lower production in 2020 and the early months in 2021 combined with the continued application intake resulted in an aging application inventory. After July 2022, new applications were processed within the service standard of 12 months in 80% of cases. As IRCC continues to work on finalizing the aged inventory, anticipated the improvements will allow processing within service standards for 80%… | Not met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 80% | 2024 | 71% In 2023, the performance target was not met; however, the current measures in place this year facilitated a 71% processing rate - only 9% difference between the actual rate at which applications were finalized and the performance target set for the year. This was accomplished through file digitization, remote processing, the use of streamlined processing measures and online portals, as well as an… | Not met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 80% | 2025 | 75% The target to render a final decision on 80% of overseas permanent resident spousal applications within 365 days was not met. Efforts to meet the target included file digitization, remote processing, the use of streamlined processing measures and online portals, and an increase in the number of decision makers. Looking ahead, advanced analytics solutions, deployed in May 2024 to facilitate applic… | Not met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Number of sponsors whose family member is admitted to Canada as permanent resident
Expected result: Canadians and permanent residents are reunited with family members in Canada through timely admission of successful family class applicants
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 61,000 – 72,000 | 2026 | — | Planned |
Percentage of applications of outside of Canada spouses, partners and dependent children that met 12 months processing times
Expected result: Canadians and permanent residents are reunited with family members in Canada through timely admission of successful family class applicants
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 80% | 2027 | — | Planned |
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $70.2M | $59.5M |
| 2019-20 | $70.9M | $62M |
| 2020-21 | $72.9M | $62.4M |
| 2021-22 | $78.8M | $77.8M |
| 2022-23 | $78.7M | $87.7M |
| 2023-24 | $80.4M | $94.6M |
| 2024-25 | $94.5M | $88.4M |
| 2025-26 | $81.4M | — |
| 2026-27 | $75.9M | — |
| 2027-28 | $70.8M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $70.1M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 713 | 709 |
| 2019-20 | 733 | 700 |
| 2020-21 | 759 | 687 |
| 2021-22 | 776 | 831 |
| 2022-23 | 712 | 928 |
| 2023-24 | 940 | 943 |
| 2024-25 | 1,015 | 893 |
| 2025-26 | 930 | — |
| 2026-27 | 747 | — |
| 2027-28 | 740* | — |
| 2028-29 | 733* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $70,184,804 | $74,028,814 | $73,844,522 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $70,907,125 | $71,201,274 | $71,114,063 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $72,852,572 | $73,198,115 | $73,395,468 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $78,801,951 | $77,202,304 | $77,101,529 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $78,733,385 | $77,072,676 | $72,586,137 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $80,443,434 | $80,205,229 | $76,983,212 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $94,472,625 | $92,844,603 | $94,846,646 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $81,414,386 | $69,906,668 | $64,096,454 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $75,920,144 | $70,757,151 | $70,140,106 | ||||||||
| Actual | $59,451,998 | $61,958,057 | $62,388,970 | $77,773,496 | $87,650,673 | $94,630,799 | $88,396,305 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
