Intra-company Transfer Work Permits

The end goal is to acquire work permits for business owners and key personnel to support the expansion of existing foreign business operations into Canada.

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Business Eligibility

Multinational businesses may apply for Canadian ICT work permits without first obtaining a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) if the following conditions are met:

  • They are transferring the employee to an enterprise that has a qualifying relationship with their current employer (parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate);
  • The employee has worked for the multinational corporation for at least 12 consecutive months over the past 3 years;
  • The multinational corporate employer has been operational for at least 12 months before expansion into Canada;
  • The multinational corporation is financially sound and has sufficient liquidity to support foreign operations in Canada; and
  • The Canadian operation will be a viable enterprise and will result in job creation for Canadians.

If this is the company’s first expansion into Canada, the corporation must establish that expansion to Canada makes business sense for the company by submitting a Business Plan. The reviewing officer must be satisfied that the newly established operation in Canada is likely to be financially viable and that it has realistic plans to staff the new operation with Canadian employees.

Employee Eligibility

Not all employees can be transferred to Canada through an ICT work permit. Work permits are restricted to the following positions:

  • Executive Positions - Business owners, entrepreneurs, or shareholders who intend to do similar work in Canada;
  • Senior Managerial Positions - Senior managers who are currently employed by the multinational company and intend to occupy a similar position in Canada;
  • Specialized Knowledge Employees - Key employees of a business who have both advanced specialized knowledge and a high degree of proprietary knowledge of the company’s product, service, research, equipment, techniques, or management.

When transferring employees in Executive or Managerial positions, the corporation must demonstrate that it will be large enough to support executive or management functions.

When transferring employees with Specialized Knowledge, the corporation must demonstrate that it is expected to be doing business and that their work will be guided and directed by management at the Canadian operation.

Duration of Work Permits

The initial work permit is issued for one (1) year. However, it can be renewed provided there is evidence that:

  • The Canadian and foreign companies have maintained a qualifying relationship;
  • The Canadian office has engaged in the continuous provision of goods and services for the past year; and
  • The Canadian office has been staffed.

The maximum work permit duration is 7 years for Executive and Senior Managerial positions, and 5 years for Specialized Knowledge employees. You may reapply after reaching this maximum, but must first complete one year of full-time employment in the company outside of Canada to regain eligibility.

What You Can Expect

When you unwrap the way this service works, here’s an overview of what you can expect…

A Strategic Plan

We don’t believe in “winging it”. This service includes an initial meeting with a lawyer to discuss your goals, your concerns, and to answer any questions you have. We will go over the visa requirements and will guide you through the entire process. You will feel comfortable, knowledgeable, and confident.

An Execution Strategy

A plan is nothing without execution. You’ll get a customized checklist so that you can start gathering the best possible evidence for your application. We will make document collection as painless as possible with a customized upload link and a secured shared folder that you can add to, whenever it is most convenient for you.

Attention to Detail - Always

We’ve got checks and balances along the way to ensure that nothing gets missed. You’ll do a few simple questionnaires and we will do all the heavy lifting behind the scenes. We have systems, processes, and technology in place to help reduce the chance of errors.

Support - Reach out anytime you get stuck

Schedule a call or email us with your questions - whenever, at no extra charge. You can always expect a response within one business day. However, the goal is to anticipate as many of your questions as possible and provide you with lots of resources and information so that you always have a clear picture of what comes next.

Snapshot of our Process

Here's a snapshot of our process:

Step 1 

Schedule a Strategy Session

This will allow us to get to know each other and figure out if we are a good fit. If you decide to move forward within 30 days of your consultation, the consultation becomes free.

Step 2 

After you agree that we are a good fit, it is time to come up with a tailored plan and execute it. We will go over strategy and a roadmap of how to gather the best evidence, what affidavits are required, and how to put together flawless forms.

Step 3 

Amazing—now that we are almost there, we will put your entire application through an  error-proofing review system and discuss how it can be made even better. No cutting corners here.

Please note, to keep up with our high service standards, there are limited spots available each month.