Friday May 5, 2017
Ahmed Hussen. Photo: screenshot video Facebook Ahmed Hussen
May 3, 2017, the federal government published regulatory changes to increase the maximum age of a dependent child in cases of family reunification.According to the new regulations:
The new age limit of “under 22” will come into effect this fall, on October 24, 2017, raising it from the current “under 19” requirement.
The increased age will apply to new applications for all immigration programs under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, including for refugees.
Children who are 22 years of age or older and who rely on their parents due to a physical or mental health condition will continue to be considered dependent children.
“Raising the age of dependants 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,” said Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Immigration Canada has recently eliminated the condition which required spouses and partners of Canadian citizens to live with their sponsors for two years after arriving in Canada in order to keep their permanent resident status.
In 2016, the number of parent and grandparent sponsorship applications accepted each year for intake was doubled to 10,000 applications, and the Government announced processing times for most sponsored spouses and partners would be reduced to 12 month.