Evaluation of the Family Reunification Program / : Évaluation du Programme de réunion des familles

Complex files and negative decisions take longer to process, and the program had a higher number of these types of files over the period of the evaluation, compared to the previous five-year period. [...] In light of the many Program changes that have taken place in recent years: Recommendation #2: CIC should clarify, consolidate and communicate the roles and responsibilities of the various offices that have a role in the delivery of the FRP. [...] The report is organized into four main sections: Section 1 includes the purpose of the evaluation and an overview of the Program, including a client profile; Section 2 summarizes the methodology and discusses the strengths, limitations, and mitigation strategies of the study; Section 3 presents the findings, organized by evaluation issue; and Section 4 presents the conclusions and recommen [...] The objective of the family class, as articulated in the 1976 Act, was to facilitate the reunion in Canada of Canadian citizens and permanent residents with their close relatives from abroad.1 Today, reuniting family members continues to be enshrined as one of the fundamental principles and objectives of Canadian immigration policy and legislation. [...] The sponsorship agreement and undertaking represent the sponsor’s legal agreement to financially support the sponsored person and their family member and repay any social assistance granted to the sponsored person during a period of three to ten years, depending on the type of familial relationship.3 Should the sponsored person receive social assistance during the period of the undertaking, the sp