You need a work permit
You need a work permit to work in Canada if you work for a multinational company and you’re coming to Canada to work at a
- parent company
- subsidiary
- branch
- affiliate
Type of work permit
You can apply for an employer-specific work permit(opens in a new tab) with a labour market impact assessment exemption if both of the following apply:
- you’re an eligible intra-company transferee
- you meet the general eligibility requirements(opens in a new tab) for a work permit
When you fill out your work permit application, select “Exemption from Labour Market Impact Assessment” as the type of work permit in the “Details of intended work in Canada” section.
Eligible intra-company transferees
There are 2 types of eligible intra-company transferees:
transferees who are eligible under a trade agreement
Some countries have agreements with Canada that allow workers to transfer within a multinational company and work at a
- parent company
- subsidiary
- branch
- affiliate
transferees who provide significant economic benefit to Canada by sharing their expertise with Canadian businesses
You must
- currently work for a multi national company and be coming to Canada to work at a
- parent company
- subsidiary
- branch
- affiliate
- be temporarily transferring to a company with a qualifying relationship with the company where you currently work
- This means both the Canadian and foreign companies need to do business in Canada and the foreign country.
- Having a mailing address or access to shared workspaces in Canada is not a qualifying relationship.
- be transferring to a position in an executive, senior managerial or specialized knowledge role
- have worked continuously for the transferring company outside Canada for at least 1 year in the 3 years before you apply for your work permit (some exceptions apply)
- come to Canada temporarily
- meet the general eligibility requirements(opens in a new tab) for a work permit
Before you apply
Your employer must do all of the following:
- submit an offer of employment to IRCC
- pay a CAN$230 employer compliance fee
- provide you with an offer of employment number
Faster processing
If your job is classified under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category 0 or 1 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system, you’re eligible for 2-week application processing.