A–Z Glossary

Monthly pass

A monthly transit pass loaded on the OPUS card — $110.00 for adults in Montréal (All Modes A, set by the ARTM), with reduced rates for students, seniors and low-income riders.

abuse

In immigration law, mistreatment by an employer — physical, sexual, psychological, financial, or reprisals.

Quebec's free integration support service

A free, personalized service run by Quebec's immigration ministry; an integration agent builds an action plan with you, even before you arrive.

Social security agreement

A bilateral agreement that lets immigrants from certain countries skip the RAMQ waiting period.

acknowledgement of receipt (AOR)

The letter or email IRCC sends once it has received your application and checked that it is complete; online status updates start after it.

family-economy co-op association

Association coopérative d'économie familiale — a community group offering budget help, debt support and consumer-rights defence.

Installment payments

Quarterly tax pre-payments to avoid a large bill at year end.

Thanksgiving

Canadian Thanksgiving — celebrated the second Monday of October.

action items

Action items — concrete next steps with an owner and deadline. Quebec meetings almost always end with these. 'Qui prend ça en charge?' = who's taking ownership of that?

Eligibility

Meeting the conditions to qualify for a service.

eligible

Formally recognized as meeting the Charter's conditions for English-language public instruction. The declaration is issued by the Ministère de l'Éducation, not by the school itself.

EI (Employment Insurance)

Assurance-emploi — federal program covering job loss, parental leave (outside Quebec), and sickness.

Recruitment agency

A business that finds foreign workers for Quebec employers; in Quebec it must hold a licence.

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

The federal agency that collects taxes for the Government of Canada.

Financial aid

Money provided by the government to support you during your studies.

Legal aid

Government-funded legal representation for low-income individuals.

ATIP (access to information and privacy)

Short for the two federal laws that let you ask a government department for the records it holds, including the personal information in your own file.

Canada Child Benefit (CCB)

The federal monthly tax-free benefit paid to families with children under 18.

Quebec Family Allowance

The Quebec provincial family allowance paid by Retraite Québec to families with children.

Weekly allowance

A weekly payment to support living costs while studying full-time — not available for part-time courses.

Housing allowance

A provincial financial aid for low-income households spending a disproportionate share of their budget on rent — paid by Revenu Québec.

Alloprof (homework-help charity)

A Quebec charity offering free homework help to students and parents, online and by phone.

Aluminum smelter

An industrial plant that produces aluminum — Saguenay's iconic industry.

language-exchange apps

Smartphone apps connecting native speakers of different languages who want to teach each other. Free tier usually sufficient. The principle: you teach yours, they teach theirs.

bring your own wine (BYOW)

A Quebec restaurant category where you bring your own alcohol and the restaurant serves it. The establishment holds a 'pour servir' licence option and does not itself sell alcohol.

Cash

Physical bills and coins, as opposed to card payment.

Scams

Frauds — someone tricking you into paying for something fake or that doesn't exist.

Arrima (Quebec immigration portal)

Quebec's online portal for economic-immigration expressions of interest and applications.

Borough

An administrative subdivision of a Quebec city — like a borough in Montréal or Saguenay.

Greater Montreal Transit Authority

The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain — sets fares and coordinates transit across Greater Montreal.

Group insurance (employer-provided)

Insurance offered by employers, often covering dental, vision, and prescriptions.

Drug insurance (mandatory in Quebec)

Mandatory in Quebec — either through employer's group plan or RAMQ's public plan.

Temporary private insurance

A short-term health insurance plan covering the gap between arrival and RAMQ eligibility.

Private health insurance

A non-public health insurance plan you buy to cover medical care.

Employment Insurance (EI)

A federal program providing temporary benefits during job loss, illness, or parental leave (outside Quebec).

now (Quebec)

Spoken contraction of 'à cette heure' meaning 'now'. Heard constantly in conversation. International FR uses 'maintenant'.

Conversation workshops

Group sessions where learners practice speaking French in a low-pressure setting.

French-language workshops

Free language classes to help newcomers practice and learn French.

official certificate

An official letter or certificate confirming a status, fact, or right. Slightly more formal than a simple 'lettre' — it carries legal weight.

Certificate of coverage

A document from your home country's social security body confirming that you are covered; RAMQ uses it under a social security agreement.

attestation of learning about democratic and Quebec values

A Quebec document showing you learned the democratic values and Quebec values set out in the Charter of human rights and freedoms.

Certificate of knowledge of French

The document the OQLF issues when you pass its exam for professional orders.

Social security coverage certificate

An official certificate from your home country's social security agency.

results certificate

The official document issued by FEI or CCIP-IDF that shows your scores on each part of the test; MIFI asks for a complete scan of it.

('Looking forward', friendly closing)

A warmer Quebec closing meaning 'until next time' or 'looking forward'. Slightly less formal than 'Cordialement', warmer in tone. Common in colleague-to-colleague emails.

abandonment hearing

A special hearing held when a claimant misses a deadline or their hearing; unless they give good reasons, the claim is declared abandoned and is not decided.

Local buses

City buses serving short trips inside one municipality or agglomeration.

Indigenous peoples

The generic term used by the Government of Quebec for the original peoples of the territory. It covers both the First Nations and the Inuit. Used as a noun it takes a capital A; as an adjective, lowercase.

Self-directed study

Self-paced study with no scheduled class — you progress on your own.

Electronic travel authorization (eTA)

An online entry document for visa-exempt travellers who fly to Canada; it is linked electronically to the passport.

regulatory body

The body, often a professional order, that decides who may practise a regulated profession in Quebec.

Greater Montreal Transit Authority

The agency that sets fares and coordinates transit across Greater Montreal.

notice of rent increase

The legal notice the landlord must send 3 to 6 months before the lease ends. You have one month to refuse, in writing, after receiving it.

Notice of assessment

The statement the Canada Revenue Agency sends after processing your tax return; it shows your income for that year.