Glossary of Terms for New Canadian Immigrants

Written by Julie McMahon. Posted in Glossary

Glossary

Below is a list of terms and programs related to skilled immigrants and employment, with a brief description of each.

Bridge Training Programs: These are programs that help newcomers get their license or certificate in their profession or trade, so that they can work in Canada.

Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB): A standard used to describe, measure and recognize the second language proficiency of prospective immigrants and newcomers who plan to live and work in Canada.

Credential Assessment Agencies: Organizations that assess foreign credentials in Canada and include regulatory bodies, post-secondary institutions, and credential assessment agencies.

Federal Skilled Workers: An immigration class where skilled workers are selected as permanent residents based on their education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, and other criteria that have been shown to help them become economically established in Canada.

Foreign Credential Recognition: The process of assessing and/or evaluating credentials obtained abroad in terms of Canadian equivalencies. Organizations that assess foreign credentials include: credential assessment agencies, educational institutions and regulatory bodies.

Immigrant Employment Councils and Networks: Immigrant Employment Councils bring together local stakeholders to address the many challenges of integrating skilled immigrants into the labour market. They connect skilled immigrants to local employers with the support of other community, educational and government organizations.

Immigrant Serving Organizations: Organizations that help newcomers by providing information and guidance upon arrival in the province or territory of choice. Services include language training, employment support and other settlement services.

Internship: Supervised work- or school-related training that may be either paid or unpaid. Internship positions are ways for newcomers to gain Canadian work experience and give organizations a low-risk way of testing out a newcomer’s skills and experiences.

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC): The federal government provides free language training programs for adult newcomers to Canada in co-operation with provinces, territories and non-governmental organizations. LINC is delivered by local community organizations.

Mentoring Programs: Mentoring or coaching programs help newcomers meet people in their profession and learn more about Canada’s workplaces. They are a valuable tool for employers looking to help immigrants on staff adjust to their new work environment.

National Occupational Classification (NOC): Canada uses the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system to classify job titles in the labour market. Job titles and descriptions are not universal. What a skilled immigrant’s occupation was called in their home country may be different than what it is called in Canada.

Non-Regulated Occupation: A profession or trade that does not require a licence to practice, for example a bookkeeper. About 80 per cent of Canadian workers are employed in non-regulated occupations.

Provincial Nominee Program: Programs for provinces and territories to nominate candidates for immigration who have the skills, education and work experience needed to make an immediate economic contribution.

Regulated Occupations: Occupations that set their own standards and that require workers to have a licence to practice. About 20 per cent of jobs in Canada are regulated occupations. These include regulated professions, for example nurses, and skilled trades, such as plumbers. Within each province and territory, a regulatory body exists for each regulated occupation.

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