Corporate Mobility / Canada / Route
Canada · Investment 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.
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.
Free zone comparisonالمناطق الحرة
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.