CETA Work Permit + CETA Gov

Are you a citizen of a European country? If yes, then you may be eligible to work in Canada through the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The CETA work permit will allow you, as a European citizen, to be employed by a Canadian employer without requiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or even a work permit.

Let’s have a look at how you can start your Canadian journey!

What Are the CETA Programs Available?

There are four unique situations in which you can get a work permit through CETA, they are the following:

1. CETA Business Visitors

As a business investor, you’ll be eligible for short-term entry into Canada and you won’t need an LMIA. You’re able to visit Canada for a maximum period of 90 days within a six-month period. If you’re working on a specific project pertaining to business then you’re able to do multiple entries into Canada. The CETA business investors stream has two categories, they are:

Business visitors for investment purposes

This category is for employees who are in managerial or specialist positions within the company who are coming to Canada to set up the company. Under this category, you’re not allowed to engage in any sort of direct transaction with the Canadian general public or receive any sort of remuneration from a Canadian source.

Short-term business visitors

This category is for those business visitors who wish to enter Canada to perform one of the permitted activities, which include the following:

• Trade fairs and exhibitions;
• Purchasing;
• Training seminars;
• Translation and interpretation;
• Marketing research; and
• Tourism personnel.

Short-term business visitors, just as business visitors for investment purposes, can’t engage in any sort of direct transaction with the Canadian general public or receive any sort of remuneration from a Canadian source.

2. CETA Intra-Company Transferees

Citizens of European countries can do intra-company transfers through this stream. When a transfer via this CETA stream, you may be eligible to work in Canada without the requirement of an LMIA. In order to be eligible for the LMIA-exemption, intra-company transferees must meet the following general criteria:

• You must have been employed by, or partners in, an enterprise located in an EU nation for at least one year;
• You must be temporarily transferred to a Canadian enterprise with one of the following relationships to the EU enterprise: subsidiary, parent, branch, or head company.

There are also three categories for the intra-company transferee’s streams. They are:

1. Senior Personnel - Eligible for a work permit of up to 3 years with a possible extension of a maximum of 18 months.
2. Specialist - Eligible for a work permit of up to three years with a possible extension of a maximum of 18 months.
3. Graduate Trainees - you’ll need to have a university degree and be temporarily transferred to a company in Canada for the purpose of career development or business training. You can be eligible for a 1-year work permit.

3. CETA Investors

As a European investor, you can enter Canada with a work visa that doesn’t require an LMIA through the CETA investors stream. In order to qualify as an investor you need to meet the following requirements:

• Be involved with the establishment, development, administration, or operation of an investment in a capacity that is supervisory or executive;
• Must be the investor;
• Must be employed by an enterprise that has committed previously, or is currently committing, a substantial amount of capital in Canada.

If successful, you’ll be issued an LMIA-exempt work permit for a maximum of one year, with the possibility of an extension.

4. CETA Contractual Service Suppliers and Independent Professionals

If you are a contractual service supplier or independent professional and you’re a citizen of a European country, you may be eligible for a Canadian work permit without the need for an LMIA. In order to be eligible for the LMIA-exemption, you’ll need to meet the following general criteria:

• Citizens of a European Union;
• Engaged in the temporary supply of a service for a maximum of one year;
• The service provided must be covered by a National Occupation Classification (NOC) Code included on the table of Canada’s CETA Commitments for Contractual Service Suppliers and Independent Professionals.

There are additional specifications you’ll need to meet as well, they are:

1. Contractual Service Suppliers - be an employee of a company that is located in a European nation and supplies a service to Canadian consumers. You must also have a minimum of 3 years experience in the field of the service being provided and have at least 1-year experience with the European company.
2. Independent Professionals - you need to be self-employed and supply a service to Canadian consumers. You’ll also need to have at least 6 years of experience in the service you’re providing.

The Importance of Using Canadian Visa Experts

Work permits can be tricky to obtain and the CETA work permit is no different. At CanadianVisa.org, we work with Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) who have many years of experience in Canadian immigration and have the knowledge to help ensure your immigration process runs smoothly.

The RCICs will let you know which documents you’ll need and even submit your application on your behalf!