Although Canada remains a popular destination for family life and business, the labor market has fallen under strain in recent years. This new strain is due to several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a declining birth rate nationwide. While the immigration process can be as tricky as ever, the country is more welcoming to new, young workers and foreign businesses than perhaps ever before.
There are many avenues by which foreign workers may find a way to come to North York and do business. Provided that a foreign company already has a presence in North York (such as a factory or office), it may be eligible to transfer employees to the country through the Intra-company transferee (ICT) program.
The International Mobility Program (IMP) is a government program that assists Canadian employers with hiring foreign workers to meet their workforce’s needs. These foreign employees can then temporarily work and reside in Canada, helping the Canadian economy, the business, and the employee. ICT is just one of several programs available via IMP.
An Intra-company Transfer visa streamlines the process for employees coming to Canada, bypassing the need to apply for the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This makes the process faster and easier for everyone involved.
However, not everyone qualifies for the ICT program, and standing out from other strong candidates can be challenging. That’s why it’s recommended that you work with business immigration advisory services in North York, who have experience helping clients through the ICT application process. The immigration law firm of Loft Immigration Services Inc. has over a decade of experience serving clients in Canada’s complex immigration system. Please get in touch with our North York based immigration law office today to schedule your free initial consultation, where we can go over your case in more detail.
Although there are plenty of other options for foreign workers coming to North York, intra-company transfers have numerous benefits, including:
Immigrant workers are broken up into three separate categories for ICT consideration.
Executives and senior-level managers are valuable in ensuring that foreign companies run smoothly in Canada. Executives are entrusted with directing the business toward its desired goals, answering only to higher-level executives, shareholders, and members of the board. Senior-level managers are responsible for supervising the work of other managers, forepersons, and employees.
Functional managers oversee other managerial staff and their employees. Their goal is to ensure that the company’s day-to-day functions run smoothly on the ground.
Workers with specialized knowledge may not be managerial staff members but are nonetheless vital team members. These workers bring special skills and knowledge in service, research, technique, engineering, and company policy.
The requirements for intra-company transfers depend on the category of the transferee. Generally speaking; however, a foreign worker employed by an international business with offices or warehouses in Canada may apply for an ICT visa.
Those coming to work in Canada with ‘specialized knowledge’ may have a more difficult time applying for ICT than company executives. Senior-level managers and executives may apply for the ICT program without there even being a street address for their company in Canada, so long as they show a genuine intent to furnish and staff the operation in due time.
If you are unsure of whether or not you qualify, please speak with our legal team for assistance.
An ICT application’s average processing time is between two weeks and three months. However, certain countries experience far longer wait times.
Thankfully, there are priority options that can speed up the process dramatically. Please get in touch with our law firm to determine whether you qualify for priority processing. Our immigration lawyers would be happy to provide legal guidance.
ICT permit duration depends on a few variables, including to whom they were issued. Intra-company transferees of start-up companies will only receive a work visa that’s good for one year. In contrast, executives and senior-level managers of established companies can obtain ICT permits valid for seven years. Other categories of workers fall somewhere in between.
To learn about renewing your ICT, please get in touch with our law firm to discuss your immigration case with a member of our legal team.
Loft Immigration Services, Inc. has over a decade of experience assisting foreign workers and executives coming to Canada. While the ICT program is a streamlined version of business immigration, it is by no means a simple process with guaranteed success. However, our law firm has a long track record of success helping clients achieve their goals in business immigration, and we feel confident we will be able to assist you during this process.
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