Applications for permanent residence in Canada include:
• the principal applicant;
• their spouse or common-law partner;
• dependent child of the principal applicant or of their spouse or common-law partner;
• dependent child of a dependent child of the principal applicant or of their spouse or common-law partner.

“Lock-in Dates” for dependents
The age of accompanying dependent children is “locked in” on the date of application, but dependence is not. If a child is under the age of 22 on the date of application but 23 when the visa is issued, they may still be included as part of the parent’s application as an accompanying dependent, as long as they still satisfy the other elements of the definition of a dependent child. If a child over the age of 22 is considered a dependant on the date of application by virtue of R2(b)(ii) or (iii), i.e., financially dependent due to full-time study or physical or mental condition, then, the child must still meet the requirements of these provisions at the time of visa issuance in order to be included in the parent’s application.

All dependents must be “admissible”
The principal applicant and all persons described above must be determined to be admissible, even if they have no intention of accompanying the principal applicant, in order for visas to be issued to the principal applicant or any accompanying family members. All family members, accompanying or not, are required to be examined unless an officer decides otherwise. Normally, any inadmissible family member would render the principal applicant inadmissible as well [A42; R23]. There are, however, two exceptions to this rule described in R23. The first is the separated spouse of the applicant. The second is a child of the applicant who is in the legal custody of someone other than the applicant or an accompanying family member, or where someone other than the applicant or an accompanying family member is empowered to act on behalf of that child, by virtue of a court order or written agreement or by operation of law.
If an applicant’s separated spouse or their children who are in the custody of someone else are inadmissible, their inadmissibility would not render the applicant inadmissible. Because separated spouses can reconcile and custody arrangements for children can change, examination is required in order to safeguard the future right to sponsor them in the family class. If these family members are not examined, they cannot be sponsored in the family class in the future under R117(9)(d), unless R117(10) applies.

Adding Family Members to Applications
Family members can be added to the application at any time during the process, including after the visa is issued but prior to obtaining permanent resident status. Applicants should be counseled to inform the visa office immediately if their family composition has changed. Please see OP 2 Section 7.7 for more information. To include adopted children, spouses, or common-law partners as accompanying family members, R4 requires that the relationship must be genuine and not one entered into primarily for immigration purposes. If additional family members are added to the application during processing, medical and security clearance must be obtained for each family member before a final decision is made

National Occupation Classification (NOC)
The NOC is the official governmental classification system of occupations in the Canadian economy. It describes duties, skills, aptitudes, and work settings for all occupations in Canada. For the purposes of skilled worker applications, the “Employment Requirements” listed in the description of each occupation are not applicable. The NOC 2006 can also be accessed online at http://www23.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca