INVESTMENT
The Intra-business Transfer program may enable you to obtain a Canadian work permit if your employer has a parent business, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate in Canada.
Employers are excused from obtaining a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) when they bring foreign employees to Canada as intra-company transfers. Because of this, compared to the LMIA approach, the process may be shorter, easier, and more affordable.
Through the transfer of their talents and expertise to the Canadian labor market, qualified intra-company transferees contribute "significant economic benefit to Canada." Transferees within the same organization might come from any nation.
Intra-Company Transfer categories
For foreign workers to be qualified for employment under the Intra-Company Transfer program in Canada, they have to fit into one of three specific categories:
👉Executives have little to no general oversight from other executives at higher levels, and their primary responsibility is to oversee the management of the company, or a significant portion of it.
👉Senior managers oversee or control the work of other managers or professional staff in addition to managing all or a portion of the business.
👉Employees that possess "specialized knowledge" are able to exhibit advanced proficiency in the company's protocols and procedures, as well as specialized knowledge of the product or service offered by the company.
All individuals who are being transferred to Canada must be coming to Canada to undertake similar job and have worked full-time for the foreign company for at least a year. For a work visa to be granted, there must to be a qualifying relationship between the employer and the employee.
Intra-Company Transfer work permit duration
First-time work permits under the Intra-Company Transfer program are normally granted for a period of one year, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regulations. These work permits, though, might be extended. In the case of renewals, proof must be given that:
👉The foreign and Canadian businesses continue to have a qualifying relationship;
👉For the previous year, the new office has consistently provided goods or services; and
👉Appropriate staffing has been assigned to the new office.
Transition to Permanent Residence
If they so choose, intra-company transferees are frequently well-positioned to become permanent residents of Canada. In Canada, permanent residents are allowed to live and work anywhere.
Since its debut in 2015, economic immigration to Canada has been primarily driven by Canada's Express Entry immigration selection system. When the IRCC modified the Express Entry system in November 2016, it gave intra-company transferees who wanted to move to permanent residence a significant advantage by enabling them to earn Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points without first receiving an LMIA. Intra-company transferees now have an easier time raising their CRS score, which increases their chances of being invited to apply for permanent residency. This is a significant improvement.
There can be other ways to move from the Express Entry system to permanent residency, like by participating in one of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).
Some individuals who start out in Canada via intra-company transfers may eventually become citizens of Canada by naturalisation. Following the awarding of permanent residence follows this procedure.
