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Reuniting Families Act (S.C. 2023, c. 21)

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Assented to 2023-06-22

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Reuniting Families Act

S.C. 2023, c. 21

Assented to 2023-06-22

An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (temporary resident visas for parents and grandparents)

SUMMARY

This enactment amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow a parent or grandparent who applies for a temporary resident visa as a visitor to purchase private health insurance outside Canada and to stay in Canada for a period of five years.

It also requires the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to prepare and table a report in respect of a reduction to the minimum income requirement that the child or grandchild must meet in order for the visiting parent or grandparent to be able to enter and remain in Canada for an extended period.

His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short Title

Marginal note:Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Reuniting Families Act.

2001, c. 27Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

2 The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act is amended by adding the following after section 15:

Marginal note:Health insurance policy

15.1 A health insurance policy purchased from an insurance company outside Canada that is approved by the Minister satisfies any requirement in an instruction given under subsection 15(4) that a foreign national who applies for a temporary resident visa in order to visit their Canadian citizen or permanent resident child or grandchild for an extended period must have private health insurance.

3 Section 29 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (2):

  • Marginal note:Extended period

    (3) In the case of a temporary resident who is authorized to enter and remain in Canada for an extended period in order to visit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is their child or grandchild, the period referred to in subsection (2) is five years.

Report to Parliament

Marginal note:Report

  • 4 (1) The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration must prepare a report in respect of a reduction to the minimum income requirement that the child or grandchild of a foreign national must meet in order for the foreign national to be able to enter and remain in Canada for an extended period to visit that child or grandchild, including in respect of any special circumstances to be taken into account in the processing of temporary resident visa applications and a review process for the decisions made in relation to those applications.

  • Marginal note:Tabling

    (2) The Minister must cause the report to be tabled in each House of Parliament no later than one year after this Act receives royal assent or, if either House is not then sitting, on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting.

  • Marginal note:Publication

    (3) The Minister must publish the report on the website of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration within 10 days after the day on which it is tabled in a House of Parliament.

Marginal note:Explanation

5 If, within two years after this Act receives royal assent, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration does not provide for a reduction to the minimum income requirement that the child or grandchild of a foreign national must meet in order for the foreign national to be able to enter and remain in Canada for an extended period to visit that child or grandchild or the circumstances or review process referred to in subsection 4(1), the Minister must table in each House of Parliament a statement of the reasons for not doing so.

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