accompanying dependant

a spouse or child of the principal applicant who intends to immigrate to Canada.

adjudicator

a member of the Adjudication Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board, with the power of a Commissioner under Part 1 of the Inquiries Act. Adjudicators preside over immigration inquiries, hearings and detention reviews.

admission

permission to come into Canada as an immigrant or as a visitor (see entry and landing).

arranged employment:

arranged employment is a guaranteed job offer by a Canadian employer that has been validated by a Human Resources Canada Centre that no suitably qualified Canadian or permanent resident is available to fill the position.

assisted relatives

immigrants, other than members of the family class, with close relatives in Canada.

authorization

see employment authorization or student authorization

background check

checks conducted by Immigration Canada in all countries in which you and your dependants have lived to determine if you have any arrests or convictions or are a security risk to Canada.

canada employment centre (CEC):

the labour exchange office which deals with employment matters, such as helping employers find workers and providing labour market information. It also helps people identify employers who may need their services. CECs are listed in the Blue Pages of the telephone directory under "Government of Canada

canadian citizen

a person who was born in Canada or who has applied through Citizenship and Immigration Canada and has received a citizenship certificate.

close relative

The brother, sister, mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew of the applicant or of the applicant's spouse. You must provide documents proving the relationship.

convention refugee

any person who,

a) by reason of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion,

i) is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, by reason of that fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country or

ii) not having a country of nationality, is outside the country of his former habitual residence and is unable or, by reason of that fear, is unwilling to return to that country; and

b) has not ceased to be a Convention refugee by such reasons as voluntary repatriation.

departure order

an order issued to a person who has violated the Immigration Act. It requires that person to leave Canada within a prescribed period and permits re-application for admission. A departure order will be deemed to be a deportation order if the person does not leave Canada within the prescribed time and obtain a certificate of departure. If a certificate of departure is not obtained, re-application for admission will not be possible without Ministerial consent and reimbursement of removal costs.

dependent children

are either under 19 years of age and unmarried on the date the application is received at the visa office (and if they plan to immigrate, are still unmarried when they arrive in Canada). Children of any age or marital status are also considered dependent if they are financially dependent upon their parents for either of the following reasons:

·         they are continuously enrolled and in attendance as full-time students in an educational institution and financially dependent upon their parents since reaching the age of 19 (or from the date of their marriage, if married before 19). Students who interrupt their full-time studies continue to be considered dependants as long as they are not away from their program of study for a total of more than one year and continue to be financially dependent upon their parents during that time; or

·         they cannot support themselves due to a physical or mental disability and are financially dependent upon their parents. (Note: Some disabilities may result in refusal for medical reasons.)

departure order

an order issued to a person who has violated the Immigration Act. It requires that person to leave Canada within a prescribed period and permits re-application for admission. A departure order will be deemed to be a deportation order if the person does not leave Canada within the prescribed time and obtain a certificate of departure. If a certificate of departure is not obtained, re-application for admission will not be possible without Ministerial consent and reimbursement of removal costs.

dependants

the spouse of a prospective immigrant and the children of that immigrant who are, whether natural born or adopted before the age of 19,

·         unmarried and under 19 years of age,

·         full-time students, or

·         mentally and/or physically disabled and unable to support themselves.

deportation order

a removal order issued to someone who is inadmissible to Canada on serious grounds or who has committed a serious violation of Canadian law. Deportation permanently bars future admission to Canada unless Ministerial consent is granted.

designated occupation

an occupation in a locality or area in Canada designated by the Minister, after consultation with the relevant provincial authority, as a locality or area in which workers in that occupation are in short supply.

education/training factor (ETF)

the level of education/training for average performance in the occupation in which you are qualified to work in Canada.

employment

"..any activity for which a person receives or might reasonably be expected to receive valuable consideration" (as defined in the Immigration Act). Some activities might be considered to be work even if the person doing them is not being paid for his/her services. It depends on the kind of work and the circumstances under which it is performed.

