There are two types of dependents, Qualifying Child and Qualifying Relative - the each have different requirements.
The child must have lived with *you*, in your home for more than half the year to be your Qualifying Child dependent, since they did not, they cannot be a Qualifying Child dependent.
To calm a child as a Qualifying Relative Dependent, 1) the child must must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, U.S. national, or a resident of Canada or Mexico.
And 2) you also must have paid more than half the the child's total support for the year.
If conditions 1 & 2 are not met that you cannot claim the child(ren) at all.
Worksheet for determining support
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p501#en_US_2018_publink1000292527
That is assuming that you file separate returns.
If you file a joint return then the children might qualify as qualifying children if living with your spouse and if they are US citizens and have SSN's
**Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**
