The question was expected and I contacted families in cultural communities all over Canada in order to come up with an appropriate answer.
Families are certainly waiting for their parents and grandparents. They would like to find a solution that would cut down the waiting. It is stressful for them to wait from 9 to 14 years before seeing mom and dad, and they want to find a reasonable solution. As a principle, they have already accepted the basic rule that not everyone has the right to bring their parents in; you have to have the means to do so.
Under the same principle, they cannot all bring in their parents, because of certain social costs. What would be an appropriate level that would allow those people to come? The question is financial. Each province has its magic number for social service costs and for the pressures on the health insurance system. After doing research with appropriate sources, I calculated $75,000 as a national average. I was in touch with economists and other professionals.
At the end of the day, the big question is knowing who is going to pay for it all, governments or families. For the families, the question is settled, without exception. They replied unanimously that they were prepared to pay for their parents to come. I would strongly encourage you to consult those families. Ask them this question: are you willing to pay such and such an amount to bring in your parents if that would get them here on a priority basis? That is the question to ask. But if you are not asking the people involved, you are not really holding appropriate consultations.