Good news for business visitors

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is in effect from today, September 21, 2017. Chapter ten of CETA facilitates entry for certain covered business persons who are citizens of Canada and EU member states by removing the requirement for Labour Market Impact Assessments. Chapter ten of the agreement covers the three following categories of visitors for business purposes:

1. Key personnel: including intra-corporate (company) transferees, investors, and business visitors for investment purposes;
2. Contractual service suppliers and independent professionals; and
3. Short-term business visitors.

New Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exemption codes have been created to better capture data about business visitors from EU member states. Applicants may be processed at the port of entry, or, should they meet the conditions set out within section 199 of the IRPR, they may apply from within Canada or at Canadian missions abroad.

Note: Romanian and Bulgarian citizens are not considered visa exempt for the purposes of R198, and still require a visa. Therefore, they must apply from abroad. Should visa requirements be lifted in the future, Romanian and Bulgarian citizens may apply at the port of entry.

• Business visitors and business visitors for investment purposes (work permit exempt under R186(a)/R187)
• Investors (work permit required/LMIA exemption code T46)
• Independent professionals and contractual service suppliers (work permit required/LMIA exemption code T43 and T47)
• Intra-corporate (company) transferees (work permit required/LMIA exemption code T44) and spouses (open work permit/LMIA exemption code T45)

Visas issued under CETA can be extended. Contained within CETA are guidelines for extending work permits issued in accordance with the agreement. With the exception of intra-corporate (company) transferees and graduate trainees, work permits may be extended at the discretion of the officer assessing the application provided that the necessary documentary evidence has been submitted by the applicant to support the request.

Intra-corporate (company) transferees may only be extended for a period of up to 18 months, with graduate trainees prohibited from any extensions.

In order to apply for an extension, applicants must:

• Apply before their current status expires;
• Comply with all the conditions that were imposed on entry; and
• Be in possession of a passport or travel document that is valid for the entire period authorized for the applicant’s stay.

In order to extend a CETA work permit, the employer must submit a new offer of employment. Officers should review the suggested documentation below when reviewing the work duration requested by the employer.

Exploring Canada and interested to know more? Contact us at contact@vsnimmigration.com

Courtesy: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/tools