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Business people: Work in Canada under a free trade agreement

To find out if you can work in Canada under a free trade agreement, select your country of citizenship or the country or territory where you live.

Features

GATS countries - You may be eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is part of 1 free trade agreement with this country or territory:

CETA countries - You may be eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is part of 2 free trade agreements with this country:

United States - You may be eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is part of 2 free trade agreements with this country:

Mexico - You may be eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is part of 3 free trade agreements with this country:

Panama - You may be eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is part of 2 free trade agreements with this country:

Chile - You may be eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is part of 2 free trade agreements with this country:

Australia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam - You may be eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is part of 2 free trade agreements with this country:

South Korea - You may be eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is part of 2 free trade agreements with this country:

Peru - You may be eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is part of 3 free trade agreements with this country:

Colombia - You may be eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is part of 2 free trade agreements with this country:

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - You may be eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is part of 2 free trade agreements with this country:

You’re not eligible to work under a free trade agreement

Canada is not part of a free trade agreement with this country or territory.

Specialists

As a specialist, you must have:

  • knowledge at an advanced level of expertise and
  • proprietary knowledge of your company’s
    • product
    • service
    • research
    • equipment
    • techniques or
    • management

How to apply for a work permit

Countries participating in the CPTPP

To be eligible, you must be a citizen of one of the following:

  • Australia (or permanent resident)
  • Brunei
  • Chile
  • Japan
  • Malaysia
  • Mexico
  • New Zealand (or permanent resident)
  • Peru
  • Singapore
  • Vietnam

Multinational company

This is any corporation that is registered and operates in more than 1 country at a time.

Investor

CETA defines an investor as a manager or specialist who:

  • is responsible for setting up an enterprise but
  • is not paid by a Canadian source
  • doesn’t have direct transactions with general public

Investor

CUKTCA defines an investor as a manager or specialist who:

  • is responsible for setting up an enterprise but
  • is not paid by a Canadian source
  • does not engage in direct transactions with general public
Graduate trainee

CETA defines a graduate trainee as someone temporarily transferred to an enterprise in Canada to:

  • develop their career or
  • obtain business training

Specialized knowledge worker

As a specialized knowledge worker, you must have:

  • knowledge at an advanced level of expertise and
  • proprietary knowledge of your company’s
    • product
    • service
    • research
    • equipment
    • techniques or management

How to apply for a work permit

Trainees on professional development

Trainees are:

  • employees with a post-secondary degree
  • on a temporary work assignment
  • getting more experience in the company to prepare for a senior position

How to apply for a work permit

General service business activities

These business activities include:

  • commercial transactions by managers or financial services personnel
  • public relations
  • advertising
  • tourism personnel
  • translation and interpretation
  • cook personnel attending or participating in a culinary event, or consulting with business associates
  • IT service providers attending meetings or consultations
  • franchise traders and developers seeking to offer their services

Specialized knowledge worker

As a specialized knowledge worker, you must have

  • knowledge at an advanced level of expertise
  • proprietary knowledge of your company’s
    • product
    • service
    • research
    • equipment
    • techniques
    • management
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