Canada Child Benefit Made Simple So You Don’t Miss Them Out
A step-by-step, guide for parents and newcomers explaining who must file RC66 and RC66SCH, how to complete them correctly, avoid common mistakes, prevent payment delays, and secure your Child's CCB.
Understanding the Canada Child Benefit Forms (RC66 and RC66SCH)
The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment that helps eligible families with the cost of raising children under 18. To apply for the CCB (and automatically for related benefits like the GST/HST credit and provincial/territorial child programs), you must complete CRA Form RC66, Canada Child Benefit Application. Form RC66 allows you to register eligible children for benefits and credits. Newcomers to Canada (and certain returning residents) must also complete the supplementary Form RC66SCH, Status in Canada and Income Information. RC66SCH collects details about your immigration or citizenship status and any worldwide income, so the CRA can determine your eligibility and payment amount.
Note: You can download the official forms (fillable PDFs) from the CRA website: the RC66 application page and the RC66SCH schedule page. The CRA pages include links to accessible PDF versions you can open with Adobe Reader.
Newcomers must fill out RC66SCH if any of the following apply to you or your spouse/common-law partner:
You became a resident of Canada (newcomer or returned resident after ≥6 months abroad) in the last 2 years.
You became a Canadian citizen within the last 12 months.
You are a permanent resident, protected person, or temporary resident (as defined by IRPA) who has lived in Canada for the previous 18 months.
You are registered (or entitled to be registered) under the Indian Act and are not a Canadian citizen.
If any of the above apply, the RC66 form itself will prompt you (in Step 4 or 5) to complete RC66SCH. If these conditions do not apply (for example, you and your spouse have been Canadian citizens and residents for many years), you generally don’t need RC66SCH.
Formally, Form RC66 is for the primary caregiver of the child (usually the parent) to declare their personal and family details, and the children’s information. Form RC66SCH (the “Schedule”) provides background on your status in Canada and any income you earned abroad. Together, they determine your CCB and related credits.
Below is a very detailed layout instructions for how to fill in these forms correctly, with tips for common pitfalls.
RC66: Canada Child Benefit Application
Begin with Step 1: Your Information. This is where you enter your personal details. Fill in your Social Insurance Number (SIN), legal first and last name, date of birth (year, month, day), and preferred language of correspondence (English or French). You also provide contact numbers (home, work, cell).
Tip: If you do not have a SIN, leave the field blank and follow the instructions in CRA’s Booklet T4114, Canada Child Benefit under “How do you apply?”. Without a SIN, the CRA needs other documents to identify you.
Step 2: Your Address. Enter your mailing address (street, apartment/box, city, province/territory, postal code). If your province/territory of residence has changed in the last 12 months, check “Yes,” and enter the previous province/territory and date you moved. Then fill in your current residential address (if different).
Tip: Always double-check the spelling and format of your address. Use capital letters for provinces (e.g. ON, QC) or country if outside Canada.
Step 3: Your Marital Status and Partner’s Information. Select one box to describe your current status: Married, Common-Law, Separated, Divorced, Widowed, or Single. Enter the date that this status began (if you have never changed status, you can leave it blank or enter “N/A” if single by birth).
If you checked Married or Living common-law, you must provide your spouse/partner’s information: include their SIN (if they have one), legal first and last name, date of birth, and gender. If your spouse does not have a SIN, check the box “no SIN” and leave the SIN field blank. In that case, you may need to submit ID for your partner separately (refer to T4114). If your partner’s address is different from yours, enter it; otherwise their address is assumed to be the same.
Tip: Enter your spouse’s name exactly as it appears on official documents. If your partner has no SIN, do not invent a number – simply check the box “no SIN” and be prepared to provide their proof of identity if CRA asks later.
Step 4: Citizenship Status. This step asks whether you and your spouse have been Canadian citizens in the last 12 month. Check “Yes” or “No” for yourself, and then “Yes” or “No” for your spouse. (You are considered a citizen if you were born in Canada or granted citizenship by IRCC.)
