Canada Business Visitor: Meetings, Conferences and After-Sales Work Without a Work Permit

Canada lets foreign nationals come for short business trips without a work permit, as long as they are not entering the Canadian labor market. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) calls these people business visitors.

To qualify, you generally must show that:

• You plan to stay for less than 6 months, or a period the officer accepts
• You don't plan to enter the Canadian labor market
• Your main place of business, and your source of income and profits, are outside Canada
• You have documents that support your trip
• You meet the normal entry requirements: a valid passport, a visitor visa or eTA if you need one, enough money for your stay, and no reason you would be inadmissible

The border officer at the port of entry makes the final decision. Business visitors are still visitors: you get the same entry document, and you must leave at the end of your authorized stay.

Common activities that IRCC treats as business visitor work include:

• Buying Canadian goods or services for a foreign business or government
• Taking orders for goods or services on behalf of a foreign company
• Attending business meetings, conferences, conventions, and trade fairs
• Giving after-sales service under a warranty or service agreement that was part of the original sale, for example installing or repairing equipment your foreign employer sold to a Canadian buyer
• Being trained by a Canadian parent company of the company you work for outside Canada
• Training employees of a Canadian branch of your foreign company, in some cases
• Being trained by a Canadian company that sold equipment or services to your foreign employer

After-sales service has limits. Supervising or repairing specialized equipment is usually allowed. Hands-on building or construction work is not.

You cannot do any of the following as a business visitor:

• Work for a Canadian employer or get paid from a Canadian source for your work
• Fill a job that a Canadian could do, even for a short time
• Do hands-on construction or building work, even under a sales contract
• Run a business in Canada that sells directly to Canadians and keeps its profits in Canada

If your plans cross these lines, you need a work permit. The main options are an work permit based on a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), an intra-company transfer, or, for US and Mexican citizens, the CUSMA professional category. See all options on the work in Canada hub.

IRCC has said that people who work remotely for a foreign employer, and are paid from outside Canada, can generally do that work while they are in Canada as visitors, for up to 6 months per entry. This is sometimes called the digital nomad approach. It does not let you take a job with a Canadian employer or offer services to Canadian clients. If you want to stay longer or work for Canadian clients, you need a work permit or another status.

Canada's immigration regulations list other kinds of short-term work that you can do without a work permit. They are separate from business visitor rules but often come up on the same trips. Examples include:

• Public speakers and guest speakers at events of short length
• Some performing artists, athletes, and coaches taking part in events
• Expert witnesses and investigators appearing in Canadian proceedings
• Judges, referees, and similar officials at international competitions
• Emergency service providers during an emergency

There is also a short-term exemption under the Global Skills Strategy for highly skilled workers in TEER 0 or 1 jobs and for researchers. It lets them work in Canada for up to 15 consecutive days once every 6 months, or up to 30 consecutive days once every 12 months, without a work permit. TEER stands for Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities, the job levels used in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC).

Each exemption has its own conditions. Bring documents showing that you fit the exemption, and be ready to explain it to the border officer.

Carry these with you, even if you already have a visa or eTA:

• A valid passport
• A letter of support from your employer outside Canada. It should explain your job, the purpose of the trip, how long you will stay, and that your employer pays your salary and costs
• A letter of invitation from your Canadian host, with the host's contact details, the dates, and what you will do
• Proof of the sales contract or warranty, if you are coming for after-sales service
• Proof you can pay for your stay and your return trip
• Conference registration or event details, if relevant

Officers may ask detailed questions about your duties. Describe what you will actually do. Vague answers or answers that sound like a regular job in Canada often lead to refused entry.

The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) lists business visitor activities for US and Mexican citizens. These include research and design, growth and manufacture, marketing, sales, distribution, after-sales service, and general service. The core rule is the same: the person is paid from outside Canada and does not enter the Canadian labor market.

Canada's other free trade agreements have similar business visitor rules. If you plan longer or regular work in Canada, look at CUSMA professionals or an intra-company transfer.

The US has a similar status called the B-1 business visitor visa. Both allow meetings, conferences, and some after-sales service, and both forbid productive work for a local employer. The details differ, so don't assume that an activity allowed in one country is allowed in the other.