<p>My friend is from Canada and working here legally. Their son is attending UCI and has been paying in-state fees. They were told that once their son turns 21, he will be independent and has to pay out-of-state fees. Is that correct? Thanks.</p>
<p>yes that is true. Once he turns 21, he’ll be independent from his parents’ visa status, so he will be paying out-of-state fees. If he doesn’t have a green card here, but he’s on a visa (other than student), he’ll probably have to change his visa to a student visa once he turns 21 (I’m in the same situation, and that’s what i have been told by my lawyer).</p>
<p>There is another definition of “dependent”. The student is a full-time student at an accredited university till age of 24. That is when we file income tax return. Will that work?</p>