Important: If you answer “No” for either question (you or your spouse has not been a citizen for the past 12 months), the form instructs you to complete Form RC66SCH. In practice, answering “No” triggers the requirement to file the schedule. This ensures CRA has your immigration details.
Step 5: Newcomer/Returning Resident. (This is on the next page.) Here you answer: “Within the last two years, did you become a newcomer to Canada or return after an absence of at least 6 months?” and the same question about your spouse. Check Yes/No for each.
If you answer “Yes” to either, the form again requires RC66SCH. (The text says “If you answered yes to either of these questions, you have to fill out Form RC66SCH”.)
This is basically another trigger for the schedule. If you are filing both forms together, just proceed to the RC66SCH after completing the RC66 pages.
Step 6: Child(ren) Information. Now provide details about each child you are applying for (each under age 18).
For each child, fill in the following:
Name and Birth: Enter the child’s legal first and last name, gender, and date of birth (year, month, day). Also provide the city and province/territory (or country, if born outside Canada) of birth.
Primary Responsibility: You must be the primary caregiver for the child when they live with you. (The form defines “primarily responsible” as taking care of the child’s daily needs, medical needs, etc.). In practice, this means the child lives mostly with you and you oversee their upbringing.
Residency with You: Indicate how much time the child lives in your care. The RC66 form asks: “Does the child live with you more than 60% of the time?”.
If Yes, enter the date the child started living with you at least 60% of the time, or check “Since birth” if they have lived with you from birth.
If No, check one of the boxes for shared custody or less than 40%. Shared custody (40–60%) means the child lives roughly equal time with you and another parent. If you check 40–60%, you must also enter the date that shared arrangement began. Less than 40% means the child lives mostly with someone else (for example, every other weekend); in that case, CRA deems you not eligible for CCB for that child.
Additional Children: If you have more than two children, use CRA Form RC66-1 (Additional Children) or attach a separate sheet with the same information for each extra child.
Proof of Birth: If the CRA has never paid CCB for a child (for example, a newborn or newly adopted child), you must provide proof of the child’s birth along with your application. Acceptable proof includes the child’s birth certificate, passport, Indian status card, etc. (See CRA’s list of supporting documents for details.) The form notes: “If the CRA has not paid benefits for the child(ren) on this application, you must provide proof of birth”. You can mail or upload these documents to CRA (see Submission section below).
Custody Arrangements: If the other parent is the primary caregiver, special rules apply. CRA normally assumes the female parent is primarily responsible for children living in the home. If the father (or other parent) is actually the primary caregiver, the application must include a signed letter from the female parent confirming this. (No letter is needed if the parents living together are a same-sex couple.) In shared-custody situations (child lives 40–60% with you), each parent typically gets 50% of the benefit amount. Make sure to check the correct boxes (40–60%) so CRA can split the benefit appropriately.
Step 7: Signature. At the end of Form RC66 (page 4), you must sign and date the form. The declaration reads: “I certify that the information given on this form and in any attached document is correct and complete”. Sign your name in the space provided and enter today’s date (year, month, day). Do not forget to sign – an unsigned form is not valid. (If you have a spouse, only you sign RC66; the schedule RC66SCH has signature lines for both of you, as noted below.)
Tip: Keep a copy of everything. Make a photocopy or scan of the completed form and any attachments (supporting documents, letters, etc.) before sending. This protects you in case of any questions.
RC66SCH: Status in Canada and Income Information
Step 1: Your Information. This is similar to RC66 Step 1. Enter your SIN, first/last name, and also your spouse/common-law partner’s SIN, name, etc. If your spouse does not have a SIN, check the box provided.
Step 2: Residency Status. This asks about when you and your spouse established (or re-established) residency in Canada. There are two parts:
A – Newcomer to Canada: If either you or your spouse became a resident in the past two years, enter that date (year, month, day) on the lines provided. The form clarifies that “the date you became a resident of Canada is the date you established significant residential ties”, usually the day you arrived to live here.
B – Returning resident: If either of you used to live in Canada, left for a time, and then came back, fill in this section. Enter the province/territory you lived in before leaving Canada, the date you cut ties (became non-resident), and the date you re-established ties (became resident again).
