The policy's published end date is September 10, 2026
IRCC's consecutive public policy for certain undeclared family members ends on September 10, 2026. IRCC's page says the policy applies to applications received between May 31, 2019 and September 10, 2026. The current version took effect on September 10, 2023.
No replacement or further extension was announced when this article was written, so anyone considering a new application should not assume the exemption will remain available after the end date.
The exemption covered a narrow group of sponsors and relatives
The policy could exempt certain spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners and dependent children from paragraph 117(9)(d) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (family class) or paragraph 125(1)(d) (spouse or common-law partner in Canada class). Those provisions normally exclude a family member who was not declared and examined when the sponsor became a permanent resident.
The sponsor must have become a permanent resident as a Convention refugee or person in similar circumstances, as a protected person, or as a sponsored spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner or dependent child. The family member also must not have made the sponsor ineligible in the original immigration class had they been declared and examined at that time.
The practical impact is on applications received after the deadline
A qualifying application received within the published period is assessed under the policy in force when IRCC received it. Proof of the submission date and a clear explanation of how each policy condition is met are important.
For a new application received after September 10, 2026, the ordinary rules on undeclared family members may apply, unless IRCC publishes another measure or a different legal remedy exists. The policy was never a general waiver of misrepresentation, inadmissibility, income rules or other sponsorship requirements, and all admissibility and eligibility requirements it did not exempt still applied.
Affected files need an individual review
A file involving an undeclared spouse, partner or child needs a case-specific review of the sponsor's original immigration category, what was disclosed, whether examination was possible or requested, the current relationship and the date IRCC received the sponsorship application.
Because the consequence can be a permanent exclusion of the relative from sponsorship, applicants should not rely on a generic online checklist or assume that a late application will be protected by an expired policy.