Canada intra-company transfer work permit: who qualifies and how it works

Your multinational wants to send an executive, a manager or a specialist to its Canadian entity? The intra-company transfer (ICT) lets it do so temporarily, without a labour market impact assessment (LMIA). But the LMIA exemption does not remove the need for a work permit, or for proof that the companies, the role and the employee all meet the criteria. A Canadian job offer alone does not establish eligibility. Here are the rules, based on IRCC’s intra-company transferee instructions (updated January 6, 2025) and its work permit page for transferees, consulted on October 17, 2026.

Key takeaways

• Check the companies first: they need a qualifying relationship (parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate) and must do business in Canada and abroad.
• Check the employee: at least 1 year of continuous work for the transferring company in the last 3 years.
• Assess duties, not titles: executive, senior manager or specialized knowledge.
• Know the codes: C61 (establishing a business), C62 (executives and managers), C63 (specialized knowledge).
• Know the limits: 3 years initially, then 2-year renewals, up to 7 years (C62) or 5 years (C63); 1 year for a new business (C61).
• Follow the permit: it is employer-specific.

What an ICT work permit is

An ICT permit is a temporary, employer-specific permit under the International Mobility Program, for an employee moving from a foreign business to a related Canadian one. It is not general permission to work in Canada. A Canadian office or a well-known company name does not prove that a transfer qualifies.

Remote work for a foreign employer is a different question: someone who keeps a foreign job while living in Canada has not made an intra-company transfer just because the employer has a Canadian office.

The conditions, according to IRCC

According to IRCC’s page on transferees (in French, updated March 31, 2026), the worker must:

• be transferred to a position as an executive, a senior manager or a worker with specialized knowledge;
• have worked continuously for the transferring company for at least 1 year in the last 3 years (some exceptions apply);
• be transferred to a company with a qualifying relationship to the current employer, both doing business in Canada and abroad;
• come to Canada temporarily.

A mailing address or a shared workspace in Canada is not a qualifying relationship.

Which roles qualify?

The IRCC program instructions define three categories:

Category	What the role must show	Useful evidence
Executive (TEER 0)	Directs the organization or a major component or function, sets its goals and policies	Org chart, reporting level, decisions the role makes
Senior manager (TEER 1)	Manages the organization or a department, subdivision or essential function, and supervises managers, supervisors or professionals	Reporting structure, budgets or operations managed, detailed duties
Specialized knowledge	Both advanced proprietary knowledge and an advanced level of expertise	Training, experience, command of internal systems or processes, projects led

For specialized knowledge, a mandatory minimum wage applies: the prevailing wage for the occupation in the region (with nuances under trade agreements). Seniority or general industry knowledge is not enough: link the experience to the company’s own methods, systems or products, and explain why the Canadian role needs them.

The corporate relationship

The relationship must be that of a parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate. The file should make ownership, control and the legal link easy to follow: corporate registrations, incorporation documents, ownership charts, annual reports, agreements.

The legal link alone does not show the companies are active. Add evidence of real activity for each entity: premises, contracts, invoices, staff, products or services. A mapping table (foreign entity, Canadian entity, relationship, current role, Canadian role) surfaces inconsistencies before an officer does.

Is the Canadian assignment a genuine temporary transfer?

Describe what the transferee will do in Canada, where the work will take place, who they will report to and why the group needs the assignment. A title without a clear business purpose and concrete duties gives the officer little to assess. Compare the Canadian duties with both the category claimed and the employee’s work history, and explain any change between the two roles.

For example, an engineer employed by a foreign parent company who moves to its Canadian subsidiary to lead a defined project can be considered for an ICT if all the requirements are met. A person presented as an executive abroad should keep a role of comparable level in Canada; a specialist sent to transfer technical know-how should be described through the specialized knowledge they bring and the tasks that depend on it. Vague descriptions such as “supporting the team” make the category hard to assess.

The assignment must also be temporary. The time limits by code (see below) are not a formality: the employer should set out the proposed term and its business rationale, rather than assuming the assignment can run indefinitely. And IRCC reminds officers that workers cannot be brought to Canada to receive training for jobs that would then displace Canadians.

Documents for the employee, the companies and the role

• For the employee: proof of prior employment with the foreign entity (dates, positions, duties), a CV, and evidence of the skills claimed.
• For the companies: proof of the corporate relationship and of real activity at both the foreign and Canadian entities.
• For the role: an assignment letter with the duties, location, planned duration, salary and place in the organization chart.
• For the category: organization charts and decision-making authority for executives and managers, or concrete evidence of proprietary knowledge for specialists.

