Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and registered Indians who are 18 or older can sponsor a dependent child for permanent residence under Canada's family class. A dependent child is generally a child under 22 years of age who does not have a spouse or common-law partner. Children 22 or older may still qualify as dependants if they have been financially dependent on a parent since before the age of 22 and are unable to support themselves due to a mental or physical condition. A key feature of dependent child sponsorship is the age lock-in rule — the child's age is assessed at the date IRCC receives the complete application, not at the time a visa or PR is granted. Sponsors do not need to meet a minimum income requirement to sponsor a dependent child. This page explains the dependent child definition, age lock-in, adopted children, and how the application works.

For current information on sponsoring a dependent child, refer to the IRCC sponsor your spouse, partner or child page.

• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), s 2 — definition of dependent child — a child under 22 without a spouse or common-law partner; or 22+ who is financially dependent on a parent due to a mental or physical condition
• IRPR, s 117(1)(b) and (c) — dependent children are members of the family class; eligible for sponsorship by a Canadian citizen, PR, or registered Indian
• IRPR, s 132(1) — sponsorship requirements including the age (18+) and residency conditions for sponsors
• IRPR, s 63 — age lock-in rule; the age of a dependent child for definition purposes is locked at the date IRCC receives the complete application
• IRCC: Sponsor your spouse, partner or child — Guide IMM 5289 — canada.ca/IMM5289

The definition of a dependent child

Under the IRPR, a dependent child is defined as a person who is:

• Under 22 years of age and does not have a spouse or common-law partner at the time the age is assessed; or
• 22 years of age or older who has been financially dependent on a parent since before the age of 22, and who is unable to financially support themselves due to a mental or physical condition

The 22-year threshold replaced an earlier regime (under which the age was 19 for most children, with exceptions for full-time students) following regulatory changes in October 2017. The current threshold of 22 applies to all applications where the child's age was established on or after 24 October 2017.

The age lock-in rule

One of the most important practical aspects of dependent child sponsorship is the age lock-in. The child's age for the purpose of meeting the dependent child definition is assessed at the date IRCC receives the complete sponsorship application — not at the date the visa is issued or the date the child becomes a permanent resident. This means:

• A child who is 21 when the complete application is received by IRCC remains a "dependent child" throughout the processing period, even if they turn 22, 23, or older while the application is pending
• The application must be complete when received — an incomplete application does not trigger the age lock-in; if IRCC requests additional documents and the application is not complete until after the child turns 22, the lock-in does not apply from the initial submission date
• The lock-in protects applicants from the consequences of IRCC's own processing delays — children do not age out simply because IRCC takes longer than expected to decide the application

Who can sponsor a dependent child

To sponsor a dependent child, the sponsor must:

• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or registered Indian
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Live in Canada — permanent residents must be resident in Canada; Canadian citizens living abroad can also sponsor a dependent child, but must confirm their intention to return to Canada when the child becomes a PR
• Not be subject to any sponsorship bars — for example, being under a sponsorship undertaking in default, having been sponsored as a PR within the last 5 years, or being subject to a removal order. For details, see the sponsorship bars page

No minimum income requirement for dependent children

Unlike the Parent and Grandparent Program (which requires proof of meeting the minimum necessary income for three years), sponsoring a dependent child alone does not require the sponsor to meet a minimum income threshold. However, the sponsor still signs a sponsorship undertaking — a legal commitment to financially support the sponsored child and ensure they do not need to access social assistance — for a period of 10 years (or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first). For more on the undertaking, see the sponsorship undertaking page.

Biological and adopted children

Both biological and adopted children can be sponsored as dependent children:

• Biological children: a sponsor's biological child, including children born outside marriage, can be sponsored if they meet the dependent child definition
• Adopted children: an adopted child can be sponsored where the adoption is legally valid under the law of the country where the adoption was finalised and meets Canadian requirements. International adoption pathways involve coordination between IRCC and provincial/territorial adoption authorities. The child must have been legally adopted — a guardianship arrangement or informal care is not equivalent to adoption for immigration purposes
• Step-children: the step-child of a sponsor may also qualify as a dependent child if the sponsor has legally adopted them, or in certain circumstances as part of a spousal sponsorship where the step-child is included as a dependent

Including dependent children in other applications

A dependent child does not always need a separate sponsorship application — they can also be included as a dependent in another family class application. For example:

• A sponsor sponsoring a spouse or partner can include the spouse's/partner's dependent children in that application
• A person applying for PR through Express Entry can include their dependent children in their own PR application (not a sponsorship)

A standalone dependent child sponsorship application is required where the sponsor is sponsoring a child without the child's other parent — for example, a Canadian PR bringing their biological child from overseas while the other parent is not immigrating.

How to apply

The application for a dependent child sponsorship involves both the sponsor and the child:

1. The sponsor completes the sponsorship application (IMM 1344) and signs the undertaking
2. The dependent child completes the PR application (IMM 0008) and additional forms for dependent children
3. Both applications are submitted together to IRCC — the complete guide is IMM 5289
4. Required documents include identity documents for both sponsor and child, proof of relationship (birth certificate, adoption order), sponsor's proof of status in Canada, and the child's passport photographs

For current application forms, processing times, and fees, refer to the IRCC sponsor your spouse, partner or child — how to apply page.

The age lock-in rule is one of the more protective provisions in Canadian immigration law for families — it ensures that a child who qualifies at the time of application does not become ineligible simply because IRCC's processing times extend past their 22nd birthday. However, the lock-in only operates from the date IRCC receives a complete application — an incomplete submission does not lock in the age. Sponsors should submit complete, well-documented applications as early as possible, particularly when a child is approaching 22. The 22-and-older dependency exception (financial dependence due to a mental or physical condition) is less commonly invoked and more difficult to establish — it requires ongoing medical evidence and documentation of financial dependency history. Sponsors who believe an adult child qualifies under this exception should obtain detailed medical evidence and financial support records before applying. A common misconception is that the minimum necessary income (MNI) requirement applies to dependent child sponsorships — it does not. MNI applies to parent and grandparent sponsorships. The sponsorship undertaking (financial commitment) does apply, but there is no income floor. For current forms, the IMM 5289 guide, and processing times, refer to the IRCC sponsor your spouse, partner or child page.