Letter of Invitation to Delegates: This refers to a letter that event organised would need to give delegates when they apply for visas to come to Canada. The authorities require that the letter should include information on the event to establish:
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The delegate’s purpose of travel to Canada and,
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The delegate’s plans once in Canada
The letter would also need to indicate whether the delegates are receiving any financial assistance. Such financial assistance could typically include airline tickets and accommodations.
Letter of Support: This denotes a letter given to the applicant by the designated angel investor group or venture capital fund. It signifies proof that the designated angel investor group or venture capital fund will support the business idea of the applicant.
Level of Education: This is a selection factor under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) for which the authorities typically award points. The authorities award points based on the certificate, diploma or degree obtained, in addition to the number of years of schooling.
Level of Study: It is worth highlighting that there are five levels of study for foreign students in Canada. These comprise:
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Universities: These institutes offer degree granting programs at the undergraduate (or bachelor’s), graduate (master’s) and postgraduate (doctoral or post-doctoral) levels. They might also offer programs leading to certificates or diplomas in various academic disciplines.
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Colleges: These institutes offer academic or professional training programs that lead to diplomas or certificates. It is worth mentioning that these diplomas or certificates could include Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEPs) in Quebec. Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEPs) are usually mandatory prior to attending a university.
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Trade: These include non-university educational institutions in Canada that offer vocational trades and / or technical programs. These could typically include vocational institutions or private career colleges.
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Other Post-Secondary: These comprise post-secondary studies that students do not usually undertake at university, college or trade school. This typically includes studies at language institutions and private institutions and in university qualifying programs.
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Secondary or Less: These typically include primary and secondary schools in Canada and,
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Other: These comprise studies that people cannot classify at any of the above-mentioned levels of study
Live-in Caregiver (or Nanny): This refers to a person who possesses the relevant qualifications for providing care to children, elderly people or people with disabilities in private homes without supervision. It is worth mentioning that a live-in caregiver would need to live in the private home of the employer while they work in Canada.
Local Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Office (or Local Office): This refers to a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) service location in Canada. This term does not include ports of entry or Case Processing Centres (CPCs).
Locked In: This denotes information that the system locks in during the immigration application process. Such information will not change over time. For instance, in the case of an age lock in, the system will lock in the age of the dependent child at 18 years. As such, the officers would assess the dependency of the dependent child at that age for the purpose of the application. This is regardless of the time it takes for processing the application.
Low Income Cut Off (LICO) (or Minimum Necessary Income): This refers to the income levels set out by the Government of Canada, where a family spends a higher percentage on necessities than other families tend to do. Therefore, a family would need to remain above the cut-off in order to:
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Sponsor a family member for immigrating to Canada or,
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Host parents or grandparents for an extended stay
Married: This refers to a state where two people have had a ceremony that legally binds them to each other. It is worth highlighting that this marriage must be recognised under the laws of the country where it took place as well as under Canadian law.
Medical Examination (or Medical Exam or Immigration Medical Exam (IME)): This refers to a physical examination that a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) appointed medical doctor performs for all immigrants. Some visitors might also need to undergo these examinations. Only after going through these examinations would the authorities permit these individuals to enter Canada. The authorities require that applicants must be in good health and have no conditions or illnesses that:
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Are very expensive to treat in Canada or,
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Could pose a danger to Canadians
Medical examinations could include laboratory or radiology tests as well, based on the age of the person. For more details, refer to the definitions of the terms ‘Background Check’ and ‘Police Certificate’.
Medical Inadmissibility: This refers to a scenario where the authorities do not permit a person to enter Canada for various health-related reasons. For instance, the person could well:
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Pose a danger to public health
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Pose a danger to public safety or,
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Place an excessive demand on health and social services
Member of the Convention Refugees Abroad Class (or Convention Refugee): This denotes a person whom a visa officer outside Canada has determined as being a Convention Refugee.
Member of the Country of Asylum Class: This refers to a person who is outside the person’s home country or the country where the person normally lives and is seriously affected by civil war, armed conflict or a massive violation of human rights.
Middle School (or Grade School or Public School or Secondary School): This denotes an institution that provides educational programs for grades seven and eight. These schools typically provide educational programs in between elementary school and high school.
Minimum Necessary Income (or Low Income Cut Off (LICO)): This denotes the amount of income a family would need to earn in order to:
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Sponsor a family member for immigrating to Canada or,
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Host parents or grandparents for an extended stay
Minor Child: This refers to a child who is below the age of 18 years in the provinces of:
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Alberta
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Manitoba
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Ontario
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Prince Edward Island
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Quebec and,
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Saskatchewan
In all other provinces, the authorities consider a minor child to be a child who is under the age of 19 years.
Misrepresentation: Situations could arise where a person makes false statements, submits false information, submits false or altered documents or withholds information relevant to their application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The authorities consider this to be a crime. The documents that people can misrepresent include:
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Passports and travel documents
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Visas
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Diplomas, degrees and apprenticeship or trade papers
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Birth, marriage, final divorce, annulment, separation or death certificates and,
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Police certificates
It is worth highlighting that lying on an application or in an interview with an officer from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is also considered an offence. This is in accordance with the provisions specified in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Citizenship Act. The authorities could bar a person from being granted Canadian citizenship for a period of five years for misrepresentation. Sometimes, the authorities might find the misrepresentation to have occurred after the person has become a citizen. In this scenario, the authorities have the power to revoke the citizenship. In addition, the person found guilty of misrepresentation would need to wait for 10 years before being granted citizenship again.
Multiple Entry Visa (or Tourist Visa or Visitor Visa): This refers to a visa that permits a person to leave and re-enter Canada more than once during a specified period of time. For more details, refer to the definition of the term ‘Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)’.
National Occupational Classification (NOC): The National Occupational Classification (NOC) refers to a list of all the occupations in the Canadian labour market. It typically describes each job based on the skill type and the skill level. The authorities use the National Occupational Classification (NOC) for collecting and organising job-related statistics as well as for providing labour market information. The authorities use the National Occupational Classification (NOC) for formulating certain immigration requirements as well.
Native Language: A person’s native language refers to the original language that people taught the person as a child. The person would also have spoken the same language in the household while growing up. In many cases, people also refer to the native language as the mother tongue or the first language.
Naturalisation (or Grant of Citizenship): This refers to the formal process by which a person who is not a Canadian citizen could become a Canadian citizen. To be naturalised, a person would need to become a permanent resident first.
Non-Accompanying Family Members (or Non-Accompanying Dependents): This denotes family members who are dependent on the principal applicant, but who are not immigrating to Canada. They would typically include:
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A spouse or common-law partner
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Dependent children and,
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The children of a dependent child
It is worth mentioning that these people would need to be listed on the principal applicant’s application for permanent residence. In addition, these individuals would need to take a medical exam as well. This would enable them to remain eligible for sponsorship at a late date, if needed.