Who qualifies as a "Dependent Child"?

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I found the following information at: http://www.global-emigration.com/canada/family-spouse-dependent-visa-faq.asp

For Canadian Immigration purposes, a "dependent child" means a child who is:

- Under 22 and unmarried on the date the application for sponsorship is submitted (and still unmarried on the date the child lands in Canada); or
- Of any age or marital status and financially dependent on his or her parents as a result of being either: continuously enrolled and in attendance as a full-time student in an educational institution since the age of 22 (or since the date of marriage, if married before 22); or unable to support him or herself due to a physical or mental disability.
- Students who interrupt their full-time studies for less than one year in total and remain financially dependent upon their parents during that time will still be considered "dependent children".

Has anyone ever heard of this one year off? This is the first time I have seen this.

Our kid is over 22 and heading to grad school. But if he can take up to a year off it makes more sense for us to put off his school until he is in Canada. I would really hate to pay a semester's tuition just to get PPR and then have him drop out.

I would rather enroll him in January and hope that we have have landed before then.

 

[Leon]

If you look at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op02-eng.pdf which is the manual defining family members, you will find this:

R2(b)(ii) & (iii) describe children over the age of 22 who may be considered dependent children if they are substantially dependent on their parents for financial support. This includes full-time students enrolled in accredited post secondary institutions or children with a physical or mental condition. In such cases, officers must ask for documentary evidence of full time attendance at school, evidence of the institution's accreditation with the relevant authority, evidence of the physical or mental condition and evidence of financial dependency on parents.

For further information on dependent children over the age of 22, see:
• Assessment of a claim that a dependent child is a student, Section 14 below.

And this:

Dependent children over 22 years of age and full-time students:

Since before the age of 22 or, if married or a common-law partner before the age of 22, since becoming a spouse of common-law partner they have been:
• substantially dependent for financial support on their parents; and
• continuously enrolled and actively pursuing a course of study at an accredited post secondary institution when the application is received by CPC-M and when the visa is issued.

There is also the section 14 on page 49 of the document. I see no mention of a gap year being allowed anywhere. Better be safe than sorry and enrol in a course for this term.

 

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Thank you so much Leon. This was the first I had seen of the gap too.

Looks like Junior will be going to school in the fall.