Fill in the section(s) that apply. For example, if only you (not your spouse) moved to Canada in the last 2 years, fill in your date in part A and leave your spouse’s line blank (or put “N/A”). If neither of you moved or returned, you can leave this step blank.
Step 3: Citizenship/Immigration Status. This collects the dates of your (and your spouse’s) current status:
A – Canadian citizen: If you or your spouse became a Canadian citizen, enter the date (year, month, day) it began. Citizenship typically begins at birth in Canada or on the date citizenship is granted.
B – Permanent resident: If you or your spouse became a permanent resident, enter that date. (This date is on your Record of Landing or Confirmation of Permanent Residence.)
C – Protected person: If you or your spouse became a protected person (refugee status), enter the date of the positive decision.
D – Temporary resident: If you or your spouse is in Canada on a temporary permit (student, worker, visitor, etc.), fill out the details of your permit(s). The form notes that for CCB purposes you must have lived in Canada for 18 months and hold a valid permit in the 19th month. If you meet these conditions, enter the start and expiry dates of each permit document covering your current status. If you do not meet the 18-month rule, the form warns that your application will only register you (and children) for the GST/HST credit. In any case, include copies of your immigration documents (landing papers, visas, permits) with your application or have them ready if CRA requests them.
E – Registered under the Indian Act: If you or your spouse is a Status Indian (or entitled to be registered) and are not a Canadian citizen, enter the date of your registration with Indigenous Services Canada.
Step 4: Worldwide Income. In this section you declare any income you (and your spouse) earned outside Canada that was not reported on a Canadian tax return. This is often “immigration-year income” from before you filed taxes in Canada. Enter each amount in the appropriate box. Important: All amounts must be converted into Canadian dollars using the Bank of Canada exchange rate in effect when you received the income. (You can use the BOA website or any CRA-authorized source to find historical rates.) The form specifically instructs:
“Enter your and your spouse’s income from all sources that was not reported on a Canadian tax return. All amounts must be converted into Canadian dollars using the Bank of Canada exchange rate in effect when you received the income. For the exchange rates, go to bankofcanada.ca/rates/exchange.”.
The income sections are divided by year relative to when you became resident:
A – Year of becoming a resident: Enter the year (e.g. 2023 if you moved in 2023). Then report the income you earned from January 1 of that year up to the date you became a resident. (If your spouse also became resident in that same year, report their income in the spouse column.) Do not enter your spouse’s income here if they did not become resident in that year – that would be reported on form CTB9 on your Canadian tax return.
B – One year prior: Enter the year immediately before (e.g. 2022 if you came in 2023). In each column, enter the total income earned in that full year (Jan–Dec) before you/your spouse became resident.
C – Two years prior: (This is only needed if you became resident between Jan 1 and May 31 of the current year.) Enter the year two years ago (e.g. 2021 if you arrived in Feb 2023) and the corresponding income amounts.
Enter “0” if you or your spouse had no income in a given year. Again, convert any foreign income to CAD. (If you were earning income while a non-resident, you will also file Form CTB9 when doing your first Canadian tax return, but RC66SCH only asks for these overseas amounts.)
Step 5: Signature. At the bottom of RC66SCH, both you and your spouse must sign and date the form. The declaration says you certify the information is correct and complete. For example:
Your signature: ___________________ Date: YYYY MM DD
Do not forget the signatures! Both partners should sign unless you are single.
Tip: The last page of RC66SCH reminds you to make a copy of the form and attach it to RC66. It specifically instructs: “Make a photocopy for your records. Attach this form to your Form RC66… You do not have to send supporting documents with this form, but the CRA may ask for them later”. In practice, keep your own documentation handy.
Supporting Documents and Common Tips
Birth Certificates: As noted, proof of each child’s birth must be provided if CRA hasn’t already got it. Include clear photocopies of birth certificates or passports (front/back) for all children.
Immigration Documents: Attach copies of any immigration documents that support what you wrote on RC66SCH: e.g. Confirmation of Permanent Residence, work/study permit, PR card, Record of Landing, positive refugee decision, etc. While RC66SCH itself says you don’t have to send them immediately, it’s often fastest to include them now rather than wait for a request.
