/ Published in Immigrant Investor Venture Capital, Immigration, Immigration Manuals

Appendix A – The Glossary 8


Last Updated on November 18, 2016

Instruction Guide: These refer to documents that provide:

  • The information a person would need to know about an application prior to sending it to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and,

  • Help with filling out forms and the prescribed supporting documents

It is worth mentioning that the authorities have posed these guides on the website of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

Intercountry Adoption (or International Adoption): This refers to the legal adoption of a child residing in another country that complies with the laws of both the sending and receiving countries.

International Experience Canada (IEC) (or International Youth Program or Working Holiday Program): This denotes a youth exchange program that allows Canadians of the age of 18 to 35 years to live and work in other countries. This program enables people to live and work in other countries generally for up to one year at a time. The reciprocity of the program permits youth from these same countries to live and work in Canada for up to one year.

International Medical Graduate: This refers to 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 US (by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education). This term includes graduates of a US school of osteopathic medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association as well.

International Mobility Program: This program permits employers to hire or bring in foreign workers without needing a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The authorities typically provide exemptions from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process when they come across reciprocal benefits for Canadians and other competitive advantages for Canada. Some examples of individuals who come to Canada under a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exempt program include:

  • International students who have graduated from Canadian schools

  • People authorised for working in Canada temporarily because of certain free trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), International Experience Canada participants, some permanent resident (PR) applicants settling in Canada while the authorities finalise their permanent resident (PR) applications and spouses of highly skilled foreign workers

For more details, refer to the definition of the term ‘Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)’.

International Student: For more details, refer to the definition of the term ‘Foreign Student’.

Internship: This denotes supervised work or school-related training that could be either paid or unpaid. People could find internship positions with some businesses, government departments and non-profit organisations. It is worth mentioning that internships could help newcomers gain Canadian work experience.

Intra-Company Transferee (or General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) or North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)): This refers to a qualified employee who gets transferred within a company to work in Canada on a temporary basis.

Investor: This refers to an immigrant admitted to Canada who:

  • Possesses the appropriate business experience

  • Has a legally obtained net worth of at least $1,600,000 Canadian dollars and,

  • Has made an investment of $800,000 Canadian dollars

Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA): This refers to a document that an employer in Canada would usually need to obtain before hiring a foreign worker. A positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will indicate that a need exists for a foreign worker to fill the job and that no Canadian worker can do the job. This is why people call a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) as a Confirmation Letter. In case an employer requires a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), the employer would need to send an application to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

Labour Market Opinion (LMO): For more details, refer to the definition of the term ‘Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)’.

Landing (or Interview for Final Determination): This denotes the final interview with an immigration officer at either a port of entry or a local Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) office within Canada. During this interview, the applicant usually ends up becoming a permanent resident. This typically happens when the person signs the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR).

Language Assessment: This denotes an evaluation of a person’s reading, writing, listening and / or speaking abilities in English or French. The authorities typically require this to check whether the person meets the language requirements for the application submitted.

Language Requirement (or Adequate Language): Some types of applications require the applicant to possess a certain level of skill in either English or French. Depending on the type of application being submitted, the level of language ability required will be different.

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC): This refers to free English language training programs for adult newcomers to Canada. The federal government typically funds these programs. In addition, school boards, colleges and local organisations that typically provide services to newcomers deliver these programs.

Letter of Introduction: This refers to a document sent from a visa office for confirming the approval of:

  • A study permit or,

  • A work permit or,

  • The extended stay for a parent or grandparent from a country that does not require visas i.e. the Super Visa program

It is worth mentioning that the applicants would need to present the letter when they arrive in Canada.

Letter of Invitation: This refers to a letter from a person in Canada on behalf of a friend or a family member who wants to visit. This letter might be helpful if the visitor is from a country where visas are necessary for travelling to and entering Canada. The letter should serve to explain how the friends or family members plan to help the visitor. In addition, it should specify whether the friends or family members have the financial means for supporting the person during a longer visit.