The Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) program allows multinational businesses to transfer key employees to their Canadian branches without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Our Vancouver immigration lawyers help corporations structure robust applications for executives and specialized knowledge workers.
Transferring senior leadership ensures a company's Canadian operations align with its global strategy. We help verify that the foreign entity and the Canadian branch have a qualifying relationship, and that the executive meets the strict managerial duties required by IRCC.
For employees with proprietary knowledge of the company's products or advanced expertise in its processes, the ICT category provides a vital pathway to Canada. We build extensive documentation to prove the worker's specialized knowledge is not readily available in the Canadian labour market.
While an ICT work permit is temporary, it provides crucial Canadian work experience. A full year of skilled work in Canada can make a transferee highly competitive in the Express Entry pool through the Canadian Experience Class, often leading to permanent residency.
General information for Vancouver applicants — not legal advice. Outcomes depend on facts and current IRCC or IRB policy.
No. The Intra-Company Transfer program falls under the International Mobility Program (IMP) and is LMIA-exempt. This often results in faster processing and lower recruitment burdens for employers.
Generally, the transferee must have been employed continuously and full-time by the foreign enterprise in a similar full-time position for at least one year within the three years immediately preceding the application.
Yes, ICT work permits can often be renewed. However, there are maximum validity limits: executives and senior managers can typically stay for up to seven years, while specialized knowledge workers are usually capped at five years.
Yes, the Canadian branch, subsidiary, or affiliate must be "doing business"—meaning it must be providing goods or services. However, there are special provisions and initial one-year permits available for start-up operations seeking to establish a new presence in Canada.
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