Co-authored by Melanie Goldsworthy, Immigration
Paralegal
On August 1, 2014, Citizenship and Immigration Canada
("CIC") released Operational Bulletin 588, which provides
operational guidance to CIC and Canada Border Services Agency on
the amended definition of "dependent child" under section
2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
("IRPR"). The new definition applies across all CIC lines
of business, including temporary residence, effective immediately.
Below is a summary of the highlights of the Operational
Bulletin.
New Definition
The amendment narrows the previous definition of dependent child
by reducing the basic age limit for a dependent child from under 22
to under 19 years and eliminating the eligibility for older
children to be considered dependents on the basis that they are
students. CIC also removed the provision for a child who is married
or in a common-law relationship to be considered a dependent at any
age. Children with a