Residency Proof: If you moved to Canada in the last two years, also include proof of arrival date or residency (e.g. lease, rent receipts, utility bills dated at least in the year you claim as arriving). This backs up your date on RC66SCH Step 2.
Spouse’s Documents: If you reported a non-resident spouse’s income on RC66SCH, you may need Form CTB9 later – but the form’s last page provides instructions on filing CTB9 after you do your taxes.
Primary Caregiver Letter: If CRA normally assumes the mother is primary but you are the other parent, include that signed letter from the mother (as explained above).
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Missing or Wrong SIN: A very common error is misstating your SIN or your spouse’s. Check them carefully – one wrong digit will delay processing. If a spouse has no SIN, do not enter zeros or dashes; instead, check “no SIN”.
Not signing the form: An unsigned RC66 or RC66SCH is not valid. Make sure all signature/date lines are completed.
Leaving sections blank incorrectly: If a section doesn’t apply, write “N/A” or “0” as appropriate. For example, if you have no spouse, leave spouse fields blank or strike them out. If you have no income, enter “0”.
Forgetting spouse’s info: If you have a spouse or common-law partner, you generally must include their SIN and info in Step 3 of RC66 and their information on RC66SCH. Even if they live separately for part of the year, include them if you were still married/common-law by Dec 31.
Date format errors: The forms ask for YYYY MM DD in separate fields. Ensure the year is four digits, and use numbers (e.g. 2025 07 23).
Not double-checking child details: The child’s name and birth date on the form must match their proof-of-birth exactly. Typos here can cause confusion.
Omitting RC66SCH when required: As noted, ticking “No” on the citizenship question or “Yes” on the newcomer question makes RC66SCH mandatory. Failing to attach it will slow or nullify your CCB application (you’ll only get the GST/HST credit until you provide it).
Submitting the Forms and Processing
How to Submit: You can apply for the Canada Child Benefit in two main ways:
Online via CRA My Account: If you already have a CRA MyAccount (or MyCRA app), sign in and use the “Apply for child benefits” option. You can upload documents (like birth certificates) directly. This is often faster and more secure. The CRA guidance on processing times explains how to check the status after applying online.
By Mail (Paper Forms): If applying on paper, send your completed RC66 and RC66SCH (and any other sheet, e.g. RC66-1 if needed) to the CRA tax centre for your province/territory. The official CRA instruction is:
Fill out and sign Form RC66.
Include all required supporting documents (proof of birth, immigration docs, custody letters, etc.).
Mail it together with RC66SCH to your tax centre.
The mailing address depends on your province:
You can confirm your correct tax centre on the CRA website.
Processing Times: As of late 2025, the CRA has warned of longer processing delays for CCB applications. You should expect that mail-in applications may take several months to process. (In fact, the CRA notices say: “We are currently experiencing delays in processing RC66 applications”) After mailing your forms, you can track the status:
CRA My Account: Once submitted, log into your CRA account and use the Benefits and credits section’s progress tracker. It will show when CRA has received and processed your application.
Check processing times tool: Alternatively, visit the CRA’s Check CRA processing times page. Choose “Canada child benefit application” and the option you used (RC66 form), then click “Show targeted processing times”. This gives the current estimated turnaround (for straightforward cases, often measured in weeks or months).
Phone or mail follow-up: If more than 4 months have passed without word, you can call the CRA automated line (1-800-387-1193 in Canada) to inquire about your application or document status.
After Submission: Once processed, the CRA will send you a Notice of Determination (or Entitlement) letter, stating whether you’re approved, how much CCB (and GST/HST credit) you’ll receive, and from what date. Keep it with your records.
For ongoing benefits, remember: you must file a Canadian tax return every year (even if you had no income) so CRA can calculate your next year’s payments. Also inform CRA of any change in your situation (new child, address change, marital status change, etc.) via your My Account or by calling.
Additional Resources and Tutorials
Official CRA Forms and Guides: See the CRA’s forms page for RC66 and RC66SCH. The Booklet T4114, Canada Child Benefit provides full instructions on eligibility.
