This glossary provides explanations for common terms relevant to provincial immigration
programs.
The IRCC Glossary contains additional terms.
| Accompanying family members | 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. |
| Application/Processing Queue | An application is submitted for review and pending decision. |
| Cancelled | A provincial certificate has been issued but cancelled due to a change in circumstances. |
| Common-law Partnership | In the immigration context, a common-law partnership means that a couple have lived together for at least one year in a conjugal relationship, A common-law relationship exists from the day on which two individuals can provide evidence to support their cohabitation in a conjugal relationship. |
| Dependent | A spouse, common-law partner or dependent child. |
| Economic Immigration | A category of immigrants selected for their skills and ability to contribute to Canada’s economy. |
| Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) | An assessment of an individual’s education that was completed outside Canada to determine the Canadian equivalency. ECAs are completed by authorized third-party organizations. |
| Employer-specific work permit | A type of work permit that indicates the name of the employer a person can work for, how long a person can work, and the location where a person can work. A person who holds this type of work permit can only work for the employer for the length of time specified and the location shown on the permit. |
| Expired | Application is not completed within 90 days of the date the application is initiated. |
| Expression of Interest | Submission of initial information to inform the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism of your suitability for a specific provincial immigration program. |
| Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) | Foreign credential recognition is the process of verifying that the education and job experience obtained in another country are equal to the standards established for Canadian professionals. Credential recognition for regulated occupations is mainly a provincial responsibility that has been delegated in legislation to regulatory bodies. |
| Foreign National | A person who is not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident. |
| Foreign Worker | A temporary resident who is legally allowed to work in Canada on a temporary basis. |
| Full-time work | At least 30 hours per week for which wages are paid. |
| Indeterminate job offer | A permanent, full-time job offer. |
| Ineligible | Applicant does not meet one or more eligibility requirements during the screening of the application. |
| International Graduate | International students who have graduated from a publicly funded post-secondary Canadian educational institution. International Graduates may qualify for a post-graduation work permit which allows them to work in Canada for up to three years. |
| International Student | A temporary resident who is legally authorized to study in Canada on a temporary basis. |
| Invitation to Apply | When a candidate’s Expression of Interest to a specific provincial immigration stream is selected. The candidate then has a specified amount of time to fill out and submit an application. |
| Job Vacancy Assessment (JVA) | A provincial labour market test completed by Jobs, Immigration and Growth (JIG), designed to support Newfoundland & Labrador employers in identifying their labour force challenges and evaluate the need to recruit in workers to fill permanent, full-time positions in their organizations. |
| Landing | The final interview with an immigration officer at either a port of entry or a local IRCC office within Canada, during which an applicant becomes a permanent resident. This happens when the person signs the confirmation of permanent residence. If an individual is already in Canada, in most cases, permanent residence status can be confirmed virtually. |
| 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. |
| Misrepresentation | When a person makes false statements, submits false information, submits false or altered documents, or withholds information relevant to their application. Documents can include:
|
| National Occupational Classification (NOC) | The National Occupation Classification (NOC) is a list of all the occupations in the Canadian labor market. It describes each job according to skill type and TEER category. The NOC is used to collect and organize job statistics and to provide labour market information. It is also used as a basis for certain immigration requirements. |
| Non-accompanying family members | Family members who are dependents of the principal applicant but who are not immigrating to Canada. They include a spouse or common-law partner, dependent children, and the children of a dependent child.
These family members must continue to be declared on applications. |
| Permanent Resident (PR) | A person who has legally immigrated to Canada but is not yet a Canadian citizen. |
| Principal Applicant | The main applicant on an immigration application. |
| Provincial Nominee Program | A program that allows provinces and territories to nominate candidates for immigration to Canada. Nominees have the skills, education and work experience needed to make an immediate economic contribution to the province or territory that nominates them. |
| Refusal | After review of an application, applicant does not meet eligibility requirements, and/or has not complied with requests. |
| Regulated Occupation | A profession that sets its own standards of practice. If you want to work in a regulated occupation and use a regulated title, you must have a license or a certificate, or be registered with the regulatory body for your occupation. Sometimes an occupation is regulated in some provinces or territories but not in others. Twenty per cent of jobs in Canada are regulated. |
| Screening | Each application submitted to the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism undergoes a screening stage to ensure the required documents are included in the application and the initial eligibility requirements are met. |
| Spouse | A legal marriage partner. This term includes both opposite- and same-sex relationships but does not include common-law partnerships. |
| Visa | An official counterfoil document issued by a visa office abroad that is placed in a person’s passport to show that they have met the requirements for admission to Canada as a temporary resident (a visitor, student or worker). A counterfoil is a specially designed sticker on which missions abroad print visa information. |
| Withdrawn | Applicant withdraws application before nomination. |