Glossary
Immigration terms in plain language
The acronyms and terms you will meet across the assessment, guides, and official sources, defined simply.
- AIP (Atlantic Immigration Program)
- An employer-driven route to permanent residence in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island, starting with a job offer from a designated employer.
- CEC (Canadian Experience Class)
- A federal Express Entry stream for people with skilled work experience gained in Canada.
- CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark)
- A common scale used to measure English and French ability. Test scores convert to CLB so programs can compare applicants.
- CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System)
- The points system that ranks candidates in the Express Entry pool based on factors like age, education, language, and experience.
- ECA (Educational Credential Assessment)
- A report that verifies whether education earned outside Canada is comparable to a Canadian credential.
- Express Entry
- A federal system that manages three economic programs (FSW, CEC, FST) through a single ranked pool.
- FST (Federal Skilled Trades)
- A federal Express Entry stream for qualified skilled trades workers, usually needing a job offer or a certificate of qualification.
- FSW (Federal Skilled Worker)
- A federal Express Entry stream for skilled workers with foreign or Canadian experience, ranked by points.
- IRCC
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the federal department responsible for immigration.
- NOC (National Occupational Classification)
- Canada's system for classifying jobs by their duties and skill level (TEER).
- PGWP (Post-Graduation Work Permit)
- A work permit some international graduates of eligible Canadian institutions can obtain, often used to gain Canadian work experience.
- PNP (Provincial Nominee Program)
- Province-run streams that nominate workers a province needs; a nomination adds significant weight to a federal application.
- RCIC (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant)
- A licensed consultant authorized to give immigration advice and represent applicants.
- TEER
- The category (0 to 5) attached to each NOC, reflecting the Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities a job typically requires.