Intra-Company Transfer Work Visa (ICT)

The Intra-Company Transfer Work Visa (ICT) allows multinational companies to transfer employees to their locations in Canada. This program is applicable to companies that have a parent company, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate in Canada. Specifically, it allows companies based outside of Canada to establish a subsidiary in Canada and transfer executives from the foreign company to work in the Canadian subsidiary. This enables the executive to obtain a Canadian work visa, allowing their family to benefit from local healthcare and public education, and after working for a period, they can apply for permanent residency through the provincial immigration program.

Advantages of the Program:

  1. Short Processing Time: With current processing speeds, applicants can typically land in Canada within 2-3 months.
  2. Simple Application Procedures: There are no quotas for this work visa.
  3. No Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) Required: The application does not require approval from the Canadian Labor Department.
  4. No Residency Restrictions: Applicants are not bound to a specific location within Canada.
  5. Low Language Requirements: A minimum proficiency of CLB 5 is needed.
  6. Low Educational Requirements: A diploma or higher is required.
  7. No Personal Asset Requirements: There are no minimum asset requirements.
  8. Long Work Visa Duration: Initial applications can receive a one-year work visa, with the possibility of extending for a maximum of 7 years.
  9. Pathway to Permanent Residency: Ultimately, it is possible to transition to permanent residency through a skilled immigration application.

Target Audience:

  • Individuals unable to explain the source of their funds.
  • Those wishing to start a business abroad.
  • Parents wanting their children to receive education in a foreign country.
  • Individuals looking to quickly move to Canada.

Application Requirements (for Applicants):

  • At least one year of experience in a managerial role (such as Deputy General Manager or higher) or as a supervisor of a core business department within the company in the three years prior to application; the applicant’s position must be at least at the third level of the corporate hierarchy.
  • The applicant cannot be a major shareholder of the company.
  • Upon approval of the work visa, the applicant must execute the business plan in Canada, including investments and hiring. The main business activities of the Canadian company must be related to the operations of the foreign company.
  • Employers must demonstrate efforts made to hire local employees and guarantee that hiring foreign skilled workers will not negatively impact employment opportunities for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, which can be supported by providing evidence of efforts to recruit locally.

Application Requirements (for Chinese Companies):

  • The Chinese company must have been registered for at least three years, including the year of application.
  • The company must have an annual taxable revenue of over 5 million RMB.
  • The company must have at least 10 employees.