Foreign businesses with a parent company, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate in Canada have the option to bring key personnel to Canada through an Intra-Company Transfer.

Work permits acquired through this program are exempt from the requirement to obtain a Labour Market Impact AssessmentTemporary Resident Visa, if applicable.

In three years immediately preceding the date of the initial application, transferees must have been employed with the foreign enterprise, continuously for at least one year, in a similar full-time position to the position they will be fulfilling at the Canadian business. Work in Canada must fall under one of three following functions:

• Executives and Senior Managers
  • Executive: An employee who primarily directs the management of the enterprise or a major component thereof.
  • Senior Manager: An employee who manages all, or part, of the enterprise and supervises/controls the work of other managers or professional employees.

• Functional Managers
  • An employee who manages a function that is essential to achieving the company’s goals, but does not necessarily manage employees.

• Specialized Knowledge
  • An employee who can demonstrate specialized knowledge, which in turn means knowledge at an advanced level of expertise and proprietary knowledge of the enterprise’s products, services, processes and procedures.

In order for the foreign worker to receive a work permit, the Canadian business will have to demonstrate a qualifying relationship with its foreign counterpart, as well as a qualifying relationship with its employee.

Foreign businesses wishing to establish a Canadian enterprise may use the Intra-Company Transfer program to bring critical workers to the country for start-up operations. For more information on this option, please click here.

Recruiting through the Intra-Company Transfer

To find out if you or your business is eligible to transfer workers to work in Canada through this program, please complete this short form to submit your work permit query directly to our specialists. We will respond with an evaluation of your needs.