Immigration & study-visa glossary
Plain-language definitions of the 40 terms a Punjab study-visa or immigration applicant actually meets — SOP, GIC, CRS, CAS, IHS, the blocked account and more. Each is short, sourced where a figure is quoted, and links the guides that explain it in full.
Documents & general
- SOP (Statement of Purpose)
- A personal essay explaining why you want to study a specific course in a specific country, and your plan to return or progress after it.
- LOR (Letter of Recommendation)
- A letter from a teacher or employer vouching for your academic ability or work, submitted with university applications.
- Proof of funds
- Evidence that you can pay tuition and living costs — bank statements, a loan sanction, or a blocked/GIC account, depending on the country.
- Biometrics
- Your fingerprints and a photo, given at a visa application centre as part of most study and visitor visa applications.
- WES / credential evaluation
- An assessment by a recognised body (e.g. WES) that maps your Indian degree to the destination country's system — often required for PR and some admissions.
- PR (Permanent Residence)
- The status that lets you live and work in a country indefinitely, short of citizenship — a common goal after studying abroad.
- Conditional & unconditional offer
- A conditional offer holds your place if you meet remaining requirements (e.g. IELTS or final marks); an unconditional offer confirms you have already met them all.
- MOI (Medium of Instruction)
- A letter from your school/college stating you studied in English; some institutions accept it in place of IELTS, but most visas still require a test.
- PCC (Police Clearance Certificate)
- A certificate confirming you have no criminal record, needed for some student and most PR/long-stay applications.
- Medical exam / panel physician
- A health check by a doctor the destination country approves (a "panel physician"), required for many study and PR visas.
- Visa interview
- A face-to-face (often at the US consulate) or credibility interview where an officer checks you are a genuine student before deciding your visa.
Indian documents & certificates
- Backlog certificate
- A document from your college stating how many exam "backlogs" (subjects you failed and had to re-clear) you have — some universities and visa assessments ask for it.
- Bonafide certificate
- A letter from your current school/college confirming you are a genuine enrolled student there — sometimes needed for applications and loans.
- Migration certificate
- A certificate from your last board/university allowing you to move to another institution — often required when you join a university abroad.
- Provisional certificate
- A temporary certificate confirming you completed your degree, issued before the final degree certificate is printed.
- Gap certificate / affidavit
- A signed statement (often on stamp paper) explaining what you did during any break in your education — asked for when there is a study gap.
- Academic transcript
- An official record of all the subjects and marks/grades from your qualification, sealed and issued by your institution.
- Financial sponsor / affidavit of support
- A declaration (often by a parent) confirming who will fund your studies and that the money is available — part of the proof-of-funds for a study visa.
English tests
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
- The most common English test for Punjab study/PR applicants, scored in bands 0–9 across listening, reading, writing and speaking.
- PTE (Pearson Test of English)
- A fully computer-based English test scored 10–90, widely accepted for study and Australian/NZ visas.
- Duolingo English Test (DET)
- A low-cost, at-home, computer-adaptive English test scored 10–160, accepted by a growing number of universities but not all visa routes.
Canada
- GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate)
- A Canadian bank account you fund before you travel to prove living-cost money; it is released to you in instalments after you arrive.
- DLI (Designated Learning Institution)
- A school approved by a Canadian province to host international students; you can only get a study permit for a DLI.
- PAL (Provincial Attestation Letter)
- A letter from a Canadian province confirming your study-permit application counts within its cap; most 2024-onward applications need one.
- PGWP (Post-Graduation Work Permit)
- An open work permit that lets eligible graduates of Canadian DLIs work after finishing their programme.
- Express Entry
- Canada's online system that ranks skilled permanent-residence candidates and invites the highest scorers to apply.
- CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System)
- The points score, out of 1,200, that ranks Express Entry candidates on age, education, language and experience.
- LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment)
- A document a Canadian employer may need to prove hiring a foreign worker will not harm the local labour market.
- ECA (Educational Credential Assessment)
- A report confirming your foreign degree equals a Canadian one; required to claim education points in Express Entry.
UK
- CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)
- A reference number a licensed UK sponsor issues once it offers you a place; you need it to apply for a UK Student visa.
- IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge)
- A fee UK visa applicants pay to use the NHS during their stay — £776/year for students as of writing (verify at gov.uk).
USA
- Form I-20
- The form a SEVP-approved US school issues after admission; it lists your programme and costs and is needed for an F-1 visa.
- SEVIS / I-901 fee
- The US student tracking system, and the one-time fee (US $350 for F-1, verify at ICE) you pay before the visa interview.
- F-1 visa
- The main US visa for full-time academic study at a SEVP-approved school.
- OPT / CPT (US practical training)
- Work authorisation tied to an F-1: CPT during your course, and OPT (12 months, +24 for STEM) after graduation.
Australia
- Subclass 500 (student visa)
- Australia's student visa, letting you study a registered course full-time and work limited hours.
- CoE (Confirmation of Enrolment)
- The document an Australian institution issues once you accept an offer and pay a deposit; required for a Subclass 500.
- OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover)
- Mandatory health insurance for the length of an Australian student visa.
- Genuine Student (GS) requirement
- Australia's test that you intend to study genuinely, shown through your history, funds and answers — replaced the older GTE.
Germany
- Blocked account (Sperrkonto)
- A German account holding a fixed sum (€11,904 for one year as of 2024) that you draw monthly to prove living funds.