The usual child criteria include being unmarried and under 21, with any applicable CSPA protection assessed individually.
Review age and relationship together
Do not treat one condition as a substitute for the other. Inclusion in a budget or the principal’s progress does not guarantee the child’s eligibility or residence outcome.
Review every proposed derivative for relationship, marital status, age, admissibility, and case-specific CSPA protection. Being unmarried is insufficient regardless of age; the ordinary child definition also requires under 21 unless applicable law preserves classification. Keep citizenship separate from Canadian permanent residence. Include each eligible family member as part of the principal's initial online application and pay a US$15,000 DHS processing fee for each person, which is nonrefundable. After settlement, USCIS requests Form I-140G—officially “Immigrant Petition for the Gold Card Program.” Only a post-vetting government request triggers a gift of US$1 million to the United States. This program operates through EB-1 or EB-2, never EB-5; its gift is not an investment. Verify directions before funds move. The recurring mistake is copying the principal's eligibility conclusion to every relative.
Hypothetical example: an Orford alpine-safety researcher plans to include her spouse, a 19-year-old unmarried daughter, and a 22-year-old unmarried son. The son does not qualify merely because he is single; any claimed CSPA protection needs its own dates and legal analysis. The initial application, separate processing payments, identity records, and relationship documents should be mapped for potentially eligible relatives. The researcher's EB-1 or EB-2 showing remains a principal issue, while family inclusion cannot be secured by sending gifts early or describing the payments as EB-5 capital.