By route type
CBI routes tend to have the most generous family definitions — spouse, dependent children (in some cases adult students), and dependent parents / grandparents can ride under one grant. Golden Visa (RBI) routes usually cover spouse + minor children, with dependant parents included where dependency is proven. U.S. EB-5 covers spouse and unmarried children under 21 as derivative applicants.
Per-beneficiary costs scale family size on CBI routes (especially fund minimums), while residence routes charge per-family for most government and professional fees.
Dependency is an evidence question
'Dependent' rarely means 'related' — it means 'financially or legally dependent'. A dependent parent needs a financial-dependency showing (e.g. income evidence, a support undertaking); an adult-student child needs enrolment evidence at a qualifying institution. Build the family evidence at the same time as the main applicant's file — adding a beneficiary after the fact re-opens due diligence.
Checklist for your family
For each intended beneficiary, record (a) relationship, (b) age, (c) dependency basis, (d) the documents that prove it (birth/marriage certificate, apostilled and translated). The engaged professional then maps each to the route's exact dependent rules so nothing in the family is dropped at filing.
Key points
- CBI routes are most generous with family; EB-5 is tightest (spouse + children under 21)
- Per-beneficiary costs scale family size on CBI routes
- 'Dependent' is an evidence question — prove it with documents, not just relationship
- Map every beneficiary before filing; adding one later re-opens due diligence