C-242Reuniting Families Act
An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (temporary resident visas for parents and grandparents)
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on February 8, 2022
- Status
- Became law on June 22, 2023 · S.C. 2023, c. 21
What it does
Lets some parents and grandparents visiting Canada use approved foreign health insurance, stay up to five years, and adds reporting on income rules.
What it does
- Allows a parent or grandparent applying for a visitor visa for an extended stay to use a health insurance policy bought from an approved insurer outside Canada.
- Sets the allowed stay for a temporary resident visiting a Canadian citizen or permanent resident child or grandchild at five years.
- Requires the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to report on lowering the minimum income requirement a child or grandchild must meet for an extended visit.
- Requires the report to cover special circumstances in visa processing and a review process for those decisions, and to be tabled in Parliament and published online.
- Requires the minister to table a statement of reasons if no income change or related process is provided within two years after royal assent.
Who it affects
- Parents and grandparents of Canadians
- Canadian citizen and permanent resident families
- Foreign nationals applying for extended visits
- Citizenship and Immigration minister
- Foreign insurers approved by the minister
Background
The bill amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. It deals with temporary resident visas for parents and grandparents visiting Canadian citizen or permanent resident children or grandchildren.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Senate
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Completed.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-242, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (temporary resident visas for parents and grandparents)
Vote 200,
Passed
319 yeato0 nay
Party breakdown for vote 200 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 148 0 10 Conservative Yea 112 0 6 Bloc Yea 31 0 1 NDP Yea 24 0 1 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 2 0 0 Total 319 0 2nd reading of Bill C-242, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (temporary resident visas for parents and grandparents)
Vote 76,
Passed
330 yeato1 nay
Party breakdown for vote 76 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea1 broke ranks 154 1 4 Conservative Yea 116 0 3 Bloc Yea 32 0 0 NDP Yea 25 0 0 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 1 0 0 Total 330 1
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalKevin Lamoureux· March 1, 2022
“This is an issue I am fairly passionate about. When I was on the opposition benches, I was actually the critic for immigration.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeKyle Seeback· March 1, 2022
“Number three, the bill would require the minister and the government to prepare a report on reducing the minimum income requirement that a child or grandchild of a foreign national must meet. I am going to go into the importance of these improvements, and why the bill is going to mean so much for Canadian families.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocChristine Normandin· March 1, 2022
“I am very pleased to speak to Bill C-242, because not only was I a member of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, as the member for Winnipeg North mentioned, but, as a lawyer in my previous practice, I worked with families who wanted to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPJenny Kwan· March 1, 2022
“This bill aims to partially address these issues, and while I support the bill, it must be recognized that it is only a stopgap measure. In addition to the points that I have already made, it is essential that we bring back the appeals process for the parents and grandparents stream.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Royal assent received. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.