As Global Immigration Solutions & Legal Services reported on May 13, 2013, the Government of Canada, as part of the Economic Action Plan 2013, proposed regulatory amendments to the age of dependent children for all immigration programs that will reduce the age limit to under 19 and will remove the exception for full-time students.
Since the introduction of Immigration and Refugee Protections Regulations (IRPR) under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) in 2002, the definition of a dependent child has included children up to the age of 22. This age could be extended if after this age, the dependents were financially dependent on their parents and in continuous full time studies. This section of the definition will be removed on January 1, 2014.
This amendment has a coming into force date of January 1, 2014. For applicants who submit any sponsorship application or permanent resident application on or after this date, only children under the age of 19 will be eligible to be included as dependents. For all applicants who submitted a permanent resident application prior to January 1, 2014, the existing definition of a dependent child will continue to apply.
We will continue to advise you of any updates we receive in regards to this regulation change. In the meantime, please contact us regarding any current or upcoming applications that may be affected, as we are here to continue to make every effort to meet the needs of our clientele.