Academic Program: This refers to a post-secondary program that awards an academic degree, diploma or professional certification. The delivery of these programs will often take place at universities, colleges, seminaries and institutes of technology.
Accompanying Family Member (or Accompanying Dependent): This denotes a spouse, common-law partner, dependent child or dependent child of a dependent child (i.e. a grandchild), who plans to immigrate to Canada with the principal applicant. The application will typically include details of accompanying family members.
Address: This refers to the place where a person is living at this moment. Officers would easily be able to identify addresses by virtue of their having a street number, street name, an apartment number, city, town, province or state and country. For instance, a student from Mexico studying in Canada would need to enter the address where the student is residing in Canada.
Adequate Knowledge of Canada: The Citizenship test will test the applicant’s knowledge of Canada. During the written exam and the interview, the officers would ask the applicant questions on:
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The right to vote and the right to run for elected office
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The elections procedures
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The rights and responsibilities of a citizen
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Canadian social and cultural history and symbols
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Canadian political history (including the political system and institutions) and,
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Canadian physical and political geography
Adequate Knowledge of Language: In order to become a Canadian citizen, the provisions specified in the Citizenship Act require new citizens to have an adequate knowledge of English or French. Both these languages are the two official languages of Canada. In general, the term ‘adequate knowledge’ means that a person should be able to understand someone speaking English or French. In addition, when a person speaks in English or French, the person that they are speaking to should be able to understand what the first person is saying. The authorities will measure how well the applicants can communicate using the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) / Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC). In general, the authorities expect applicants to have the equivalent of Level 4 for speaking and listening in English or French using the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) / Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC). Having Level 4 competence in language signifies that the applicant can:
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Take part in short, everyday conversations about common subjects in both English and French
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Understand simple instructions, questions and directions in both English and French
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Use basic grammar, including simple structures and tenses in both English and French and,
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Show that the applicant knows enough common words and phrases to answer questions as well as to express themselves in both English and French
Admissibility: Refer to the definition given for the term ‘Inadmissibility’.
Affidavit: A document becomes an affidavit when a person signs the document. The person would need to sign the document in the presence of an authorised person. In addition, the person would need to take an oath that all the details specified in the document are both true and accurate. People often use affidavits in order to verify that a translation of a document accurately reflects all the details specified in the original language of the document.
Age: This reflects distinctive elements when referring to the age of a permanent or a temporary resident in the statistical information of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). For permanent residents, it refers to their age at the time of landing. Similarly, for temporary residents, this refers to their age at entry or as on December 01.
Annulment: This refers to a declaration that a marriage is not valid. The grounds for annulment in Canada could include any case where one or both parties were not in a position to get married legally.
Applicant: This denotes a person who submits an application under any of the business lines managed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).
Application Kit: Refer to the definition given for the term ‘Application Package’.
Application for Leave and Judicial Review: An individual has the ability to apply generally to the Federal Court of Canada and ask that the Court review the decision. This is especially so if the individual has received a decision from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and feels that the authorities made an error in giving that decision. The process of making an application to the Court and asking the Court to review that decision is known as the Application for Leave and Judicial Review. A review typically means that the Court will read the decision. Thereafter, the Court would need to decide whether the authorities made an error or not. If the Court decides that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) made an error, it would usually mean that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has to make a new decision. For more details, refer to Appendix B.
Application Package: This refers to a package that includes all forms, supporting documents and information needed for filling out applications for visas, permanent residence and citizenship. People also refer to it as an application kit.
Approved In Principle / Approval In Principle (AIP): When the officers inform applicants that their applications have been ‘Approved In Principle’ (AIP), it usually means that:
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The applicants would have received letters from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stating that the applicants meet the prescribed permanent residence eligibility requirements but,
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The applicants would still need to pass the medical, security and background checks for themselves and their family members (if needed)
Arranged Employment: This refers to a situation where the applicant has a permanent job offer from a Canadian employer that Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has approved. This job offer could significantly improve the applicant’s chances of obtaining approval on a federal skilled worker application.
Application Support Centre (ASC): Application Support Centres (ASCs) serve to provide biometric collection services for Canadian temporary resident visa applicants in the United States. However, they do not accept immigrant or temporary resident applications. Therefore, they cannot provide information or application handling services.
Assessment: This refers to:
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The identification and measurement of learning, credentials and other forms of qualifications required for obtaining entry into programs of study or occupations
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Thus, assessments could typically include testing, examinations and other similar prescribed activities
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A process that typically aims to measure knowledge, skills and aptitudes
Assessment Tools: These refer to the guidelines that citizenship judges typically use for evaluating a person’s English or French proficiency to help determine if the individual meets the prescribed citizenship language requirements.
- Appendix A- The Glossary 2
- Appendix A – The Glossary 3
- Appendix A – The Glossary 4
- Appendix A – The Glossary 5
- Appendix A – The Glossary 6
- Appendix A – The Glossary 7
- Appendix A – The Glossary 8
- Appendix A – The Glossary 9
- Appendix A – The Glossary 10
- Appendix A – The Glossary 11
- Appendix A – The Glossary 12
- Appendix A – The Glossary 13
- Appendix A – The Glossary 14
- Appendix A – The Glossary 15