Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revised the definition of a dependent child.
Effective October 24, 2017, children qualify as dependants if they meet both of these requirements:
- they’re under 22 years old, and
- they don’t have a spouse or common-law partner.
Children 22 years old or older (also known as an overage dependent children) qualify as dependants if they meet both of these requirements:
- they have depended on their parents for financial support since before the age of 22, and
- they are unable to financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition.
For more details, please see the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website for the current and previous definitions of a dependent child.
Use the IRCC online tool to check if your child qualifies as a dependant.
