Why apply for Canada ICT?

• Expand your ongoing business operations in Canada
• Easy PR Pathway
• Acquire a study permit for your child
• Obtain an open work permit for your spouse
• Chance to create more employment in Canada

 

Canada Intra Company Transfer

The ICT (Intra Company Transfer) is an immigration pathway under the International Mobility Program. ICT allows highly qualified business owners to relocate their businesses to Canada and acquire a Canadian work permit. Candidates can acquire an ICT work permit and PR via the ICT program.

 

The spouse of the primary applicant and the children can obtain an open work permit and a study permit respectively. ICT is the only business immigration programs that is offered by Canada.

 

Avail Y-Axis Canada Immigration services and get a free instant assessment check. Receive expert advices from Y-Axis immigration counselors to take an informed decision. 

 

*Want to check your eligibility to migrate to Canada? Avail the Y-Axis Canada Immigration points calculator and get an instant score.

 

ICT Program Eligibility

The ICT program was originated to attract established and settled businesses from around the world to undertake their business proceedings in Canada.

 

The categories of individuals that are eligible for the ICT program are as follows:

 

• Business owners
• Stakeholders (Executive positions) of commercial companies
• Entrepreneurs
• Functional and senior managers, who are currently employed in a company abroad and wish to take up a similar position in Canada.
• Candidates who possess advanced knowledge about the niche business functionaries.

 

ICT Requirements

Entrepreneurs with successful businesses in their native country can apply for an ICT work permit to expand their businesses in Canada.

 

Some of the other requirements that must be fulfilled to acquire an ICT work permit are as follows:

 

The company in the naïve country must have been operational for a minimum of a year (3 years would be ideal) before migrating to Canada.

 

• The company must be financially stable and in a position to support the external operations in Canada.
• The candidate who wishes to obtain an ICT work permit must have been employed at the company for at least 12 months in the most recent 3 years.
• The company in the native country should maintain a relation with the company in Canada either as an affiliate, parent, or subsidiary.
• The operations undertaken by the company must be feasible and provide employment for Canadians.

 

Immigration officials will confirm the following if it is a new venture into Canada:

 

• A solid strategic business plan that will back the business in Canada
• Feasibility of the business venture
• Whether the company can generate enough revenue to manage the business proceedings and pay off its employees.

 

Will this expansion lead to the creation of jobs in Canada?

 

Will the operations in Canada be big enough to hire an executive or a manager there?

For the first ICT applications in Canada, the companies are required to –

 

Prove that the expansion in the country makes sense for the growth of the company and the operations would more likely succeed by becoming large enough to conduct local recruitments. It is essential for companies that are proceeding to Canada for the first time to present a solid business plan and explain the reasons for expansion, all while fulfilling the eligibility requirements of the ICT applications. 

 

Investment amount required for the initial growth of business in Canada

The Canadian Federal government did not set minimum investment criteria for businesses venturing into Canada. The primary requirement is for companies to be financially stable with sufficient funds to support their operations in Canada, including local recruitments.  

 

The company must provide proof of sales of over $250,000 per annum along with liquid funds valuing up to $100,000 to manage the operational costs of the first 12 months.

 

The company must also provide proof of additional assets or funds to keep the business running in case it does not meet the required capital goals by the end of the first year.

 

Steps to Apply for ICT

Candidates must fulfill the eligibility criteria in order to apply for the ICT program. They must also present a well-founded strategy to display their potential to the Canada Immigration authorities. Candidates must then submit enough proof to strengthen their immigration applications by including extensive details of how they will meet the eligibility requirements and why they need to be in Canada.

 

You can follow the simple steps given below if this is the first time a-applying for an ICT:

 

Step 1: Register your company in Canada as a parent, subsidiary or an affiliate.

Step 2: Come up with a business plan with proposed business activities, market research, and your plan to profitably run the business in Canada. The recruitment plan and cash flow projections for the next two to three years that align with the industrial standards must also be included.

Step 3: Gather all the required documents (Bank accounts, incorporation articles, bank statements, proof of investment, etc.) and prepare your work permit application

Step 4: Submit your application for the work permit

Step 5: Await the status of your application.

 

Businesses belonging to certain countries that have an agreement with Canada tend to have a more streamlined immigration process under the ICT.

 

Applicants that belong to visa-exempt countries, have the possibility to apply at the port of entry (POE) for an ICT WP.

 

Processing time of Canada intra company transfer visa

The ICT work permit applications get a standard processing time that can be verified with the official IRCC website that is relevant to your country.

 

The average processing times for particular offices around the world are as follows:

 

• The ICT applications for executives and managers are processed by the CPC-Edmonton office in Canada. The office makes use of a case processing technology “Chinook” that expedites the application process.
• The applications that are sent to the CPC-Edmonton office, will receive a decision in one or two months. The refusal rate at the CPC-Edmonton office is usually higher when compared to the other offices.

 

Note: It is always advisable to discuss your application proceedings with an immigration lawyer.

 

Duration of ICT work permits

The duration of the ICT work permits are usually given for a year or two. The validity of the work permit however comes to 12 months if it used by a start-up. Individuals from visa-exempt countries can obtain a three-year work permit with a possibility of renewing it for another three years. The validity is for up to 5 years for highly talented workers and 7 years for managers and executives.

 

Immigration officers will grant work permits of only 12 months to individuals who will be employed by companies that are newly established in Canada.

 

The US nationals and other citizens from visa-exempt countries (like the UK, EU, Australia, Japan, etc.) will gain from the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) their countries and Canada have and secure a three-year ICT work permit.

 

As per the program, one can get a WP via a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exemption (C12).

 

Switching from Canada ICT to PR

After being employed full-time for 12 months in a Canada-based company, foreign nationals can apply for Canada PR via the Express Entry program. Depending on the job roles, foreign nationals can get around 50 or 200 additional points for organized employment (employment offers) from their businesses located in Canada.

 

The score will be added to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores, that creates a potential to get selected under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) category of the Express Entry (EE) stream and an invitation to apply (ITA) for PR from Canadian immigration authorities.