If you are applying for permanent residency and wish to include your dependent children OR if you are applying to sponsor your dependent children, please know that 22 is the magic number. Better stated: In most cases, the children must be 21 years of age or younger to be included. READ THAT AGAIN.
The old rules are THE OLD RULES. IRCC defines DEPENDENT children as follows:
a child must be in one of the following situations:
- under 22 years of age and not a spouse or common-law partner
- 22 years of age or older, have depended substantially on the financial support of the parent since before the age of 22 and be unable to support themselves financially due to a physical or mental condition (it is the financial dependency that must have been ongoing since before the age of 22. It is not necessary for the physical or mental condition to have existed before the age of 22.)
Dependent children who do not have a physical or mental condition must remain unmarried and not in a common-law relationship for the duration of processing, up until the point of becoming a permanent resident.
I will summarize it for you. A child must not yet be 22 years of age. A child must not be your spouse/common-law partner.A child that is 22 years of older may be eligible for sponsorship IF they are financially dependent on you due to a physical or mental condition.
The age of the child is locked in at the date of your application for permanent residency. For example, if you have a daughter that is 21 years old and you are planning to file for permanent residency, your application must be received by IRCC BEFORE she turns 22.
Have questions about a DEPENDENT? Call 604-260-5002. You can also book a private consultation: cooverimmigration.com/advice
