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If you are employed by a multinational company, you may qualify for a work permit in Canada under the Intra-Company Transfer program. This program allows specialized knowledge workers, executives, and senior managers to transfer to a Canadian branch, subsidiary, affiliate, or parent company of their overseas employer.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Are you currently employed by a multinational company outside of Canada?
• Have you worked for this company continuously for at least one year within the last three years?
• Is your current position full-time?
• Will your role in Canada be similar to your current position?
• Are you being transferred as an executive or senior manager? If not, do you possess specialized knowledge in your field?

If you answered yes to these questions, you may be eligible to apply for a work permit in Canada under the Intra Company Transfer category.

Intra Company Transfer Categories Explained: Executive, Senior Managerial, Specialized Knowledge

• Executive: Executives are typically responsible for directing the company’s management. They set organizational goals and policies, make key decisions, and are generally supervised by higher-level executives.
• Senior Managerial: These roles involve managing parts or all of the company, supervising other managers, and overseeing key work processes.
• Specialized Knowledge Workers: Employees in this category must demonstrate advanced expertise in the company’s products, services, processes, or procedures. Their specialized knowledge should be vital to the company’s competitiveness and difficult to find within the Canadian labor market.

Work Permit Duration

Executive and senior Managerial Intra Company Transfer work permits are capped at 7 years, while specialized knowledge worker permits are capped at 5 years. In certain circumstances, time beyond this limit can be recaptured. For instance, if an Intra Company Transfer Executive Manager has a one-year permit but has only spent five months working in Canada, they may be able to reclaim the remaining seven months.

Important Reminders

• The Intra Company Transfer work permit category is exempt from a Labour Market Impact Analysis (LMIA), meaning your employer doesn’t need to go through the LMIA process.
• Intra Company Transfer work permits are employer-specific, commonly referred to as “closed work permits,” and are tied to a specific employer. If you change employers during the validity of your permit, you must apply for a new work permit.

For further details on applying for a Canadian work permit, please contact us.