Glossary

A place where a person may seek entry into Canada, such as at an airport, land or marine border crossing.

A document issued by IRCC to eligible foreign students who have:

• graduated from an approved program of study at an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada that is participating in the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program

• applied to IRCC within 90 days of completing all degree or program requirements.

It allows the bearer to work legally in Canada after completing studies.

A stage of higher education that comes after high school. Refers to a college, university or technical school offering programs of study.

See University, College.

A thorough process that evaluates whether a person would face persecution, torture, risk to life or risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment, if returned to his or her country of origin.

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.

This is a process that is used across Canada by schools, colleges, universities, employers and governments to formally recognize a person’s skills that they have acquired outside of formal education settings. This process allows people to have these skills assessed and possibly recognized in the form of academic credits. For more information on prior learning assessment and recognition, see the Canadian Association of Prior Learning Assessment (Pan-Canadian)

A person outside Canada who has been determined to be a Convention refugee or member of the Country of Asylum class and who receives financial and other support from a private sponsor for one year after their arrival in Canada. Private sponsors are Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs), Groups of Five or Community Sponsors.

If you are on probation, you have been convicted of a crime or offence and have been released without having to go to a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison. Typically a person on probation must live under certain conditions set by the court, for example, a curfew or not allowed to take alcohol.

A type of training usually offered to a person who is already a professional in a given field. This type of training is usually recognized as meeting an official standard of an industry, association, or profession.

An online form that people fill out to find out if they are eligible for Express Entry or International Experience Canada. Eligible people are put into one or more pools of candidates. We invite some candidates from the pools to fill out applications.

Permanent residents who have committed crimes either in Canada or outside Canada may not be eligible to become Canadian citizens for a period of time. For example, people may be considered under a prohibition and cannot get citizenship if they:

• are in prison, on parole or on probation in Canada, or serving a sentence outside Canada,

• have been convicted of an indictable offence in Canada or an offence outside Canada in the four years before applying for citizenship, or

• are charged with, on trial for, or involved in an appeal of an indictable offence in Canada, or an offence outside Canada.

For a complete list of prohibitions, refer to Situations that may prevent you from becoming a Canadian citizen.

A document issued by the Government of Canada that confirms a person’s status as a Canadian citizen.

See certificate of Canadian citizenship.