If a person works for a company that has the parent company, branch, affiliate or subsidiary in Canada, then the employees can be transferred to Canada as intra company transferees. The employers can get their employees a work permit without the need of a LMIA through the intra company transfer program.
Qualified employees who come to Canada as intra company transferees can provide significant economic benefits to Canada.
What are the categories of intra company transfer employees?
Foreign workers must fall under one of the three categories to be considered as intra company transferees:
Executives: They take care of the direction of the company and make major decisions. They receive very little direction from their higher level executives and make major decisions independently.
Senior Managers: They manage all or part of the company and supervise other managers and professional employees.
Workers with specialized knowledge: They are able to demonstrate specialized knowledge in a company’s products or services. They have an advanced level of knowledge about the company’s procedures and processes.
The employees need to work with the company at least for one year full time before they can be transferred to Canada.
How long is the work permit valid for?
Work permits issued to intra company transferees are usually valid for one year. They can be extended if the company is able to prove that the employee is still needed for the work and the company is doing business successfully in Canada.
Can the workers apply for Permanent Residence?
The workers who come to Canada as Intra company transferee are able to gain canadian work experience. This can help them while submitting their Permanent Residence application as they get additional points for Canadian Experience. As Permanent Residents they would be able to reside and work anywhere in Canada.
The workers can also try to get Permanent Residence under the various Provincial Nominee Programs.
We at SAM Law can help you in getting work permits and later on transitioning into Permanent Residence. Please give us a call for further details.