Glossary
  • Biometrics: When applying for a temporary visa, you will have to give biometrics (picture and fingerprints). These will be valid for 10 years, though not transferable if you apply for Permanent Residence. You will have to travel to a Visa Application Centre (outside Canada) or Service Canada Centre (inside Canada) to give your biometrics. You will receive a Biometrics Letter after you have submitted your online application and be prompted to give your biometrics. US citizens are exempt from giving biometrics.
  • Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC): IRCC used to be known as Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). However, the name CIC may continue to be used for some time by some stakeholders, such as Canadian provincial and territorial governments and refers to the same department.
  • Discontinuance Requirement: Where there is a discontinuance requirement (i.e., a specific length of discontinuous stay as specified in the agreement), the discontinuous stay will be calculated from the expiry of the first work permit.
  • GCKey: This is your secure IRCC online account, where you can create a profile, work on your application and submit it to the IRCC to process.
  • GO International (GI/GO): GO International is a designated Recognized Organization of the Government of Canada’s International Experience Canada program. However, it is not part of the Canadian government.
  • IEC Pools: The IEC Program is a lottery that randomly draws profiles from the pools to receive an invitation to apply. You will have to submit your profile to the pools in order to be invited for the program.
  • International Experience Canada (IEC):  IEC is a Government of Canada program. Through IEC, Canada has formal Youth Mobility Arrangements with more than 30 countries and territories that allow Canadian youth, between ages 18-35, to work while they travel in partner countries. As a reciprocal program, young citizens from these countries and territories (and sometimes other countries) are also able to come to Canada.
  • Invitation to Apply (ITA): If you’re invited to apply, you’ll get a message in your account. The message will list your category and your next steps. You’ll have 10 days to decide if you’ll accept the invitation to apply.
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC): Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for matters dealing with immigration to Canada, refugees, and Canadian citizenship.
  • Implied Status: Now known as maintained status (see below).
  • Maintained Status: If a visitor, student or foreign worker applies to extend their status, before that status expires, they can legally remain in Canada until a decision is made on the application. In this situation, the person has implied status. Please note, there is no implied/maintained status when applying for a new IEC work permit, only if you are extending your current IEC work permit (which is only possible in very rare cases).
  • Open Work Permit: An open work permit is a type of work permit that allows you to work for any employer in Canada. Check your work permit for exceptions.
  • POE Letter: A POE Letter is the confirmation you will receive in your profile when your visa application has been approved. You will have to print your POE Letter and bring it with you when you want to activate your work permit. This could also be called a Letter of Introduction. The POE Letter is not your work permit! This will be a separate document.
  • Port of Entry (POE): In general, a port of entry (POE) is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. You will have to travel to a POE to activate your work permit – either at your arrival airport (or layover airport if it’s in Canada) or a land border.
  • Recognized Organization (RO): (IEC) designates a number of organizations that provide support and facilitate travel and work-abroad services between Canada and other countries. The organizations may provide these services, for a fee, to both Canadians going abroad and foreign nationals coming to Canada. When applying through a RO, you have certain benefits (see “Advantages of a Recognized Organization”).
  • Rounds of Invitations: During each season, IEC will do regular rounds of invitations (usually weekly) to invite eligible candidates from the IEC Pools to apply for their work permit.
  • RO Support Letter: When you apply through a Recognized Organization like GO International, you will receive a RO Support Letter, which confirms your participation in a RO program. You will not need a RO Support Letter if you are applying directly with the IEC.
  • Service Canada: Service Canada provides Canadians with a single point of access to a wide range of government services and benefits. You will have to visit a Service Canada Centre to give your biometrics when applying from within Canada and you can apply for your Social Insurance Number (SIN) there as well.
  • Social Insurance Number (SIN): The SIN is a 9 digit number that you need to work in Canada or to have access to government programs and benefits. You can apply for your SIN online, by mail and at a Service Canada Centre. When you have received a second Working Holiday, you will have to request an extension of your SIN deadline by submitting your new work permit to Service Canada.
  • Unique Client Identifier Number (UCI): A Unique Client Identifier Number (UCI) can be found on any official document issued by an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada office, Case Processing Centre or a Canadian visa office outside Canada. A Client ID consists of four numbers, a hyphen (-) and four (4) more numbers (example: 0000-0000).
  • Visa Application Centre (VAC): Visa application centres (VACs) are private companies that have formal contracts with the Government of Canada. Depending on your country of citizenship, they might accept your visa application and passport. You will also have to travel to a VAC to give your biometrics if you are applying from outside Canada.
  • Work Application Number (W Number): Upon creation of your profile, you are given a ‘W’ number which once you are invited to apply to a work permit, becomes your work permit application number.
  • Working Holiday (WH): The Working Holiday is a category of the IEC Program, which enables Canadian and foreign youth to travel to another country and to work there legally for a certain amount of time. The Working Holiday visa is an open work permit and allows you to work for any employer. Each country must have an IEC agreement with Canada in order to facilitate work permits.
  • YMA countries: These are the countries that have Youth Mobility arrangements with Canada and are therefore eligible to participate in the IEC Program.
  • Young Professional Visa (YP): The Young Professional is a category of the IEC Program, which enables Canadian and foreign youth to travel to another country and to work there legally for a certain amount of time. The Young Professional category requires you to have a valid full-time job offer for a skilled position. It is an employer-specific work permit and therefore, you are only allowed to work for the same employer.
  • Youth Mobility Arrangement (YMA): This is the reciprocal agreement between two countries to facilitate an exchange program, such as the IEC.