Founder and Principal Consultant
What this page covers
- Who is eligible, on the company side and the employee side?
- Which of the three transfer categories fits you?
- Which requirements fail most applications now?
- What if an intra-company transfer is not available?
- How do you apply, step by step?
- Frequently asked questions
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
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EligibilityFor executives, managers, and employees with specialized knowledge.
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No LMIA RequiredExempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process.
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Temporary TransferAllows 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:
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Executive roles at TEER 0, or senior managerial roles at TEER 1
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Initial permit of up to three years, renewable in two-year increments
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Cumulative lifetime maximum of seven years
C63, Specialized Knowledge:
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Requires both advanced proprietary knowledge and an advanced level of expertise, not one or the other
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The knowledge must be unique and uncommon within the enterprise workforce
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Normally TEER 0, 1 or 2, and typically two or more years of relevant experience
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Must be paid at or above the prevailing wage for the occupation and region
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Initial permit of up to three years, cumulative lifetime maximum of five years
C61, Start-Up Transfers:
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For establishing a new Canadian enterprise
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Initial permit of one year, with extensions only in extenuating circumstances and capped at a further six months
IRCC Processing Time
Work Permit from outside Canada
10 weeks
Current IRCC processing time for Work Permit from outside Canada from India is 10 weeks.
As per IRCC, last updated 2026-09-16 00:39:20, refreshed weekly
Processing times for all countries
| Country of application | Processing time |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | No processing time available |
| Albania | No processing time available |
| Algeria | 8 weeks |
| Andorra | No processing time available |
| Angola | No processing time available |
| Anguilla | No processing time available |
| Antigua and Barbuda | No processing time available |
| Argentina | 6 weeks |
| Armenia | No processing time available |
| Aruba | No processing time available |
| Australia | 7 weeks |
| Austria | No processing time available |
| Azerbaijan | No processing time available |
| Bahamas | No processing time available |
| Bahrain | No processing time available |
| Bangladesh | 7 weeks |
| Barbados | No processing time available |
| Belarus | No processing time available |
| Belgium | 2 weeks |
| Belize | No processing time available |
| Benin | No processing time available |
| Bermuda | No processing time available |
| Bhutan | No processing time available |
| Bolivia | No processing time available |
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba | No processing time available |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | No processing time available |
| Botswana | No processing time available |
| Brazil | 5 weeks |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | No processing time available |
| Brunei | No processing time available |
| Bulgaria | No processing time available |
| Burkina Faso | No processing time available |
| Burma (Myanmar) | No processing time available |
| Burundi | No processing time available |
| Cambodia | No processing time available |
| Cameroon | 7 weeks |
| Canada | 15 weeks |
| Cabo Verde | No processing time available |
| Cayman Islands | No processing time available |
| Central African Republic | No processing time available |
| Chad | No processing time available |
| Chile | 4 weeks |
| China (People's Republic of) | 5 weeks |
| Colombia | 5 weeks |
| Comoros Island | No processing time available |
| Congo (Republic of) | No processing time available |
| Costa Rica | No processing time available |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 12 weeks |
| Croatia | No processing time available |
| Cuba | No processing time available |
| Cyprus | No processing time available |
| Czech Republic | No processing time available |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | No processing time available |
| Denmark | No processing time available |
| Djibouti | No processing time available |
| Dominica | No processing time available |
| Dominican Republic | 6 weeks |
| Ecuador | 6 weeks |
| Egypt | 11 weeks |
| El Salvador | 4 weeks |
| Equatorial Guinea | No processing time available |
| Eritrea | No processing time available |
| Estonia | No processing time available |
| Ethiopia | No processing time available |
| Fiji | No processing time available |
| Finland | No processing time available |
| France | 3 weeks |
| Gabon | No processing time available |
| Gambia | No processing time available |
| Georgia | No processing time available |
| Germany | 7 weeks |
| Ghana | 20 weeks |
| Greece | No processing time available |
| Grenada | No processing time available |
| Greenland | No processing time available |
| Guatemala | 1 week |
| Guinea | No processing time available |
| Guinea-Bissau | No processing time available |
| Guyana | No processing time available |
| Haiti | 6 weeks |
| Holy See (Vatican City) | No processing time available |
| Honduras | 3 weeks |
| Hong Kong | 14 weeks |
| Hungary | No processing time available |
| Iceland | No processing time available |
| India | 10 weeks |
| Indonesia | 15 weeks |
| Iran | 36 weeks |
| Iraq | No processing time available |
| Ireland | 7 weeks |
| Israel | 5 weeks |
| Italy | 7 weeks |
| Jamaica | 20 weeks |
| Japan | 3 weeks |
| Jordan | No processing time available |
| Kazakhstan | No processing time available |
| Kenya | 8 weeks |
| Kiribati | No processing time available |
| Kosovo | No processing time available |
| Kuwait | No processing time available |
| Kyrgyzstan | No processing time available |
| Laos | No processing time available |
| Latvia | No processing time available |
| Lebanon | No processing time available |
| Lesotho | No processing time available |
| Liberia | No processing time available |