Make sure dates, titles, duties and conditions match across every document. A practical tip: designate one person at the company to check entity names, employment dates, titles and duties before anything is submitted, and keep a single shared version of the job description.

How long the permit lasts

• C61, establishing a qualifying enterprise in Canada: up to 1 year, with no extension under this code, save rare exceptions.
• C62, executives and managers: 3 years initially, renewable in 2-year periods, 7 years in total.
• C63, specialized knowledge: 3 years initially, renewable in 2-year periods, 5 years in total.

The term granted is the one on the permit, and your passport can shorten it. Plan renewals before expiry, and track the total time already spent under the code so that the 5- or 7-year ceiling does not come as a surprise.

How the employer and the worker apply

1. Assess eligibility: category, employment history, companies, Canadian duties.
2. Build the evidence on the companies, the role and the employee.
3. Submit the offer: the employer submits the job offer in IRCC’s Employer Portal, pays the $230 employer compliance fee and gives the employee the offer number.
4. Apply for the permit, from abroad, from inside Canada or at a port of entry, depending on where the employee is and what they are eligible for.
5. Prepare for arrival: travel documents, biometrics if required.

The employer’s information and the worker’s application must tell one story: same duties, same location, same temporary assignment.

ICT, LMIA or a trade agreement?

Route	Basis	Employer link
Intra-company transfer	Transfer within a corporate group	Qualifying relationship required
LMIA-based permit	Labour market assessment	Any employer
Trade-agreement permit	The agreement’s own criteria	Depends on the agreement

If there is no qualifying relationship, look at another route: see LMIA or LMIA exemption and our Québec LMIA page. In Québec, IRCC says a worker hired through the International Mobility Program does not need a CAQ; still check any provincial requirement that may apply, such as for a regulated profession.

Why ICT files get delayed or refused

The same weaknesses come up again and again: employment letters that contradict each other, a corporate relationship that stays vague, Canadian duties that do not match the category claimed, or a “specialist” whose knowledge is described in general terms anyone in the industry could claim. Processing times also vary with the place of application and the steps required, such as biometrics or a request for more documents; check IRCC’s processing-time tool and build in a margin before the planned transfer date. And an approval before travel does not remove the border officer’s role: at the port of entry, the employee must still present the right documents and meet the entry requirements.

After approval

The permit is tied to the named employer: it does not follow the employee to another group company, role or location without checking. Before any material change, see whether a new application is needed; for renewals, see extending a work permit. The employer must keep the real job in line with the offer and keep its records, as IRCC can inspect; see employer compliance.

Spouses do not automatically get an open work permit: their eligibility depends on current rules and the principal worker’s job (see spousal open work permits). A child may need their own authorization to study. An ICT is temporary and does not grant permanent residence; for the longer term see Express Entry, the PSTQ, the PEQ and permanent residence. To review a transfer, you can describe your situation or book a consultation; employers can also see our employers page.

Frequently asked questions

Is a newly created Canadian subsidiary eligible?

A transfer to establish a business in Canada falls under code C61, limited to 1 year. A start-up that is not part of a multinational does not qualify for this category.

How long can an employee stay?

Up to 7 years in total for executives and managers, 5 years for specialized knowledge, through a 3-year permit and then 2-year renewals.

Must a specialist earn a minimum wage?

Yes: IRCC requires a mandatory minimum wage set at the prevailing regional wage for the occupation for specialized knowledge workers.

Does the worker need a CAQ in Québec?

According to IRCC, a worker hired through the International Mobility Program does not need a CAQ.

Can an ICT permit lead to permanent residence?

Not by itself: it is temporary. The worker can assess a federal or Québec program separately, against that program’s own criteria.

Can the employee move to another company in the group on the same permit?

Not without checking first: the permit is tied to the named employer, so a move to another entity generally needs a new authorization.

Can a child of an ICT worker attend school in Québec?

That depends on the child’s situation: check the federal and Québec requirements before the child starts school.

What if the assignment ends early?

Tell the employer and check what your permit allows before doing any other work. Then review your options to keep legal status, change your authorization or leave Canada.

Official sources

Official pages consulted on October 17, 2026:

• IRCC — Intra-company transferees program instructions
• IRCC — Transferees within the same company (in French)
• IRCC — ICT work permits issued