Glossary

Conjugal partner

A person 16 years of age or over of the same or the opposite sex who has maintained with the sponsor a marital relationship for at least one year and who is living outside Canada.

Co-signing spouse

Your spouse or common-law spouse may sign the undertaking form. Your spouse then also becomes jointly and severally responsible, along with you, for this undertaking.

The co-signing spouse must satisfy the same conditions as the sponsor. He or she undertakes to provide for the essential needs of the sponsored person(s) and assumes the same responsibilities as the sponsor.

Dependent child

The biological offspring of either parent, who has not been adopted by any person other than their parent’s spouse or de facto spouse; or the adopted child of either parent.

This child must be :

• he/she is less than 22 years old, and neither married (he/she is single, widowed, or divorced) nor a de facto spouse; or
• he/she is still substantially dependent on the financial support of a parent, and
  • is 22 years of age or older, is studying full-time*, and is neither married nor a de facto spouse; or
  • became a spouse or de facto spouse before the age of 22, and is a full-time student*; or
  • is 22 years of age or older, and has been unable to support himself/herself at least since his/her 22^nd birthday, owing to a physical or mental disability.

This definition also extends to the child of a dependent child.

* In order to be considered a full-time student, the child must be enrolled on a continuous basis in a postsecondary institution that is accredited by the relevant government authorities; must be attending this institution; and must have been actively taking academic, professional, or vocational training courses there on a full-time basis and without interruption at least since his/her 22nd birthday, or since the date on which he/she married or became a de facto spouse.

Spouse

Spouse or de facto spouse

Spouse
A married person of at least 16 years of age who:

• was not , at the time of marriage, the spouse of another person;
• is not the de facto spouse of another person while living apart from his or her spouse for at least one year.

De facto spouse

A person at least 16 years of age of the same or the opposite sex who has:

• been living maritally for at least one year with the sponsor or the principal sponsored person;
• had a marital relationship for at least one year with the sponsor or the principal sponsored person but who may not live with him or her because of persecution or penal control