Intra Company Transfer Primary Benefits
- You may stay in Canada for extended periods.
- You may bring your spouse and young children with you. You and your family may be eligible for provincial health care plans and domestic tuition fees.
- Your spouse may be eligible for an open work permit.
- For initial work permits, you may be eligible to apply at designated ports of entry, thereby facing a shorter processing time than other means of applications.
- You may be coming to Canada to establish a start-up business (must meet extra requirements).
- You may accumulate Canadian work experience and may have the option to obtain permanent residence in Canada.
- There is no annual limit on the number of ICT work permits issued.
- There are no set wage requirements.
Basic Requirements
Positions qualified for ICT work permits are executive and senior managerial capacities, functional managers, or workers with specialized knowledge.
You may be eligible for the ICT work permits guided by the general immigration provision, if:
- You may be citizens of any country;
- You have been employed continuously for at least 1 year in the past 3 years in a qualified position in an international company outside Canada.
- You are being transferred to perform a similar role in the permanent and continuing establishment of a parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate in Canada.
- Both foreign and Canadian companies must have a qualifying business relationship, and both are doing business.
- You and your employers must provide all necessary supporting documents.
- You must meet all other immigration requirements.
Eligibility criteria of ICT work permits under international agreements are similar to those under general immigration provisions, except for the following:
- You must be a citizen of the Treaty Country (e.g. American or Mexican citizens for CUSMA/USMCA, EU citizens for CETA etc)
Intra Company Transfer Application Process
ICT work permits can be complex and require sufficient documentary evidence to qualify. In addition, the steps involved may vary depending on the country of nationality and the provisions you apply under.
Generally speaking, extensive supporting documents are required from employers to prove foreign workers’ continuous work experience, detailed description of intended work in Canada, and business and relationship evidence between Canadian and foreign companies.
For initial ICT work permits, you may be eligible to apply at Canadian ports of entry or foreign visa posts. Future extensions or renewals are usually processed through the Case Processing Centre.
ICT Processing Times
ICT work permits can be reasonably quick to obtain, as an individual can apply at a port of entry. The longest part of the application process is usually the document collection phase. You should expect this phase to take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Businesses and employees need to gather many documents to establish their eligibility.
Your lawyer will provide a comprehensive list of evidence you need to obtain. Once the documents are collected, your lawyer will review and organize them, then assess and confirm your eligibility. They will then proceed to complete your forms, prepare letters, and have you inspect the package before submission.
You may expect an initial ICT work permit of up to 3 years, with the exception of office start-up, which can have an initial length of up to 1 year.
Extensions are possible if all requirements are continued to be met. For executives and managers, a maximum of 7 years of stay may be possible; a maximum of 5 years cannot be exceeded for specialized knowledge workers.