Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Work Permit

The Intra-Company Transfer lets a multinational business move its key people — executives, senior managers, and employees with genuinely specialized knowledge — from a foreign office into a related Canadian company. Because it falls under the International Mobility Program, no Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is required: the transfer itself is considered a significant benefit to Canada.

It is also one of the most heavily scrutinized work permit categories. IRCC has tightened ICT assessments in recent years, and applications now succeed or fail on evidence: the corporate relationship, the reality of the Canadian operation, and whether the role is truly executive, managerial, or specialized.

Who the ICT is for

• Executives and senior managers being posted to lead the Canadian entity or a major function of it.
• Specialized-knowledge workers whose proprietary knowledge of the company's products, processes, or systems — combined with an advanced level of expertise — cannot be readily found in the Canadian labour market.
• Companies expanding into Canada that need a founding executive on the ground to open and grow a new branch, subsidiary, or affiliate ("start-up ICT").

Core requirements we build your file around

• A qualifying corporate relationship: parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate — documented through ownership structures, not assertions.
• One continuous year of full-time employment with the foreign entity within the last three years, in a role comparable to the Canadian position.
• Active, revenue-generating business on both sides. For new-office transfers, a credible business plan, premises, and the financial ability to start operations and pay staff.
• A role in Canada that genuinely meets the executive, senior managerial, or specialized-knowledge threshold — the most common refusal point, and the one we spend the most time evidencing.

What we do

• Assess whether your corporate structure and role actually qualify before anything is filed — including honest advice when an LMIA-based permit is the stronger route.
• Prepare the employer's offer of employment through the IRCC employer portal and the supporting corporate documentation.
• Build the specialized-knowledge or managerial evidence file: organizational charts, role descriptions, compensation benchmarks, and knowledge matrices.
• Plan renewals, maximum-duration limits, family work and study permits, and the transition to permanent residence from day one.

ICT files reward preparation and punish improvisation. If your company is planning a transfer — or opening in Canada for the first time — have the structure reviewed early.

Common questions

Does an Intra-Company Transfer need an LMIA?

No. ICT work permits are LMIA-exempt under Canada's International Mobility Program, because the transfer of executives, senior managers, and specialized-knowledge workers within a multinational company is treated as a significant benefit to Canada. The employer still files an offer of employment through the IRCC employer portal and pays the compliance fee.

Who qualifies for an ICT work permit?

Generally, you must have been employed full-time for at least one continuous year (within the last three) by a foreign company that has a qualifying relationship — parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate — with the Canadian entity, and be transferring into an executive, senior managerial, or specialized-knowledge role. Both companies must be doing real, active business.

Can an ICT lead to permanent residence?

Often, yes. Senior managerial ICT experience can support an Express Entry profile under the Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class programs, and executives may benefit from additional pathways. We plan the PR strategy alongside the transfer rather than after it.

Can my spouse work in Canada during my ICT assignment?

In many cases the spouse or common-law partner of an ICT holder in an executive, managerial, or specialized-knowledge role can apply for a family open work permit. Eligibility rules have tightened in recent years, so we confirm the current criteria against your specific role before you rely on it.