Government to Slash Immigrant Visas by Five Per Cent

Parents and grandparents of new Canadians will have a tougher time getting into the country.

Canada admitted 280,636 new permanent residents last year, the highest number in nearly 50 years. This year the government is looking to reduce that number by at least five per cent, and will issue 30 per cent fewer family reunification visas, which allow elderly relatives to join their children here. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said that refugees and economically productive immigrants should take priority over elderly relatives, but critics say parents and grandparents contribute to the economy in hidden ways, like providing childcare. Surprisingly, the reduced immigration targets will also hit immigrants applying under the skilled worker program, a group the government has said in the past it wants to prioritize.