Chapter 3  

Immigration Terms to Remember  

 

Accompanying Dependant

A spouse or child of the principal applicant who intends to immigrate to Canada.

 

Admissible

The conditions you must meet to be considered admissible are as follows

• your health is good;
• you do not have a criminal record;
• you are not a security risk to Canada; and
• you have not been charged with a criminal offence in Canada or abroad.

Admission

Permission to come into Canada as an immigrant or as a visitor (see entry and landing). 

Arranged Employment

Arranged employment is a guaranteed job offer by a Canadian employer that has been validated by a Human Resources Canada Centre that no suitably qualified Canadian or permanent resident is available to fill the position.

Assisted Relatives

Immigrants, other than members of the family class, with close relatives in Canada.

Authorization

See employment authorization or student authorization. 

 

Background Check

Checks conducted by Immigration Canada in all countries in which you and your dependants have lived to determine if you have any arrests or convictions or are a security risk to Canada.

Business Immigrants

Entrepreneurs, investors and self-employed persons who will make a significant economic contribution by establishing, purchasing or investing in a business or commercial venture in Canada, with their spouses and children.

 

Canadian Citizen

A person who was born in Canada or who has applied through Citizenship and Immigration Canada and has received a citizenship certificate. 

Care

Food, clothing, local transportation and other basic necessities of life. This includes dental and eye care and other basic health needs not provided by public health services to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Case Processing Centre (CPC)

This is an immigration office that handles applications by mail.

Close Relative

The brother, sister, mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew of the applicant or of the applicant's spouse. You must provide documents proving the relationship.

 

Confirmation of Permanent Residence

If your application for immigration is approved, you will be given a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). The COPR will have contain information that will positively identify you plus your photograph and signature. You must bring the COPR to any Port of Entry with your visa when you enter Canada. You might be denied entry to Canada if you don't have the COPR with you.

Departure Order

An order issued to a person who has violated the Immigration Act. It requires that person to leave Canada within a prescribed period and permits re-application for admission. A departure order will be deemed to be a deportation order if the person does not leave Canada within the prescribed time and obtain a certificate of departure. If a certificate of departure is not obtained, re-application for admission will not be possible without Ministerial consent and reimbursement of removal costs. 

Dependent Children

Are either under 19 years of age and unmarried on the date the application is received at the visa office (and if they plan to immigrate, are still unmarried when they arrive in Canada). Children of any age or marital status are also considered dependent if they are financially dependent upon their parents for either of the following reasons

• they are continuously enrolled and in attendance as full-time students in an educational institution and financially dependent upon their parents since reaching the age of 19 (or from the date of their marriage, if married before 19). Students who interrupt their full-time studies continue to be considered dependants as long as they are not away from their program of study for a total of more than one year and continue to be financially dependent upon their parents during that time; or
• they cannot support themselves due to a physical or mental disability and are financially dependent upon their parents. (Note Some disabilities may result in refusal for medical reasons).

Dependents

The spouse of a perspective immigrant and the children of that immigrant who are

• unmarried and under 19 years of age, or
• continuously enrolled as full-time students in an educational institution and financially supported by their parents since reaching age 19 (or from the date of their marriage, if married before age 19), and unable to support themselves, or
• due to a medical condition, unable to support themselves and are dependent on their parents for financial support.

Deportation Order

A removal order issued to someone who is inadmissible to Canada on serious grounds or who has committed a serious violation of Canadian law. Deportation permanently bars future admission to Canada unless Ministerial consent is granted.

Designated Occupation

An occupation in a locality or area in Canada designated by the Minister, after consultation with the relevant provincial authority, as a locality or area in which workers in that occupation are in short supply. 

 

Employment

"Any activity for which a person receives or might reasonably be expected to receive valuable consideration" (as defined in the Immigration Act). Some activities might be considered to be work even if the person doing them is not being paid for his/her services.

Employment Authorization

A legal document which entitles a foreign worker to work in Canada. Usually, it is valid only for the specified job and length of time.

Employment Authorization (Open)

An authorization which allows a foreign worker to work for any employer and in any occupation. The document will clearly indicate the word open or any employer in the employer section. Without an open Employment Authorization, a foreign worker may only work for the employer whose name appears on the Employment Authorization.

Employment Authorization (Open/Restricted)

An authorization which allows a foreign worker to work for any employer but restricts the worker in other ways, for example, from taking jobs where the protection of public health is important. The document will outline the restrictions.

Entry

Lawful permission to come into Canada as a visitor.

Essential Needs

The sponsor and co-signer must provide the sponsored family members with food, clothing, shelter and other basic requirements for everyday living for 10 years. This includes dental and eye care and other health needs not provided by public health services to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Excessive Demand

Refers to the significant burden placed on Canada's health or social services due to ongoing hospitalization or medical, social or institutional care for physical or mental illnesses, or special education or training. Individuals may be denied admittance to Canada due to the high costs of their care.

