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Intra Company Transfer Program

SAAB Immigration Services Inc. | Immigration Experts for Canada   →  Visa   →  Work in Canada   →  Intra Company Transfer Program
Intra Company Transfer Program | SAAB Immigration Services, RCIC R536007
What this page covers

An intra-company transfer turns on whether the Canadian and foreign entities are genuinely related and whether your role is genuinely specialised. Read the requirements that fail most applications before you build the file.

Overview

The Intra Company Transfer program allows multinational companies to temporarily transfer key employees to their Canadian branches, subsidiaries, or affiliates. This program is crucial for sharing specialized knowledge and skills within a company and enhancing operational efficiency across borders.

Key Points

  • Eligibility
    For executives, managers, and employees with specialized knowledge.
  • No LMIA Required
    Exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process.
  • Temporary Transfer
    Allows employees to work in Canada for a specific period.

Eligibility Criteria

1. Company Requirements

  • Qualifying Relationship: The foreign and Canadian companies must have a parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch relationship.
  • Active Engagement: The Canadian entity must be actively engaged in business activities.

2. Employee Requirements

  • Position: Must be an executive, senior manager, or possess specialized knowledge crucial to the company’s operations.
  • Duration of Employment: Must have been employed with the foreign company for at least one year in the last three years.

The Three Intra-Company Transfer Categories

An intra-company transfer lets a multinational move an existing employee into a Canadian entity without an LMIA, on the basis that the transfer brings significant benefit to Canada. The requirements were tightened materially by a program delivery update of 3 October 2024, and the guidance was restructured on 6 January 2025. A great deal of advice still online describes the older, looser regime.

C62, Executives and Senior Managers:

  • Executive roles at TEER 0, or senior managerial roles at TEER 1
  • Initial permit of up to three years, renewable in two-year increments
  • Cumulative lifetime maximum of seven years

C63, Specialized Knowledge:

  • Requires both advanced proprietary knowledge and an advanced level of expertise, not one or the other
  • The knowledge must be unique and uncommon within the enterprise workforce
  • Normally TEER 0, 1 or 2, and typically two or more years of relevant experience
  • Must be paid at or above the prevailing wage for the occupation and region
  • Initial permit of up to three years, cumulative lifetime maximum of five years

C61, Start-Up Transfers:

  • For establishing a new Canadian enterprise
  • Initial permit of one year, with extensions only in extenuating circumstances and capped at a further six months

The Requirements That Now Fail Most Applications

The 2024 and 2025 changes closed several structures that used to work. These are the points on which we most often have to give clients an unwelcome answer.

What the Enterprises Must Demonstrate:

  • A qualifying relationship based on genuine ownership and control, as parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate
  • Franchises, licensing arrangements, supplier and client relationships, small stock holdings and consortia do not qualify
  • Both the Canadian and the foreign entity must have physical commercial premises, so virtual office arrangements no longer qualify
  • The foreign enterprise must be a genuine multinational operating in at least one country besides its home country
  • The transfer must be temporary, with the foreign position remaining available to return to

What the Employee Must Demonstrate:

  • One year of full-time continuous employment with the foreign entity in a similar role, within the preceding three years
  • That the role in Canada corresponds to the category claimed
  • That the assignment brings significant benefit to Canada

The structure that no longer works. Incorporating a shell company abroad and then transferring yourself into a new Canadian entity is now generally excluded from the general intra-company transfer stream. Transfers based on free trade agreements, such as CUSMA, CPTPP and CETA, are largely unaffected by these changes and are assessed under their own provisions.

If an Intra-Company Transfer Is Not Available

Where the corporate structure does not support a transfer, there are other routes, though each has its own constraints and none of them is a formality.

Alternatives Worth Assessing:

  • A C11 significant benefit work permit, where you own and will actively operate a Canadian business
  • A provincial entrepreneur stream, which is currently the more realistic route to permanent residence for business owners
  • A free trade agreement category, where your nationality and occupation qualify
  • The Global Talent Stream, for eligible technology and specialised occupations, with a ten business day service standard

One point business owners should hear plainly: the Start-Up Visa is closed to new applications, and since IRCC removed job offer points from the Comprehensive Ranking System on 25 March 2025, no work permit route carries bonus points toward Express Entry. Any plan built on that assumption needs revisiting.

Would a Considered View on Your Intra Company Transfer Program Options Help?

Most applicants have more than one route available and rarely the same one they arrived expecting. SAAB Immigration Services Inc. offers a complimentary ten minute consultation to set out the options that genuinely apply to your situation. There is no obligation.

Ask us to take a look

Application Process

1. Gather Documents

  • Proof of Employment: Include a detailed job description, duration of employment, and role within the company.
  • Company Relationship: Provide documentation demonstrating the relationship between the foreign and Canadian entities.
  • Transfer Details: State the purpose, length, and terms of the transfer.

2. Submit Application

  • Online or Paper Application: Through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) portal.
  • Supporting Documents: Include all necessary documents and pay the application fee.
  • Employer Compliance Fee: Employers must pay a compliance fee as part of the application process.

3. Work Permit Issuance

Upon approval, a work permit is issued for the duration of the transfer, usually up to three years, with possible extensions.

Tips

No LMIA required for ICT
Employer Compliance Fee: Required as part of the application

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an ICT work permit be extended?
Yes, extensions are possible, typically up to five years for executives and managers, and seven years for specialized knowledge workers.
What is considered specialized knowledge?
Specialized knowledge refers to unique expertise in the company's products, services, processes, or procedures that are not easily transferable.
Can family members accompany the transferred employee?
Yes, eligible family members can accompany the employee and may apply for open work permits, study permits, or visitor visas.
Is there a pathway to permanent residency through the ICT program?
While the ICT program is temporary, it can provide a pathway to permanent residency through various immigration programs, including Express Entry.

Plan Your Intra Company Transfer Program Application Properly, the First Time

A refused application follows an applicant into everything that comes after it, which is why the preparation matters more than the submission. We will review your circumstances and documents together, address the risks before they reach an officer, and set out exactly what is required.

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Related Pages

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