Canada Visas

VISANOW draws on years of legal and international immigration experience around the world, allowing our multi-lingual global immigration team to help you jump-start your immigration process. Our attorneys distinguish themselves by partnering with you to explain and work through complex country requirements via a transparent process and by making recommendations to get you in-country sooner.

Work

Labor Market Opinion (LMO)

As a general rule, Canadian employers seeking to temporarily hire a foreign worker must first obtain an individual labour market opinion (“LMO”) from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada/Service Canada (“HRSDC/Service Canada”) before the foreign national will be permitted to apply for a work permit.  There are, however, several exemptions from the LMO requirement. Where available, it is preferable to utilize one of these exemptions in an effort to bypass the individual LMO requirement.

Canadian employers are exempt from the LMO requirement under the following categories:

• Workers covered under international treaty agreements
• Entrepreneurs and intra-company transferees
• Participants in exchange programs
• Co-op students
• Spouses
• Academics and students
• Religious Workers

Intra Company Transfer

This category requires a work permit, however, a labor market opinion is not required. To qualify, the following must be established:

• A qualifying relationship must exist between the Canadian company and the company located abroad.
• The qualifying organization must be actively “doing business” in both Canada and the treaty country.
• The Canadian company must be a parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of the company located abroad.
• The alien must have at least one continuous year of employment with the company located abroad within the three-year period preceding the application for a work permit.
• The prior employment abroad and proposed employment in Canada must be in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge capacity.

International Treaty Agreements

These categories requires a work permit, however, a labor market opinion is not required.

North American Free Trade Act Agreement (NAFTA):  Applies to citizens of Canada, United States, and Mexico. The agreement includes the four specific categories of business people: business visitors, professionals, intra-company transferees, trade and investors.

Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA): Applies to Canadian and Chilean citizens. The agreement covers the four basic categories of business people: business visitors, professionals, intra-company transferees, trade and investors.

General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS): Applies to more than 140 World Trade Organization member countries. The agreement applies to the three business categories: business visitors, professionals, and intra company transferees.

Business

A Temporary Residence Visa is issued for business visitors who require a visa to enter Canada for the purpose of business (networking, client meetings, negotiating contracts, conferences, seminars). In some circumstances a Medical Examination is also required. To qualify as a business visitor you must show that you have a passport, be in good health, show that you have ties to your home country (such as job, home and family), show that you will leave Canada at the end of your trip, and have enough money to support your stay.

NOTE:  Medical exams are not limited to TRVs so we might want to remove this line here.  All applicants applying for all temporary or permanent visas need a need a medical examination if:

• You have resided or stayed temporarily for six or more consecutive months in a designated country or territory in the one year immediately preceding the date you sought entry into Canada. This applies even if you are a citizen of a country where you do not require a visa to enter Canada.
• You are coming to Canada to work in an occupation in which the protection of public health is essential. See Jobs for which you need a medical examination for more information.

Study

A Student Visa is granted to applicants who have been accepted to a recognized school, university, or college in Canada. The applicant must also show that they have enough money to live and pay for their tuition, be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record, and be in good health.

Visiting Canada

A Temporary Residence visa is issued for tourism visitors who require a visa to enter Canada for the purpose of tourism (visiting, site seeing).  To qualify as a tourist visitor, you must have a valid passport, be in good health, show that you have ties to your home country (such as job, home and family), show that you will leave Canada at the end of your trip, and have enough money to support your stay.

Permanent Residence

In Canada, all immigrant categories (except family immigration) permit potential immigrants to sponsor themselves as landed immigrants.

Call 1-855-VISANOW (847-2669)

to hear about your Canadien immigration options!