See Maintained status

Refers to a representative who:

• is licensed and insured,

• is qualified to help you through the legal process, and

• meets the standards of learning, competence and professional conduct.

When an application that has been sent to IRCC has been opened, checked for completeness, and an employee has begun to process it (enter into the computer system, etc.).

When a person is not allowed to enter or stay in Canada. Reasons can include security concerns, criminal offences, human rights violations, health or financial reasons, and failure to comply with Canada’s immigration laws.

Find out more about inadmissibility.

A permanent, full-time job offer.

See Offence.

See Criminal rehabilitation.

Instruction guides are documents that provide:

• information a person must know about an application before sending it to IRCC and

• help with filling out forms and required supporting documents.

These guides are posted on the IRCC website.

A legal adoption of a child residing in another country that complies with the laws of both the sending and receiving countries.

A youth exchange program allowing Canadians, 18 to 35, to live and work in other countries, generally for up to one year at a time. The reciprocity of the program allows for youth from these same countries to live and work in Canada for up to one year.

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. This applies when there are shared benefits for Canadians and other advantages for Canada.

These people can include:

• international students who graduated from a Canadian school

• people working in Canada temporarily under free trade agreements, such as NAFTA

• people taking part in International Experience Canada

• some permanent resident applicants settling in Canada while their application is finalized, and

• spouses of highly-skilled foreign workers.

See Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

A person who has graduated from a medical school not accredited in Canada (by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools) or in the U.S. (by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education). This term includes graduates of a U.S. school of osteopathic medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association.