employment authorization

a legal document which entitles a foreign worker to work in Canada. Usually, it is valid only for the specified job and length of time.

entrepreneur

an immigrant who intends and has the ability to establish, purchase or make a substantial investment in a business or commercial venture in Canada that will: make a significant contribution to the economy; and create or continue employment opportunities in Canada for one or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents, other than the entrepreneur and his or her dependants. (And who intends and has the ability to provide active and on-going participation in the management of the business or commercial venture.)

entry

lawful permission to come into Canada as a visitor.

excessive demand

refers to the significant burden placed on Canada's health or social services due to ongoing hospitalization or medical, social or institutional care for physical or mental illnesses, or special education or training. Individuals may be denied admittance to Canada due to the high costs of their care.

exclusion order

a removal order issued to someone at the port of entry for a minor offence, such as incomplete documentation, barring admission for one year.

family class

the class of immigrants made up of close relatives of a sponsor in Canada

foreign worker

a person working legally in Canada, who is neither a Canadian citizen nor a permanent resident of Canada

funds required to settle in Canada -- Business Applicants

you will be required to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to meet the definition of an entrepreneur/investor or self-employed person. You also require enough additional money to support yourself and your family when you first arrive in Canada.

immigrants and in which there are reasonable levels of labour mobility (see Appendix H).

general occupations list

the list of occupations in Canada which are open for independent

human resources canada centre

(formerly known as Canada Employment Centres) Local office of Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) which provides advice on local labour market conditions and mobility.

job offer validation

the process by which the Canada Employment Centre determines that the employment of a foreign worker would not adversely affect employment opportunities for Canadian citizens or permanent residents

immigrant

a person who comes to settle in Canada as a permanent resident.

independent immigrant

a person with specific occupational skills, experience and personal qualifications who meets Canada's selection criteria and is accepted to immigrate to Canada.

investor

a person with a proven track record in business who has an accumulated net worth of at least $500,000 and who makes an investment as required in a project which has been assessed by the province as being of significant benefit to its economy and which will contribute to the creation or continuation of employment opportunities for Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

landing

lawful permission to come into Canada to establish permanent residence

local immigration office

the office which deals with immigration matters. The office is listed in your local telephone directory Blue Pages under "Government of Canada."

minister's permit

a written permit issued by the Minister, authorizing a person to come into or remain in Canada if that person, seeking entry, is a member of an inadmissible class or, if already in Canada, has been subject of a report

open employment authorization

an authorization which allows a foreign worker to work for any employer and in any occupation. The document will clearly indicate the word "open" in the employer section. Without an open employment authorization, a foreign worker may only work for the employer whose name appears on the employment authorization

permanent resident

someone who has been granted admission as an immigrant but who has not become a Canadian citizen.

principal applicant

you, or if you are married, the spouse who earns the most points in the self-assessment should apply as the applicant. The other spouse should be included as a dependant.

refugee claimant

a refugee claimant is a person who has arrived in Canada and who requests refugee status. If a refugee claimant receives a final determination that he or she has been determined to be a Convention refugee, he or she may then apply for permanent residence.

removal order

an exclusion or deportation order requiring someone to leave Canada.

self-employed person

an immigrant who intends and has the ability to establish or purchase a business in Canada that will create employment opportunity for that person, and will make a significant contribution to the economy or the cultural or artistic life of Canada.

sponsor

a person who sponsors an immigration application made by a member of the family class

spouse

A person of the opposite sex to whom the applicant is legally married.

student authorization

a document issued by a visa or immigration officer authorizing a visitor to take an academic, professional, or vocational training course at a Canadian university, college or other institution

valid status

This refers to a visitor, whether or not the person is a tourist, foreign student or foreign worker, who has permission to be in Canada temporarily

visa office

a Canadian immigration office outside Canada at a Canadian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.

visitor

a person, other than a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or Minister's permit holder, who is lawfully in Canada, or seeks to come to Canada, for a temporary purpose.