Agencies
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| IRCC | Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada: visas, work permits, permanent residence, citizenship |
| ESDC | Employment and Social Development Canada: LMIAs, Job Bank, SINs (through Service Canada) |
| CBSA | Canada Border Services Agency: border checks, issues work permits at ports of entry |
| CRA | Canada Revenue Agency |
Work permits
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Employer-specific work permit | Lets you work only for the employer, job and location on the permit |
| Open work permit | Lets you work for most employers in Canada |
| LMIA | Labour market impact assessment; the employer applies to ESDC to show it needs to hire a foreign worker |
| TFWP | Temporary Foreign Worker Program: cases that need an LMIA |
| IMP | International Mobility Program: LMIA-exempt cases |
| LMIA exemption code | The administrative code of each LMIA exemption, such as C16, C15, C11 |
| C16 (Francophone Mobility) | LMIA-exempt work permit for French speakers working outside Quebec |
| Employer Portal | Online portal where employers submit LMIA-exempt job offers |
| Offer of employment number | The 7-digit number the employer gives the worker |
| Port of entry letter of introduction | Letter you show at the border; not the work permit itself |
| Maintained status | Keeping your status after applying to extend before your permit expires |
Occupations and language
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| NOC | National Occupational Classification; IRCC uses the 2021 version |
| TEER | 6 categories of training, education, experience and responsibilities (0 to 5) |
| NCLC | Canada's 12-level French language benchmarks |
| CLB | The equivalent English benchmarks |
| TEF Canada, TCF Canada | The two French tests IRCC accepts |
Permanent residence
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| PR | Permanent resident |
| Express Entry | System managing 3 federal skilled worker programs |
| CRS | Comprehensive Ranking System for Express Entry candidates |
| ITA | Invitation to apply for permanent residence |
| CEC | Canadian Experience Class |
| PNP | Provincial Nominee Program |
| FCIP | Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (permanent residence) |
Daily life
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| SIN | Social Insurance Number; starts with 9 for temporary residents |
| Health card | Provincial health insurance card |
| Biometrics | Fingerprints and photo |
| DLI | Designated learning institution allowed to host international students |
Frequently asked questions
Official IRCC sources
Self-assessment checklist