Immigration Glossary

A facilitator is a financial institution that: · is approved by CIC; · is a member of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC); · helps immigrant investors make and redeem their investments.

An immigration category that includes any family members sponsored to come to Canada by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

An applicant’s closest relatives, in the context of an application to CIC. It is defined as a spouse or common-law partner, dependent children, and their dependent children.

An immigrant selected as a permanent resident based on their education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, and other criteria that have been shown to help people succeed in the Canadian labour market. Spouses and children are included on the application. Quebec selects its own skilled workers, under the Quebec skilled worker Class (QSW).

Financial support means that your sponsor provides money to help you pay for food, living expenses, etc.

Foreign credential recognition is the process of verifying that the education and job experience obtained in another country are equal to the standards established for Canadian professionals. Credential recognition for regulated occupations is mainly a provincial responsibility that has been delegated in legislation to regulatory bodies.

A person who is not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.

A temporary resident who is legally authorized to study in Canada on a temporary basis. With a few exceptions, foreign students must get a study permit if they are taking a course of studies that will last for more than six months.

A temporary resident who is legally allowed to work in Canada on a temporary basis.

A program used to teach French to non-native speakers. FSL is usually taught in a setting where French is the dominant language.

Full time study status is determined by your educational institution (school). It is usually based on the number of classroom hours per week.

Education completed on a part-time or accelerated basis that is equivalent to a full-time program of study.

Defined as 1,950 hours of paid employment per year.

Study schedule with a minimum number of hours (15 hours) of instruction per week during the academic year, including any period of training in the workplace that is part of the student’s studies. Students should ask their school what the full-time requirements are.