Corporate Mobility / Canada / Route
Canada · Company set-up route
Transfer trusted team members to your Canadian office — executives, managers, and specialized staff via the ICT work permit.
Last updated: 2026-10-01
Programme overviewنظرة عامة
Advising UAE residents on Canadian immigration from our Dubai office.
Program Overview
The Canada Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Work Permit allows global businesses to transfer executives, managers, and specialized staff to their Canadian entity under the International Mobility Program (IMP).
This LMIA-exempt pathway supports both existing offices and new company setups, making it ideal for multinational expansion.
Xiphias Immigration assists with documentation, employer portal submissions, and full compliance for smooth, fast processing.
Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) — Canada
The Canada ICT Work Permit enables multinational companies to transfer key employees — executives, senior managers, or staff with specialized knowledge — to their Canadian branch, parent, subsidiary, or affiliate.
As part of the International Mobility Program (IMP), the ICT stream is LMIA-exempt, allowing faster processing and simpler compliance for business expansions in Canada.
Intra Company Transfers
Intra Company transfers are used by companies who want to set up their branch or parent office in Canada. Such an individual must be an expert in his field of work or must belong to the top management of the company. The foreign skilled professional will first have to enter Canada with a work permit. Such a foreign national can work as part of the company made the transfer or can set up a branch for the company he is working for. Through this visa, the employee of the company can get his permanent residency in Canada.
Company’s duties towards ICT filing for the employee
- Physical premises The company must first obtain physical premises in Canada. If the executive for who the ICT is being applied for, is the decision-maker for physical premises in Canada, then the company can use counsel’s address for the new branch till the time the premises are finalized.
- Realistic Plans for staff Staffing a new branch is not an easy proposition. The Canada immigrations require that such staffing of fresh executives in the company for the new branch is well planned. Thus it requires that the company produces realistic plans for staffing their personnel in Canada.
- Financial stability The company must produce right financial documents which prove that the company can hold on to self to run the organization and is also able to fund the salaries of employees of the company.
- Permissions for transfer While applying for permission for transfer, the company must provide documents about the executive who would be transferred to Canada. These documents include the complete resume of the employee along with functions and duties that the foreign skilled professional would be undertaking in Canada on behalf of the organization. The company must prove that the employee will be taking up his duties only under the guidance and supervision of the company. A proper business plan needs to be submitted proving all of the mentioned points.
Employees need to do the following
- The employment should be full time
ICT Process
- With a local director on board, the company will open a branch or parent in Canada.
- A Business plan is submitted
- A job offer letter from the Canadian corporation needs to be produced
- Salary and position needs to be defined and declared in Canada
- Work permit is applied for
Talk to a Canada immigration consultant in Dubai
XIPHIAS Immigration has advised families on Canadian permanent residency since 2009, and our Dubai team works with UAE residents applying from the Emirates. We were named Best Immigration Consultant by The Times of India in 2022.
If you want a straight answer on whether this route suits your profile, our immigration consultants in Dubai will give you one — including when the answer is no.
Sources
- IRCC — Intra-company transferees (International Mobility Program, exemption code C12)
- IRCC — Work permit: LMIA exemptions
Checked 29 September 2026.
At a glanceلمحة
Key highlights
- ✦LMIA-exempt transfer route
- ✦For executives, managers, and specialized staff
- ✦Supports both new and existing Canadian offices
What you getالمزايا
Fast, LMIA-exempt process under Canada’s IMP.
Ideal for executive and managerial transfers or new office setup.
Family can accompany; spouse may work, children may study.
Renewable work permits while business remains active.
Eligibilityالأهلية
Requirements
1+ year of full-time work with the foreign employer in the past 3 years.
Canadian role must be executive, managerial, or specialized knowledge.
Qualifying link between Canadian and foreign entities.
For new offices: provide business plan, lease, and hiring plan.
Who cannot apply
No valid business link between entities.
Less than one year of qualifying employment.
Incomplete corporate or financial documentation.
Canadian entity lacks active business operations.
The processكيف نعمل
Check eligibility
Confirm the role fits ICT categories and verify one year of qualifying employment.
Prepare documents
Gather proof of corporate link, financials, business plan, and job details.
Submit via Employer Portal
Canadian entity files Offer of Employment under the IMP and pays compliance fees.
Apply for ICT work permit
Applicant submits work permit online with all supporting records.
Biometrics & medicals
Provide biometrics, medical exam, or police clearance if required.
Decision & entry
Receive IRCC approval and obtain the work permit at entry or by mail.
Sponsorship & salary rulesالرواتب
- ✦Canadian entity must submit an Offer of Employment via the Employer Portal and pay compliance fees.
- ✦Foreign and Canadian offices must share a qualifying relationship — parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate.
- ✦For new offices, include a business plan, lease, and hiring plan to prove operations.
Authoritiesالجهات المختصة
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- ✦Manages ICT work permits under the International Mobility Program (IMP).
- ✦Reviews company links, employment history, and operational legitimacy.
Compliance
Intra-company transfer work permits are issued under the International Mobility Program, LMIA exemption code C12.
IRCC work permit fees apply to the main applicant and to accompanying family members' permits, and the Canadian employer pays the employer compliance fee when submitting the offer of employment through the Employer Portal. XIPHIAS confirms the current amounts on canada.ca before filing.
XIPHIAS confirms IRCC's current C12 operational criteria for each file before applying.
The timeline shown here is XIPHIAS’s own observed average from our case files, not an IRCC published processing standard.
Questionsأسئلة شائعة
This route, answered.
No. It’s a work permit stream under Canada’s International Mobility Program (IMP) and LMIA-exempt.
Start the Canada route.
A senior advisor will confirm the exact costs, timeline and documents for your case — privately, and entirely off the record.