CCB eligibility: the rules for getting the Canada Child Benefit

CCB eligibility requirements: the five tests

The CRA checks CCB eligibility month by month. If you meet all five conditions in a month, you can be paid for that month; if one stops being true, payments stop from that point. Here is what each test means in practice.

1. You live with a child under 18

The child must live with you, not just be your child. A parent who pays support but whose child lives elsewhere full time is not eligible for that child. The child can be your biological or adopted child, a grandchild, a relative's child, or another child in your care.

2. You are primarily responsible for the child

The CRA looks at who actually does the parenting: supervising daily activities and needs, making sure medical needs are met, and arranging child care when needed. Legal guardianship alone is not the test.

3. You are a resident of Canada for tax purposes

You must normally live in Canada and have significant residential ties, such as a home here or a spouse and dependants living here. Someone who has moved abroad and cut those ties loses eligibility even if they still hold Canadian citizenship.

4. You or your spouse meets the status test

Only one of the two partners needs to meet this test. The qualifying categories are listed in the next section.

5. No Children's Special Allowance for the child

Children in care of an agency for whom a Children's Special Allowance is paid cannot also be claimed for the CCB. This mainly affects foster placements. A child placed with a grandparent, another relative or a close friend under a kinship or close relationship program can still be claimed, as long as no Children's Special Allowance is payable for that child.

Canada child benefit eligibility and immigration status

You, or your spouse or common-law partner, must fall into one of these groups. It does not matter which of you meets it, and the child's own status is not part of the test.

The temporary resident rule has its own details, including what happens when a permit expires and which permits do not count. Our page on CCB for work permit holders covers them step by step.

Who should apply: the female parent presumption

When a child lives with both parents in the same home, the CRA presumes the female parent is primarily responsible for all the children. She is the one who should apply, and the payment goes to her. The CRA issues one CCB payment per household, and the amount is the same whichever parent receives it.

The other parent can apply instead if the female parent signs a letter stating that the other parent is primarily responsible, and the letter is attached to the application. For same-sex couples, one parent applies for all the children in the home.

Separated or shared custody

• Child lives with you more than 60% of the time: you apply.
• Child lives with each parent 40% to 60% of the time: both parents apply and each receives half the amount they would get with full custody.
• Child lives with you less than 40% of the time: you are not eligible for that child.
• Temporary stays: apply only for the period the child actually lives with you.

For how the 50% split and custody changes are handled, see the page on CCB and shared custody.

When does CCB entitlement start, and how do you apply?

Because eligibility is checked month by month, timing matters. The CRA pays the CCB from the month after the month you become eligible, for example the month after your baby is born or a child starts living with you, and entitlement stops the month after the child is no longer in your care. Apply as soon as you qualify, using one of three routes:

1. At birth registration: the mother of a newborn can consent on the provincial or territorial birth registration form to share her information with the CRA (the Automated Benefits Application, available everywhere except Nunavut).
2. In your CRA account: under Benefits and credits, apply for child benefits and upload any documents through Submit documents.
3. By mail with Form RC66: send the signed form to your tax centre. Newcomers and returning residents also attach Form RC66SCH, Status in Canada and Statement of Income.

If the period you apply for started more than 11 months ago, the CRA asks for proof of your status, your residency and that you are primarily responsible for the child, covering the whole period. The same application registers the child for the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit and the provincial or territorial programs the CRA runs. The CCB was last paid on October 20, 2026; the next payments are November 20 and December 11.

CCB eligibility income: is there a limit?

There is no income ceiling in the eligibility rules. A family earning $250,000 is just as eligible as one earning $25,000; the difference is how much it receives. Income sets the amount through the reduction formula, and the amount only reaches zero at high incomes that vary with the number and ages of children.

Because of this, it is worth applying even if you expect a small amount. If the yearly total is under $240, you get it as one July payment. Registering also lets the CRA pay any provincial or territorial child benefit you qualify for in the same deposit. The CCB increase page explains how the thresholds move each July.

Staying eligible after you are approved

Meeting the rules once is not enough. These are the most common ways families lose payments they are still entitled to.

1. File a tax return every year, and make sure your spouse or partner does too, even if neither of you had income.
2. Report a change in marital status through your CRA account, since it changes whose income is counted.
3. Tell the CRA when a child moves out, moves in, or the custody split changes.
4. Update your address when you move, especially to another province.
5. If you are a temporary resident, send your renewed permit to the CRA before the current one expires.

For amounts and dates once you qualify, the Canada Child Benefit guide brings everything together.