| Libya | 3 weeks |
| Liechtenstein | No processing time available |
| Lithuania | No processing time available |
| Luxembourg | No processing time available |
| Macao | No processing time available |
| North Macedonia | No processing time available |
| Madagascar | 38 weeks |
| Malawi | No processing time available |
| Malaysia | 12 weeks |
| Maldives | No processing time available |
| Mali | No processing time available |
| Malta | No processing time available |
| Marshall Islands | No processing time available |
| Martinique | No processing time available |
| Mauritania | No processing time available |
| Mauritius | 12 weeks |
| Mexico | 2 weeks |
| Micronesia (Federated States of) | No processing time available |
| Moldova | 6 weeks |
| Monaco | No processing time available |
| Mongolia | No processing time available |
| Montenegro | No processing time available |
| Morocco | 7 weeks |
| Mozambique | No processing time available |
| Namibia | No processing time available |
| Nauru | No processing time available |
| Nepal | 5 weeks |
| Netherlands | No processing time available |
| New Caledonia | No processing time available |
| New Zealand | No processing time available |
| Nicaragua | 4 weeks |
| Niger | No processing time available |
| Nigeria | 10 weeks |
| Korea (Democratic People's Republic of, North) | No processing time available |
| Norway | No processing time available |
| Oman | No processing time available |
| Pakistan | 8 weeks |
| Palestinian Authority | No processing time available |
| West Bank | No processing time available |
| Panama | No processing time available |
| Papua New Guinea | No processing time available |
| Paraguay | No processing time available |
| Peru | 2 weeks |
| Philippines | 7 weeks |
| Poland | No processing time available |
| Portugal | No processing time available |
| Puerto Rico | No processing time available |
| Qatar | 16 weeks |
| Romania | No processing time available |
| Russia | No processing time available |
| Rwanda | 10 weeks |
| Saint Lucia | No processing time available |
| Samoa | No processing time available |
| San Marino | No processing time available |
| Sao Tome and Principe | No processing time available |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 weeks |
| Senegal | 15 weeks |
| Serbia | No processing time available |
| Seychelles | No processing time available |
| Sierra Leone | No processing time available |
| Singapore | 10 weeks |
| Slovakia | No processing time available |
| Slovenia | No processing time available |
| Solomon Islands | No processing time available |
| Somalia | No processing time available |
| South Africa | 15 weeks |
| Korea (Republic of, South) | 23 weeks |
| South Sudan | No processing time available |
| Spain | 2 weeks |
| Sri Lanka | 8 weeks |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | No processing time available |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | No processing time available |
| Sudan | No processing time available |
| Suriname | No processing time available |
| Eswatini | No processing time available |
| Sweden | No processing time available |
| Switzerland | No processing time available |
| Syria | No processing time available |
| French Polynesia | No processing time available |
| Taiwan | 3 weeks |
| Tajikistan | No processing time available |
| Tanzania | No processing time available |
| Thailand | 12 weeks |
| Timor-Leste | No processing time available |
| Togo | No processing time available |
| Tonga | No processing time available |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 2 weeks |
| Tunisia | 5 weeks |
| Turkey | 4 weeks |
| Turkmenistan | No processing time available |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | No processing time available |
| Tuvalu | No processing time available |
| Uganda | No processing time available |
| Ukraine | No processing time available |
| United Arab Emirates | 7 weeks |
| United Kingdom | 4 weeks |
| United States | 2 weeks |
| Uruguay | No processing time available |
| Virgin Islands (U.S.) | No processing time available |
| Uzbekistan | No processing time available |
| Vanuatu | No processing time available |
| Venezuela | No processing time available |
| Vietnam | 5 weeks |
| Yemen | No processing time available |
| Zambia | No processing time available |
| Zimbabwe | 44 weeks |
| lastupdated | September 9, 2026 |
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Work permit times vary by country and stream. LMIA-based permits may have additional employer or job offer processing on top of this.
Get a free assessment →
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:
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A qualifying relationship based on genuine ownership and control, as parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate
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Franchises, licensing arrangements, supplier and client relationships, small stock holdings and consortia do not qualify
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Both the Canadian and the foreign entity must have physical commercial premises, so virtual office arrangements no longer qualify
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The foreign enterprise must be a genuine multinational operating in at least one country besides its home country
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The transfer must be temporary, with the foreign position remaining available to return to
What the Employee Must Demonstrate:
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One year of full-time continuous employment with the foreign entity in a similar role, within the preceding three years
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That the role in Canada corresponds to the category claimed
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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:
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A C11 significant benefit work permit, where you own and will actively operate a Canadian business
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A provincial entrepreneur stream, which is currently the more realistic route to permanent residence for business owners
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A free trade agreement category, where your nationality and occupation qualify
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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.
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.
Who Will Be Working on Your File
Related Pages
Other pages on this site that deal with closely connected questions.