Canada is home to over 1,200,000 businesses, 97.8% of which are small businesses with less than 100 employees. Visiting Canada to do business with, train, negotiate or otherwise engage with small, medium or large enterprises is a common reason for individuals and businesses from around the world to seek assistance with Canadian visas and immigration.
How can I or my employees visit Canada on business?
Most individuals intending to travel to Canada to do business are able to do so as a business visitor, and therefore do not require a work permit in addition to a visa or Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).
To be considered a business visitor to Canada, you must be able to demonstrate that:
- you are not intending to stay in Canada for six months or more
- you are not intending to take up a job in Canada
- your primary business and source of income is outside of Canada
Examples of acceptable plans for a business visit to Canada include:
- buying or negotiating to purchase goods or services from a Canadian business
- taking orders from or negotiating to sell goods or services to a Canadian business
- attending a business meeting, conference, trade fair or convention
- providing after-sales service under a sales agreement or warranty provided by you or your company
- providing training to a Canadian branch of a foreign company
- receiving training from a Canadian company for whom you work outside Canada
- receiving training from a Canadian company from which you or your company has purchased goods or services
Do I need a visa to visit Canada on business?
Whether you require a visa to make a business trip to Canada lasting less than six months depends on several factors, such as your nationality and whether you hold dual nationality or a US green card.
Many business visitors will be eligible to travel to Canada using an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which can be obtained online before you fly to Canada. It costs only CAD $7 and can be obtained in just minutes.
Business visitors who are not eligible for an ETA will have to obtain a visitor visa (also called a temporary resident visa). This must be applied for in advance of your planned visit and costs from CAD $100, plus potential additional fees for interviews, medical exams, police certificates or gathering of biometric data.