Accompanying dependent:

A spouse or dependent child of the principal applicant who intends to immigrate to Canada.

Alberta Provincial Nominee:

A person for whom the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) has issued a Provincial Nominee Certificate of Nomination.

Alberta Provincial Nominee Program:

An immigration selection program that allows the Province of Alberta to recommend foreign nationals/workers to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for permanent residency (Commonly referred to as the Alberta PNP).

Canadian citizen:

A person who is Canadian by birth or who has applied for citizenship through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and has received a Canadian citizenship certificate.

Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC):

A self-regulating association of paid immigration representatives who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada.

Certificate of Nomination:

A certificate issued by the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program directly to a Citizenship and Immigration Canada Visa Office recommending a foreign national for permanent residence consideration under the Federal Economic Class.

CIC:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Visa Office:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) office at a Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate that makes a determination on the issuance of visas, including temporary resident and permanent resident visas.

Common-law partner:

A common-law partner is a person who has been living with the principal applicant in a conjugal relationship for at least one year, usually in Canada. The term refers to opposite-sex and same-sex relationships.

Conjugal partner:

A person outside of Canada who has maintained a conjugal relationship with the principal applicant for at least one year, usually overseas. The term refers to both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships.

Consulate:

These are offices located in major but not capital cities. They generally offer the full range of services, including consular services.

Dependent children:

For information regarding the definition of dependent children, see the related link below for the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) definition of dependent children.

Eligible employer:

Incorporated or registered by or under an act of the legislature of a province of the Parliament of Canada, operating as a business that has an established production capability, plant, or place of business in Alberta.

Embassy:

These are offices located in the capital cities of non-Commonwealth countries and generally offer the full range of services, including consular services. Example: Canadian embassy in Paris, France.

Employer approval:

Alberta employer whose application for a specific occupation has been approved by the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program.

Family class:

Permanent residents sponsored by a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident living in Canada who is 18 years of age or over.

Foreign national:

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

High Commission:

These are the same as embassies but are located in the capital cities of Commonwealth countries. Example: Canadian High Commission in London, England

Intended occupation:

The occupation in which a provincial nominee candidate plans to work in Alberta. It should be consistent with the applicant's training and experience.

International graduate:

Temporary Foreign Worker on a Post-Graduation Work Permit who has graduated from an eligible educational institution and who has secured permanent, full-time employment with an Alberta employer.

Labour Market Opinion (LMO) Confirmation:

When hiring a foreign worker, the employer must generally submit an application to Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) requesting a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) Confirmation.

The LMO Confirmation from HRSDC confirms that having a foreign worker employed in the LMO specific occupation will not have a negative impact on the labour market in Canada.

National Occupational Classification (NOC):

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is a classification system that describes duties, skills, talents and work settings for occupations in the Canadian economy. See below for the link to the National Occupational Classification.

Non-accompanying dependent:

A spouse or dependent child of the principal applicant who does not intend to immigrate to Canada.

Permanent resident:

A person who is legally in Canada on a permanent basis as an immigrant or refugee, but not yet a Canadian citizen (formerly known as landed immigrant).

Permanent Resident Card:

Permanent residents receive a Permanent Resident Card as proof of their status in Canada. Replacing the former Record of Landing (IMM1000), the card is a secure, machine-readable and fraud-resistant document, valid for five years.

Permanent resident visa:

Visa issued by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) visa office overseas in order for a foreign national to enter Canada permanently.

Post-graduation work permit:

A Post Graduation Work Permit is a document issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to international students who have graduated from eligible Canadian post-secondary institutions. See the related link below for information on Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.  

Principal applicant:

The individual who must meet the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program selection criteria.

For the purposes of the Alberta PNP, the principal applicant is also the Provincial Nominee Candidate or the Provincial Nominee.

Provincial Nominee:

A foreign national selected by the province of Alberta for specific skills that will contribute to the local economy to meet specific labour market needs. A provincial nominee must meet federal admissibility requirements, such as those related to health and security.

Provincial Nominee Candidate:

A foreign national who has been selected for nomination by an approved employer.

Provincial Nominee Candidate (employee) application package:

The package including all forms, supporting documents and information provided to the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program for consideration.

Refugee claimant:

A refugee claimant is a person who requests refugee protection status.

Semi-skilled worker:

Provincial Nominee Candidate whose occupation requires secondary school and/or occupation-specific training, or on-the-job training.

Skilled worker:

Provincial Nominee Candidate whose occupation requires formal education and/or specialized training.

Spouse:

A person of the opposite sex or same sex to whom the principal applicant is legally married.

Study permit:

A document issued by a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) visa or immigration officer authorizing a foreign national to study in Canada.

Temporary foreign worker:

A foreign national who has been authorized to enter and remain in Canada, on a temporary basis, as a worker.

Visitor visa:

A document issued by a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) visa or immigration officer authorizing a foreign national to enter Canada on a temporary basis. (Necessary for foreign workers who are from a country where a visa is required to enter Canada.)

Work permit:

A document with terms and conditions that is issued by a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) visa or immigration officer allowing a foreign national to work temporarily in Canada.

*An approved provincial nominee may be eligible for an extension of their temporary work permit while awaiting a decision on their permanent residence application from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). This work permit would not require Service Canada validation, if the nominee has a job offer in his/her assessed occupation and a supporting letter from the Alberta PNP.