Exclusion Order

A removal order issued to someone at the port of entry for a minor offence, such as incomplete documentation, barring admission for one year.

 

Family Class

The class of immigrants made up of close relatives of a sponsor in Canada.

Foreign Worker

A person working legally in Canada, who is neither a Canadian citizen nor a permanent resident of Canada.  

Full-time Student

This is defined by an approved educational institution or is a person whose course of study is at least six months in duration and involve at least twenty-four hours of instruction per week.

 

Human Resources Canada Centre

(formerly known as Canada Employment Centres) Local office of Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) which provides advice on local labour market conditions and mobility.

 

Immigrant

A person who comes to settle in Canada as a permanent resident. 

Immigrant Visa

A document given to an immigrant who has applied at a Canadian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate outside of Canada and who has met all the requirements for being an immigrant.

Immigration Office

This is the local office which deals with immigration matters. The office is listed in the telephone directory under "Government of Canada - Citizenship and Immigration Canada."

Independent Immigrant

A person with specific occupational skills, experience and personal qualifications who meets Canada's selection criteria and is accepted to immigrate to Canada.

Inquiry

An official hearing to decide if a non-Canadian has violated a section of the Immigration Act or Regulations and should be removed from Canada.

Investor

An immigrant who

1. has successfully operated, controlled or directed a business,
2. indicates to the Minister, in writing, that they intend to make an investment or have an investment, and
3. has a net worth, accumulated by their own endeavors, of at least $800,000. 

 

Job Offer Validation

The process by which a Human Resources Canada Centre determines that hiring a foreign worker does not affect employment opportunities for Canadians.

 

Landing

The permission given to a person to live in Canada as a permanent resident. An immigrant who has been "landed" is a permanent resident.

Lodging

Suitable accommodation, basic furniture and other household essentials.

 

 

Minister's Permit

A document which allows a person who does not meet immigration requirements to enter or remain in Canada.

 

National Occupation Classification (NOC)

The NOC is a classification system for jobs used in the Canada. It describes duties, skills, talents and work settings for each occupations.

Permanent Resident

A person lawfully in Canada as a landed immigrant but who is not yet a Canadian citizen.

Principal Applicant

The person who completes the application for landing for him/herself and dependants.

Principal Applicant (Business Applicants)

The person who best meets the definition for one or more of the types of business immigrants should apply as the principal applicant. If that person is married, his/her spouse should apply as a dependant.

Principal Applicant (Independent Applicants)

You, or if you are married, the spouse who earns the most points in the self-assessment should apply as the applicant. The other spouse should be included as a dependant.

Removal Order

An exclusion or deportation order requiring someone to leave Canada. 

 

Self-employed Person

An immigrant who intends and has the ability to establish or purchase a business in Canada that will create employment opportunity for that person, and will make a significant contribution to the economy or the cultural or artistic life of Canada. 

 

Skilled Workers

Immigrants selected for their suitability for the Canadian labour force, with their spouses and children.

Spouse

A person of the opposite sex to whom the applicant is legally married. If your spouse is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and you wish to sponsor your spouse to immigrate to Canada, you must be legally married. You cannot sponsor a common-law spouse.

Source Country Class

Those selected under this class must be in their country of citizenship or habitual residence. This class includes those who are seriously and personally affected by civil war or armed conflict where there is no possibility, in a reasonable time, or a durable solution. It also includes people who have suffered serious deprivation of their civil rights and have been detained or imprisoned as a consequence. This class applies only to the following countries Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), El Salvador, Guatemala, Sierra Leone and Sudan.

 

Terms and Conditions

The restrictions that an immigration officer places on a person's stay in Canada. Examples are how long you may stay in Canada, whether you may work, or whether you may study. The terms and conditions that apply to you are written on your immigration document.

 

Visa Office

A Canadian immigration office outside Canada at a Canadian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.

Visitor

Someone who has been lawfully admitted to Canada and who is in Canada as a tourist, student, or worker.

Visitor Record

The official document which allows a tourist to extend his/her stay in Canada. It is only issued by an immigration officer in Canada and is only valid for the specified length of time.

Visitor Status

This is also called "valid status." It refers to the period of time that a visitor has permission to be in Canada temporarily.

Visitor Status (Loss of)

It is possible to lose your visitor status in any of the following ways

• failing to comply with any term or condition stated on your visitor document, or
• staying beyond the date authorized by an immigration officer, or
• working without written permission to do so from an immigration officer, or
• attending school without permission to do so from an immigration officer.

Visitor Status (Re-instatement of)

If you have lost your visitor status as indicated in the section "Loss of Visitor Status," you may be able to apply for re-instatement of legal visitor status. There is no guarantee that your status will be re-instated. An immigration officer must consider all the facts which resulted in the loss of status. In order to be considered for re-instatement of status, an additional processing fee must be paid.

Visitor Visa

A document issued by a visa officer and placed in the passport of an authorized visitor to Canada. It is an official way of showing that the person has met the requirements for admission to Canada as a visitor.