After a worrisome threat of a Russian invasion on Ukraine, a sovereign independent country, the Ukrainian community in Toronto and elsewhere were horrified of the actual unprovoked military attack last week.  CUIAS has been responding to people who are deeply concerned for the safety of their families in Ukraine.

Civilians have been targeted with devastating results and Ukrainians are forced to flee or fight.  There is worldwide condemnation of Russia’s attack and enormous support for the people of Ukraine.  Here in Canada, voices of solidarity with Ukrainians have been heard, triggering the outpouring of many Canadians offering assistance.  All levels of government have expressed support and CUIAS is communicating with the proper channels to assure Canadians receive information as to how they can best help.

Countless initiatives across Canada have evolved to help displaced Ukrainians. Many people and organizations are mobilizing to collect supplies to help close to a million Ukrainians who have fled and offer support to those that will find themselves in Canada in the near future.  At this time there are many unknowns, as the situation continues to unfold. For current and trustworthy information please follow our CUIAS Immigrant Services Facebook page.

CUIAS is extremely grateful to Canadians reaching out to the Ukrainian diaspora with their offers of understanding, compassion and assistance to Ukrainians and pray that the tragic event will end soon.  We stand with Ukraine for their courageous battle to maintain their independence and freedom to endure.

If you have any questions regarding any help you can provide to the Ukrainians, please call our office at 416-767-4595 Bloor office or 416-225-0511 North York office (you can leave us a message and we will call you back) or email us at contact@cuias.org.

All newcomers to Canada can continue to contact our office for any inquiries.

PLANNING TO FILE YOUR INCOME TAXES?

CUIAS Immigrant Services provides a free income tax clinic for low-income individuals and families. If you need assistance filing your income taxes, please book an appointment with one of our CVITP (Community Volunteer Income Tax Program) trained volunteers at CUIAS: 416-767-4595.

As of October 24, 2017, regulations have changed to raise the age of dependent children from “under 19” to “under 22”.

These instructions are specific to new applications received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on or after October 24, 2017.

To enhance family unity and reunification, and in recognition that many young adults remain with their parents longer , the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) have been amended to introduce a new definition of “dependent child”.

The only change in this new definition is that the maximum age of a dependent child has increased from 18 to 21. The definition retains the requirement for a dependent child to be unmarried and not in a common-law relationship and for overage children with a physical or mental condition to have been continually unable to financially support themselves since before turning 22.

The new definition applies to applications received on or after October 24, 2017. Applications received between August 1, 2014, and October 23, 2017, will be processed based on the previous definitions.

Previous definition: From August 1, 2014, to October 23, 2017, a dependent child was defined as a child under 19 who was not a spouse or common-law partner or a child 19 or older who was dependent on a parent due to a physical or mental condition.

• See all definitions of a dependent child.

Lock-in dates: The regulatory amendments related to the new definition of dependent child do not include any changes to regulations regarding when the age of a child of the principal applicant is locked in.

Transitional provisions: In addition, an amendment has been made to correct an inadvertent omission in the transitional provisions for the August 1, 2014, amendment, to include a dependent child who made an application as a principal applicant as a member of the family class on or before July 31, 2014.

The transitional provisions allowed the applications of certain children whose ages were locked in before August 1, 2014, to be processed based on the pre-amendment definition. It is important to note that for some permanent resident programs, IRCC will continue to receive some applications, which include those of children who are 22 or older, who are full-time students and who qualify as dependants based on the 2014 transitional provisions because their ages were locked in before August 1, 2014. These transitional provisions may apply regardless of the date IRCC receives the permanent residence application.

The transitional provision relating to overage full-time students will become obsolete in the future as older cases are finalized. For more information on the transitional provisions of the August 1, 2014, amendment, consult OB 588, “Change in the definition of a dependent child”, to determine if a child is eligible for their application to be processed for permanent residence based on a transitional provision.

Fees: The new definition of a dependent child has not resulted in any changes to the fee structure. The range of permanent resident fees for dependent children that apply on and after October 24, 2017, are based on the dependant type.

The only temporary resident fees that are affected by the new definition of a dependent child are the family rates for an application for a t emporary r esident v isa and the accompanying biometric fee.