Currently, dependents are defined in Canadian immigration law as children under the age of 19 – even if they are in post-secondary school and are completely dependent on their parents. This has caused a lot of disruption and stress for families who are forced to leave their children out of permanent residence applications.
The new regulations will be changing effective October 24, 2017 to return the age of dependent to under 22, where it used to be several years ago. The under 22 dependent age will apply to all immigration applications for permanent residence, including refugee applications. In addition, children who are 22 years of age or older and who rely on their parents due to physical or mental health conditions will continue to be considered dependents under the new regulations.
Minister Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship believes that “raising the age of dependents lets more families stay together. This will bring economic and social gains to our country as it enhances our attractiveness as a destination of choice for immigrants and refugees.”
More information can be found here.
