Canada Lists 11 Countries Whose Citizens Can Enter Without Work Permit Under CPTPP
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada published updated guidelines detailing which nationals qualify for the work permit exemption under CPTPP
- Citizens from 11 countries, including Australia, Japan, the UK, and Vietnam, are among those covered by the facilitation measure
- Eligible travellers must apply at a Canadian port of entry upon arrival and meet three core conditions to gain approval
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Canada has introduced an important business visitor update affecting citizens of 11 countries travelling for commercial purposes.
The new arrangement allows eligible travellers from these countries to enter Canada without obtaining a work permit, provided they meet specific conditions.
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The rules cover a range of business activities, but travellers must satisfy immigration officials at the Canadian border before being admitted.
Canada permits business visitors from 11 countries
Canada has updated its immigration directives to allow eligible business visitors from 11 partner countries to enter the country without a work permit under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The arrangement is designed to facilitate trade, investment and international business activities between Canada and participating countries.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the work permit exemption applies to citizens of all 11 ratified CPTPP member countries.
The countries are:
- Australia
- Brunei
- Chile
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Peru
- Singapore
- United Kingdom
- Vietnam
Canada also extends the specific business visitor benefit to permanent residents of Australia and New Zealand.
Business visitors must apply at Canadian border
One important condition is that eligible travellers cannot apply for the business visitor status before leaving their country.
Instead, they must make their application at a Canadian port of entry when they arrive.
Border services officers at airports and land crossings will assess travellers and their documents to determine whether they qualify under the CPTPP provisions.
Activities allowed under the CPTPP arrangement
The business visitor provision covers several commercial activities.
Eligible activities include:
- Research and design
- Manufacturing and production
- Corporate consultations and meetings
- Marketing
- Sales
- Distribution
- General business operations
- After-sales or after-lease services
However, applicants must satisfy key conditions before they can benefit from the work permit exemption.
Their principal place of business must remain outside Canada, while their main source of remuneration must also remain outside the country.
They must also have no intention of entering Canada's domestic labour market.
Canada outlines key condition for business visitors
Canadian border officials will check whether travellers are receiving compensation from a Canadian employer.
Anyone receiving earnings from a Canadian employer could be considered to be entering Canada's domestic workforce and may therefore not qualify as a CPTPP business visitor.
However, standard travel allowances and honoraria are permitted under the arrangement.
Business visitors can stay for up to six months
Eligible business visitors admitted under the CPTPP provisions are generally allowed to remain in Canada for an initial period of up to six months.
Travellers may also be able to extend their stay if they continue to meet the required conditions.
The arrangement therefore provides eligible business travellers from the 11 CPTPP countries with a route to undertake approved commercial activities in Canada without first obtaining a work permit.
Canada lists 3 conditions business visitor entry
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Canada had outlined three core requirements foreign nationals had to satisfy to enter the country as business visitors under the CPTPP.
Citizens of 11 signatory nations had been eligible for the pathway, which allowed entry without a work permit under strict conditions.
Successful applicants could receive an initial stay of up to six months, with extensions possible if they continued to meet all the requirements.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
