Yes, according to him it’s principal applicants only. I’m not 100% sure, but the logic is actually very convincing.
Let’s use simple math to see what the “500” would mean
if IRCC counted dependents inside that number:
- Assume 30% of the 500 goes to SE → 150 SE
- The remaining 70% → 350 SUV
Now look at a real example:
Our group has
4 principal applicants, all married and each with children →
19 people total.
If IRCC counted dependents, then:
350 total spots ÷ 19 people per application = 18.4 SUV applications per year.
Even if we reduce the family size by half, the number still stays
under 40 SUV applications.
That’s almost nothing.
Now compare that to the actual intake reality:
- Annual new application cap: 10 per DO
- There are about 79 DOs
- Even if each DO uses only half of their allowance → 5 applications each
That alone is:
5 × 80 ≈ 400 new SUV applications per year,
not including backlogs, which are already massive.
So mathematically it is
impossible that the “500” includes families.
It only makes little sense if the quota refers to
principal applicants only.