Who qualifies for the Canada Child Benefit
Four conditions must all be true. Miss one, and there is no CCB for that child — though a failed status condition can sometimes be fixed later, as explained below.
The four conditions
- You live with the child, who is under 18. The child must live with you.
- You are primarily responsible for the child's care and upbringing. This is about day-to-day responsibility, not just a legal title.
- You are a resident of Canada for tax purposes. Tax residence, not citizenship alone, is the test.
- Status: you, or your spouse or common-law partner, is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a protected person, a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for at least 18 months and holds a valid permit in the 19th month, or a person registered or entitled to be registered under the Indian Act.
Status traps
Temporary residents: the 18 months must be met, and the permit must not carry a remark such as "does not confer status" or "does not confer temporary resident status". If the conditions are not met, the application only registers the children for the CGEB and other CRA programs — you re-apply for the CCB once the conditions are met.
Refugee claimants: a refugee claimant without a positive notice of decision is not a protected person for CCB purposes. That distinction surprises people, and it is worth stating plainly.
Foster children: no CCB is payable for a foster child in any month for which children's special allowances are payable for that child.
Two extensions worth knowing
If a child dies, CCB eligibility is extended for 6 months after the child's death, provided the claimant is otherwise eligible. The same extension applies to the CDB and to listed provincial programs. And if you share custody, the rules on the shared custody page replace the single-household picture: each parent may receive half.
Sources
CRA publication T4114(E) Rev. 26, "Eligibility criteria" and "Situations in which you can apply": canada.ca — T4114.