Canada Immigration Accompanying Children Age Adjusted to 18 Years Old

  Recently, in addition to revising the family reunification immigration policy for parents and grandparents, the Canadian immigration department has also revised the age of accompanying children for immigration applicants. The new policy stipulates that the age of children applying for immigration with their parents will be reduced from 22 years to 18 years. The proposal also calls for the abolition of the current provision that includes "children over the specified age who are still studying full-time in school" in the application. This regulation is set to be implemented on January 1, 2014.
  The Canadian immigration department believes that this move aligns with the domestic standard adult age in Canada and is in line with international standards. It also points out that applicants over 18 years old can independently apply to visit or immigrate to Canada. Regarding the subjects involved in the new regulations, the immigration department's explanation is that any applicants who submitted "sponsorship family reunification immigration" and "permanent resident" applications before January 1, 2014, will not be subject to this regulation.
  Canada's restrictions on the age of immigrant children have previously been relatively lenient. Before 2002, the qualifying age for accompanying children of immigration applicants was 19 years old. Starting in 2002, as long as the children are under 22 years old, studying in a full-time school, unmarried, and financially dependent on their parents, they can accompany their parents to immigrate. Canada's lenient age restrictions for children are one of the important reasons why immigration applicants choose it. However, the new regulation requires that accompanying children of immigration applicants be 18 years old or younger, which does not completely close the door to immigration. Children over 18 can choose to study first and then immigrate, applying for immigration independently.