SUMMARY

This enactment amends the Immigration Act to ensure that children under the age of twenty-one who are wholly or substantially supported by their parents, or children of any age who are at or have applied for and are awaiting admission to a university, college or other educational institution and wholly or substantially supported by their parents, will be considered as dependents. This is in addition to the existing discretionary assessment currently made by immigration officers on the basis of age or disability.

The amendment reflects the situation in some countries where the reality of family financial responsibilities and the difficulty in gaining admission for full-time education may differ from that in other countries with economies and cultures more like Canada.