Glossary
Canada immigration glossary
Plain-English definitions for every acronym you'll meet in your Express Entry journey — from AOR to UCI. Bookmark this page; you'll need it more than once.
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Once you know the difference between CLB and NCLC, NOC and TEER, PA and PR, IRCC documentation becomes readable.
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- AOR
- Acknowledgement of Receipt. IRCC confirmation that your e-APR (electronic application for permanent residence) has been received and assigned an application number.
- BOWP
- Bridging Open Work Permit. An open work permit for Express Entry candidates already in Canada whose existing work permit is expiring while their PR application is in process.
- CEC
- Canadian Experience Class. Federal Express Entry stream for candidates with at least 1 year of skilled Canadian work experience in the last 3 years.
- CIC News
- Canadim Immigration News. Independent newsroom that publishes Express Entry round results, policy analysis and IRCC commentary.
- CLB
- Canadian Language Benchmark. 12-point scale measuring English ability across listening, reading, writing and speaking. CLB 7 is the FSW/CEC TEER 0/1 minimum.
- COPR
- Confirmation of Permanent Residence. Document issued at the end of PR processing, used at a port of entry to land in Canada.
- CoR
- Certificate of Residence. Tax-residency document; not Express Entry but sometimes requested for proof of foreign work.
- CRS
- Comprehensive Ranking System. The 1,200-point system IRCC uses to rank Express Entry candidates in the pool and issue Invitations to Apply.
- DLI
- Designated Learning Institution. A Canadian school approved to host international students. Required for the Canadian-education CRS bonus.
- eAPR
- Electronic Application for Permanent Residence. The full PR application submitted to IRCC within 60 days of receiving an Invitation to Apply.
- ECA
- Educational Credential Assessment. WES, ICAS, IQAS, ICES or CES report that verifies a foreign degree is equivalent to a Canadian one — required for FSW education points.
- EE
- Express Entry. IRCC's online application-management system for FSW, CEC and FST.
- EOI
- Expression of Interest. A registration in a provincial nomination intake pool, used to compete for a provincial nomination.
- ESDC
- Employment and Social Development Canada. Federal department that issues LMIAs and runs the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
- FSW
- Federal Skilled Worker Program. Federal Express Entry stream for skilled workers with foreign work experience — uses the 100-point FSW eligibility grid in addition to CRS.
- FST
- Federal Skilled Trades Program. Federal Express Entry stream for qualified tradespeople — requires either a job offer or a provincial trade certificate.
- GCMS
- Global Case Management System. IRCC's internal case-management database. Applicants can request their own GCMS notes via ATIP.
- IELTS
- International English Language Testing System. English test accepted by IRCC; only the IELTS-General Training module is valid for Express Entry.
- IRCC
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The federal department that administers Canada's immigration system.
- ITA
- Invitation to Apply. IRCC invitation to submit a full e-APR for permanent residence, issued after a successful Express Entry round.
- LMIA
- Labour Market Impact Assessment. ESDC document confirming a job offer cannot be filled by a Canadian; required for most CRS-qualifying job offers.
- MI
- Ministerial Instructions. Formal instructions from the Minister of Immigration that set Express Entry program rules, draw categories and selection priorities.
- MP
- Member of Parliament. Federal representative; sometimes engaged by applicants on processing delays via constituency office.
- NCLC
- Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens. The French equivalent of CLB; used for TEF Canada and TCF Canada conversion.
- NOC
- National Occupational Classification. Canada's taxonomy of jobs. NOC 2021 (TEER) replaced NOC 2016 (Skill Levels) on 16 November 2022.
- OINP
- Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program. Ontario's PNP; runs the Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades streams.
- PA
- Principal Applicant. The primary applicant on an Express Entry profile (the spouse is the secondary applicant).
- PCC
- Police Clearance Certificate. A police certificate from every country you've lived in for 6+ months consecutively since age 18; required during e-APR.
- PGWP
- Post-Graduation Work Permit. Open work permit for international students who completed a DLI program — primary path to CEC eligibility.
- PNP
- Provincial Nominee Program. Provincial selection stream. An enhanced (Express Entry-aligned) nomination adds 600 CRS points.
- POE
- Port of Entry. Canadian border crossing where new permanent residents land and activate their COPR.
- PR
- Permanent Residence. The legal status the Express Entry process grants successful applicants.
- RCIC
- Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant. A licensed immigration consultant authorised by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC).
- RPRF
- Right of Permanent Residence Fee. CAD 575 fee paid before COPR is issued (in addition to the application fee).
- SINP
- Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program. Saskatchewan's PNP; the International Skilled Worker — Express Entry stream is widely used.
- TCF
- Test de connaissance du français. French test accepted by IRCC; TCF Canada module only.
- TEER
- Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities. The six occupational categories (0–5) that replaced NOC 2016's Skill Type/Level structure.
- TEF
- Test d'évaluation de français. French test accepted by IRCC; TEF Canada module only.
- UCI
- Unique Client Identifier. IRCC's per-person ID. Used across all IRCC applications once issued.
Where each term comes up in your application
Profile creation: CRS, CLB, NCLC, NOC, TEER, ECA, FSW/CEC/FST, PNP. You'll encounter every one in the first hour of building your Express Entry profile.
After an Invitation to Apply: ITA, e-APR, PCC, RPRF, GCMS, COPR. The e-APR window is 60 days — keep these acronyms close.
After landing: PR, POE, UCI, BOWP (if you're working in Canada while processing), PGWP (if you came as a student).
Calculator-first?
Don't get lost in acronyms. Run our CRS Score Calculator first to see your score, then come back to the glossary to decode what the calculator (and IRCC) actually said.