Glossary
The glossary provides explanations for different terms and abbreviations used in the Canadian immigration landscape. These are not legal definitions.
Accompanying family member: A spouse, common-law partner, dependent child or dependent child of a dependent child (grandchild), who plans to immigrate to Canada with the principal applicant. Accompanying family members are included on the application.
AIP: Approved in Principle means that an applicant for permanent residence has met the eligibility requirements but still needs to pass the medical, security and background checks.
AIP: The Atlantic Immigration Program is a pathway to permanent residence for foreign nationals who want to work and live in one of Canada’s Atlantic provinces—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador.
AOR: Acknowledgment of Receipt letter confirming that a PR application was received and/or approved in principle.
BOWP: a Bridging Open Work Permit allows a permanent residence applicant under economic streams such as Express Entry to continue working while their application is being processed.
CEC: Canadian Experience Class, a program under the Express Entry system.
Certificate of nomination / Nomination Certificate: A certificate issued by a province or territory that recommends a foreign national for permanent residence under the Provincial Nominee Program.
CLB: Canadian Language Benchmark, the standard used to describe, measure and recognize English language ability of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants.
Client ID: see UCI.
Common-law partner: A person who has been living with another person in a conjugal relationship for at least one year. The term refers to opposite-sex and same-sex relationships.
CRS: The points-based Comprehensive Ranking System is used to assess and score a candidate’s Express Entry profile.
Dependant: A spouse, common-law partner or dependent child of a permanent resident or principal applicant.
ECA: Educational Credential Assessment, used to verify that an applicant's foreign degree, diploma, or certificate or other credential is valid and equal to a Canadian one.
EE: Express Entry, an application process for skilled immigrants who want to settle in Canada permanently and take part in our economy. There are three programs: Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades and Canadian Experience Class.
ESDC: Employment and Social Development Canada, the government authority issuing LMIAs.
eTA: electronic Travel Authorization, an entry requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air, allowing Canada to screen travellers before they arrive. The authorization is electronically linked to your passport and is valid for five years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
Family Sponsorship: a Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor close family members, such as a spouse or common-law partner, dependent children, parents or grandparents for permanent residence in Canada.
FCIP: Francophone Community Immigration Pilot, a community-driven path to permanent residence for foreign workers with French language skills who want to settle in one of the participating communities.
Foreign national: A person who is not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.
FST: Federal Skilled Trades Program under the Express Entry system.
FSW: Federal Skilled Worker Program under the Express Entry system.
Full-time work: At least 30 hours per week for which wages are paid and/or commission is earned.
IEC: International Experience Canada gives youth the opportunity to travel and work in Canada for up to 2 years per participation. There are three categories available: Working Holiday, Young Professional and International Co-Op (Internship).
Inadmissibility: When a person is not allowed to enter or stay in Canada for reasons including security concerns, criminal offences, human rights violations, health or financial reasons, and failure to comply with Canada’s immigration laws.
IRCC: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Canada's federal immigration authority)
LMIA: A Labour Market Impact Assessment is a document that an employer in Canada must usually get before hiring a foreign worker, confirming that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job and that no Canadian worker can do the job.
LOI: Letter of Introduction (also called POE letter), a document sent from a visa office to confirm approval of a work permit, study permit, or extended stay for a parent or grandparent from a country that does not require visas (the Super Visa program). Applicants must present the letter when they arrive in Canada.
Maintained Status: This is a legal extension of status that allows temporary residents to stay in Canada while IRCC processes their application. To be eligible, the temporary resident must apply to extend their status before it expires. This used to be known as “implied status.”
Medical Exam: A physical examination (that could also include laboratory and/or radiology tests depending on age) performed by an IRCC appointed medical doctor (panel physician) that all immigrants and some visitors must go through before they are allowed into Canada. An applicant must be in good health and have no conditions or illnesses that would pose a danger to Canadians or be very expensive to treat in Canada.
OWP: Open Work Permit, typically for permanent residence applicants under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class (see Family Sponsorship).
PGWP: Post-Graduation Work Permit for graduates from eligible Canadian designated learning institutions.
PNP: Provincial Nominee Program that allows provinces and territories to nominate candidates for immigration to Canada.
POE: Port of Entry, a place where a person may seek entry into Canada, such as at an airport, land or marine border crossing.
Pool: People who meet certain criteria are put into one or more pools of candidates. This is a group of people that IRCC may invite to apply for a work permit for International Experience Canada or permanent residence through Express Entry.
PR: Permanent Resident, a person who has legally immigrated to Canada but is not yet a citizen.
Principal applicant: When a family applies together, one member must be the main or “principal” applicant. For example, a mother applying for permanent residence with her three children would be the principal applicant. When parents are included in an application, dependent children cannot be principal applicants.
RCIC: Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants are authorized to provide support, advice or help, for a fee or other consideration, to someone who wants to immigrate to Canada or obtain Canadian citizenship.
Restoration of Status: A visitor, worker or student who loses status can apply to restore it within 90 days, if eligible. There is a fee to restore status.
RCIP: Rural Community Immigration Pilot, a community-driven path to permanent residence for foreign skilled workers who want to settle in one of the participating communities.
Settlement funds: Sufficient and available funds that economic immigrants must prove they have to settle in Canada.
SOWP: Spousal Open Work Permit for spouses or common-law partners of foreign skilled workers or international students in Canada.
Sponsor: An adult Canadian citizen or permanent resident, who legally supports a close relative (spouse or common-law partner, dependent children, and their dependent children) for permanent residence in Canada.
Sponsored Person: A foreign national who has applied for permanent residence as a close relative (spouse or common-law partner, dependent children, and their dependent children) of an adult Canadian citizen or PR.
Study permit: A document issued by IRCC that authorizes a foreign national to study at an educational institution in Canada for the duration of the program of study.
Temporary resident visa: An official counterfoil document issued by a visa office abroad that is placed in a person’s passport. A counterfoil is a specially designed sticker on which missions abroad print visa information. Informally known as a visitor or tourist visa, the TRV may be issued for single or multiple entries to Canada.
Temporary resident: A foreign national who is in Canada legally for a short period. Temporary residents include students, foreign workers and visitors, such as tourists.
UCI: A Unique Client Identifier, also referred to as a client identification (client ID) number, can be found on any official document issued by an IRCC office, case processing centre or a Canadian visa office outside Canada. A client ID number can consist of up to 10 numbers (for example, 11-0000-0000). A person who has never dealt with IRCC before will not have a client ID number.
Visitor Record: A document issued by IRCC that gives a person status as a visitor in Canada and allows them to stay longer; includes a new expiry date that they must leave Canada by.
Work permit: A document issued by IRCC that authorizes a person to work legally in Canada.
