It was recently announced by Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC’s) immigration programs that they are conducting changes to the definition of a dependent child. Earlier, the age at which a child was considered a dependent was 22, now it is 19 years from now onwards.
Another good news is that exception for full-time students has also been removed. This amendment brings about a major change for the students who were earlier declared as dependent children as applicants who are 19 or above who are financially dependent on their parents and are enrolled in full-time studies will no longer come in the category of dependent child. In addition, students who are 19 will be considered dependent even if they are financially dependent on their parents, this is a major amendment and will facilitate more students to enroll in full time studies.
In every case, a child will be considered a dependent, regardless of age, if they have depended on their parents for financial support of a physical or mental condition.
In accordance, all permanent resident applications in CIC inventories before August 1, 2014 will continue to reap benefits from the pro-amendment definition of dependent child.
In addition, as of August 1, 2014 to make certain that children who fall under the definition of dependent child at the early stage of a multi-step permanent resident immigration program stay eligible throughout what can be a multi-year process; the child’s age will be set at the first formal step of the immigration process.
This opens the door to thousands of young aspiring adults who are talented and have made up mind to migrate to Canada on the basis of their merits, as foreign students or thorough various other programs. It is unimaginable how big of an impact it will have on the students, student who were prepared to migrate to Canada for receiving a good education and were unable to qualify for a visa due to being dependent child. It will enable to expand one’s horizon as the restrictions have been lifted on age.
