Intra-Company Transfer to Canada

Canada Intra Company Transfer Visa Process varies depending on the nationality of a transferee. A temporary foreign worker from a country whose nationals are visa-exempt can apply for Intra Company Transfer Work Permit at the port of entry (POE). All others should apply online.

For example, in the case of Intra Company Transfer from USA to Canada, US citizens can apply at the POE. To make a case stronger and decrease waiting time, a temporary foreign worker can request an opinion from the IMWU [International Mobility Program Unit] to find out if an LMIA exemption applies to your situation. While it does not guarantee the issuance of ICT Work Permit, the opinion provided by the IMWU may be considered by the border services officer and speed up the process.

• Completed and signed application forms for the LMIA-exempt work permit.
• Online offer of employment submitted via the Employer Portal.
• Business Plan for Intra Company Transfer to Canada.
• Supporting documents for foreign and Canadian companies. For example, the company’s activity can be proved by providing its articles of incorporation, business tax returns, profit and loss statements, license to do business, partnership agreements, business tax returns, registration with the tax authorities, bank statement to prove investment funds, etc.
• Proof of current employment for ICT transferee. For example, a work reference letter, pay stubs, dividend payments, shareholder certificates, etc.
• Invitation Letter from a Canadian company.

It is not the exhaustive list of supporting documents for Canada Intra Company Transfer, but it is an orienting point.

After one year, intra company transferees can use work experience gained on ICT Work Permit for immigration through Express Entry. With a valid job offer, additional 50 or 200 points will increase a foreign worker’s CRS [Comprehensive Ranking System] Score increasing the chances to get an ITA [Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residence]. If the foreign worker also owns (at least 51%) a Canadian company, then he may apply for Owner Operator LMIA [Labour Market Impact Assessment] to get additional 200 points for a valid job offer.

Consequently, intra company transfer can be treated as a valid job offer for Canada PR purposes in certain circumstances. While the foreign company can remunerate transferees for their work in Canada, for immigration to Canada purposes, it is better if the Canadian company pays salary and taxes, respectively.

The initial Intra Company Transfer Work Permit can be issued for a maximum of three years unless office start-up – one year. It can be renewed for two years. If a Canadian company further requires that employee, the extension is optional for up to a maximum of seven years cumulatively for executives and senior managers, or five years – for specialized knowledge workers.

After intra-company transferees have reached their maximum work permit duration, they must complete one year of full-time employment in the company outside Canada if they wish to re-apply for Inta Company Transfer To Canada.

Applications under the Intra Company Transfer Program qualifies for 2-week processing time under the Global Skills Strategy. To benefit from this expedited service, the job must be in skill type 0 (managerial) or skill level A (professional), and the applicant must be applying from outside Canada. Otherwise, standard processing time applies and may vary depending on the country from where applying for Canada ICT Visa.

Generally, a corporation must show around $100,000 – $150,000 available funds to invest in Canadian operations, to cover first-year salaries, i.e., to hire at least one Canadian, and basic company expenses, which may include renting an office, marketing, procurement, etc.

Investment funds can be raised internally within the corporation or externally. Owners can show their personal savings too.

Application fees would include business plan preparation, employer compliance fee, work permit fee, biometrics (where applicable), and legal fees. If you are interested in Intra Company Transfer to Canada, call our experienced immigration lawyer or complete the free assessment form below. We will evaluate your eligibility for Intra Company Transfer Work Permit.

In the table below, we provide Intra-Company Transfers to Canada statistics in the past five years, 2015 to 2020. It showcases admissions of temporary residents by the province under LMIA exemption codes C12 (under GATS and significant benefit provision), T24 (NAFTA/CUSMA), T44, and T51 (other FTAs), depending on the country of origin. As you see, the success rate varies, with the highest number of approved Intra-Company Transfer Work Permit applications admitted to Ontario and British Columbia.