Intra-Company Transfer Work Permit: Moving to Canada With Your Employer

Canada's International Mobility Program allows some work permits without a Labour Market Impact Assessment because they bring broad benefits to Canada. The intra-company transfer is one of the most common. It helps international companies move key staff to their Canadian operations, which supports investment, knowledge transfer, and trade.

There are two main routes:

• General ICT rules under Canada's immigration regulations, open to employees of any nationality
• ICT rules in trade agreements, such as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and other free trade agreements, which have similar requirements for citizens of partner countries

The permit is employer-specific. You can work only for the Canadian company named on your permit.

The US version of this permit is the L-1 visa. See L-1A and L-1B.

In general, you must:

• Be currently employed by a company outside Canada
• Be transferring to a parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate of that company in Canada (this is called a qualifying relationship)
• Have worked for the company continuously and full time for at least 1 year in the last 3 years, in a similar full-time position
• Be transferring to work as an executive, a senior manager, or a specialized knowledge worker
• Be coming for a temporary period
• Meet Canada's normal entry rules, including not being inadmissible

The company must be doing business in Canada and abroad. A company that only has a mailing address in Canada does not qualify.

Specialized knowledge is the category officers examine most closely. You usually need both proprietary knowledge (knowledge specific to your company that others in the industry don't have) and advanced expertise gained through significant experience. You must also be paid at least the prevailing wage for your occupation where you will work in Canada.

Companies can use the ICT route to send staff to set up a new Canadian office. Extra rules apply:

• The company must have secured physical premises in Canada
• It must show a realistic staffing plan and the financial ability to start the business and pay its employees
• The first work permit is usually limited to 1 year

To extend, the company must show that the Canadian office is actually doing business, has hired staff, and can support the executive or manager role. If the new office has not grown, the extension can be refused.

The Canadian company first submits an offer of employment through the Employer Portal of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and pays the CAD $230 employer compliance fee (as of September 2026). It then gives you an offer number.

You apply for the work permit and pay CAD $155, plus biometrics if needed. Include:

• Letters from both companies explaining the corporate relationship, your role, your duties, your salary, and how long the transfer will last
• Proof of your 1 year of full-time employment (pay slips, contracts, tax records)
• Proof of the qualifying relationship, such as corporate records or annual reports
• For specialized knowledge, detailed evidence of your proprietary knowledge and expertise

Most people apply online before they travel. When flagpoling ended on December 23, 2024, US citizens and some free trade agreement professionals kept limited options to apply at the border, so US citizens should check current port of entry rules.

Executives and senior managers are usually in TEER 0 jobs, so their spouses or common-law partners can generally get an open work permit if the ICT permit has at least 16 months left when the spouse applies. Specialized knowledge workers' spouses qualify if the job is in TEER 0 or 1, or a selected TEER 2 or 3 occupation. Spouses of people transferred under certain free trade agreements have their own exception. See spousal open work permits. TEER stands for Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities, the job levels used in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC).

Your children can usually attend school in Canada while you work.

Intra-company transfer applications are often refused for reasons that better paperwork could fix:

• Gaps in employment. Part-time work, contract work through a third party, or breaks in service can mean you don't meet the 1-year rule. Show continuous, full-time employment with pay records.
• Weak specialized knowledge evidence. General technical skills that many people in the industry have are not enough. Explain what is unique to your company and how you gained advanced expertise.
• Titles without substance. A "manager" who supervises nobody may not count as a senior manager. Describe who reports to you and what decisions you make.
• Unclear corporate links. Provide ownership charts and records showing the parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate relationship.
• Salary below the prevailing wage for specialized knowledge roles.

If a previous application was refused, read the reasons first. Our guide on refusals and GCMS notes explains how to get them. For complex corporate structures, many employers use a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC).

Many transferees later apply to stay. After a year of skilled work in Canada, you may qualify for the Canadian Experience Class through Express Entry, or for a provincial nominee program. Job offers stopped earning Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points on March 25, 2025, so your score depends on factors like age, education, language, and experience. Check your score with the CRS calculator.

If your ICT permit is running out while your permanent residence application is in process, you may qualify for a bridging open work permit.