CRA YouTube Videos: The “HowzitCanada” YouTube channel has step-by-step tutorials, e.g. “Complete Guide to Completing Form RC66” and “How to Complete the RC66SCH Form”. Watching these videos can help visualize each section (search on YouTube for “HowzitCanada RC66SCH”).
Bank of Canada Exchange Rates: For currency conversion, visit the Bank of Canada Exchange Rates page to find the historic rates needed for your income conversion on RC66SCH.
Tax Credits for Newcomers: The CRA’s “Benefits, credits and taxes for newcomers” page offers general advice (e.g. about filing taxes, GST/HST credits, etc.).
By carefully following the steps above, filling every section accurately, and submitting all required documents, you can ensure your child benefit application is processed smoothly. The CRA uses this information to calculate your monthly CCB payments (and any GST/HST credit or provincial child benefits).
Disclaimer: Always refer to the latest CRA publications for updates.
Case Study 1
A Couple needs to fill out the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) application forms (RC66 & RC66SCH).
The application is mainly required from the wife’s, as she came to Canada after husband.
The form asks for wife’s previous income before she arrived in Canada, specifically from January 2024 to May 2024, when she was in India.
Along with this, the form also asks for spouse (husband’s) income details.
In another section, the form asks for income information for the year 2023 for both my wife and me.
During 2023:
Wife was in India for the entire year.
Husband was partly in Canada and partly in India.
How to understand this:
How should the wife’s income be reported on the form?
How should the husband’s income be reported, considering he earned income in two countries?
What exactly does CRA expect to be disclosed on RC66SCH in this situation?
How to Report Income on RC66 & RC66SCH in Your Situation
Since the wife arrived in Canada after the husband had arrived, the CRA requires worldwide income information for both spouses to correctly calculate the Canada Child Benefit (CCB). This is very common for newcomer families, so nothing to worry about.
Follow the steps below.
1. Income From January 2024 to May 2024 (Before Your Wife Came to Canada)
This information is reported on Form RC66SCH (Status in Canada and Income Information).
Wife’s Income (January–May 2024 – India)
The Wife must report her total income earned outside Canada from January 1, 2024 until the date she became a resident of Canada.
This includes:
Employment income
Business income
Rental income
Interest or any other earnings
The amount must be:
Converted to Canadian dollars
Using a reasonable exchange rate (Bank of Canada average rate is acceptable)
If the Wife had no income, write “0” (do not leave it blank, otherwise the CRA has no clue as to what you want to convey to them).
Husband’s Income for the Same Period (January–May 2024)
CRA asks for (husband’s) spouse income to determine family entitlement.
Husband must report his worldwide income for the same period, which includes:
Income earned in Canada
Income earned in India, if any
Again:
Convert foreign income to CAD
Combine all income sources
This is reported on RC66SCH in the spouse income section.
2. Income Information for the Year 2023 (Lower Section of RC66SCH)
This part is very important and often misunderstood.
CRA asks for worldwide income for the entire 2023 calendar year, even if one or both of you were not Canadian residents at that time.
Wife’s 2023 Income (India)
Report total income earned in India during 2023
Convert the full-year amount to Canadian dollars
If she had no income, report “0”
Husband’s 2023 Income (Canada + India)
Because the husband was in Canada and India in 2023, he must report:
All his income earned in Canada in 2023
All his income earned in India in 2023
Combine both and report the total worldwide income
Convert any Indian income to CAD
This is not your taxable income and does not need to match your Canadian tax return exactly. CRA uses this only to assess benefit eligibility.
3. Key Points to Remember (Very Important)
Always report gross income, not net
Never leave income fields blank—use 0 if applicable
Use reasonable exchange rates
Reporting worldwide income does not automatically create tax liability
Incorrect or missing income details can:
Delay CCB approval
Trigger CRA review letters
Result in benefit reassessments later
4. Which Forms Are Required in Your Case?
RC66 – Canada Child Benefits Application
RC66SCH – Status in Canada & Income Information
Supporting documents:
Immigration documents (COPR, visa, work permit)
Marriage certificate (if requested)