Every industry has its own language and terms. These words and phrases can confuse anyone not part of a specific industry’s daily operations, and the immigration business is no exception.
To help you understand the terms, acronyms, and phrases regularly used in the immigration industry, our team has created this handy reference guide. Here, you’ll find valuable information that allows you to comprehend and communicate your immigration needs effectively.
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC): is a department of the Government of Canada responsible for managing immigration, refugees, and citizenship matters in the country. Its primary mission is to facilitate the entry of people into Canada, whether as temporary residents (such as students, workers, and visitors) or as permanent residents and citizens.
Letter of Acceptance (LOA): is a formal letter issued by a Canadian educational institution to an international student who has been accepted into a program of study. This letter officially confirms the student’s admission and includes details about the program, start date, tuition fees, and any conditions the student must meet. It is a crucial document for international students applying for a study permit (student visa) to study in Canada.
Biometrics Instruction Letter (BIL): This letter confirms that you have to give your biometrics.
Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB): This is a grade given to highlight language proficiency.
Case Processing Centre (CPC): Processes temporary visas and sponsorship applications.
UCI stands for Unique Client Identifier Number (Client ID) and can be found on any official document issued by an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada office, Case Processing Centre or a Canadian visa office outside Canada.
A Client ID consists of four numbers, a hyphen (-), and four (4) more numbers (example: 0000-0000). A person who has never dealt with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada will not have a Client Identification Number.
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS): A points-based system used to score a candidate’s Express Entry profile to rank them against other candidates in the pool. The CRS will assess candidates’ skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other factors.
Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB): This independent administrative tribunal is responsible for deciding immigration and refugee matters.
Designated Learning Institution (DLI): A school in Canada where students must get accepted before qualifying for a study permit. You can consult the designated learning institutions list (DLI) for schools at the post-secondary level. Keep in mind that all primary and secondary schools in Canada are automatically designated, so do not appear on the list.
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA): This is a new entry requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air. It will allow 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.
eMedical: An online tool that allows doctors to do the Immigration Medical Exam (IME) and send the results to IRCC for approval. It’s more accurate, convenient, and faster than paper-based processing.
Humanitarian and compassionate application (H & C): People who would not usually be eligible to become permanent residents of Canada may be able to apply on humanitarian and H & C grounds. H & C grounds apply to people with exceptional cases.
The factors include:
1. How settled the person is in Canada.
2. General family ties to Canada.
3. The best interests of any children involved.
4. The degree of hardship the applicant would experience if they leave Canada to apply for permanent residence.
H & C decision-makers will not assess the risk factors that get looked at in an in-Canada refugee protection claim or a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA). These factors outside the scope of an H & C compassionate application include persecution, the danger of torture or risk to life, or cruel and unusual treatment/punishment.
Maintained status: If a visitor, student, or foreign worker applies to extend their status before that status expires, they can legally remain in Canada until a decision gets made on the application. In this situation, the person has maintained status.
International Experience Canada (IEC): A youth exchange program allowing Canadians between 18 and 35 to live and work in another country generally for up to a year. The program’s reciprocity allows youth from certain countries to live and work in Canada for up to one year.
International Mobility Program: This program lets employers hire or bring in foreign workers without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Some workers are exempt from the LMIA process. It applies when there are shared benefits for Canadians and other advantages for Canada.
These people can include:
1. International students who graduated from a DLI
2. People working in Canada temporarily under free trade agreements, such as CUSMA or other FTA.
3. People who take part in International Experience Canada.
4. Some permanent resident applicants settling in Canada while their application gets finalized
5. Spouses of certain foreign workers.
We hope these immigration terms have helped you. If you’re looking for help navigating the complex Canadian immigration system, contact us.
With many years of experience in the immigration sector, we combine knowledge, customer service, and integrity to create success.
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