Business Visitors, Business Visa Business Visitor

Business Visitors

Every year, millions of people visit Canada for many reasons. If you are intending on travelling to Canada for business reasons, you may qualify as a Business Visitor depending on your intended purpose in Canada.

A Business Visitor is someone who enters Canada on business purposes but does not actually enter the Canadian Labour Market. Instead, their activities are related to international business.

Business Visitors

Business Visitors are strictly prohibited from entering the Canadian labour market, in doing so; they would first typically require a Labour Market Opinion and Work Permit and no longer qualify as a Business Visitor.

 A Business Visitors functions are limited. They can:
  • Attend business meetings or conferences;
  • Visit job sites;
  • Deal with after sales agreements;
  • Make purchases for a foreign company in Canada.
Basic Entry Requirements
  • Have valid travel document, for example; a passport
  • Have a valid travel document, such as a passport,
  • Have enough money for your stay for the business purposes and to return home,
  • Plan to leave Canada at the end of your business visit and
  • Are not criminal, security or health risks to Canadians.
Cross-Border business can include;
  • Buying Canadian goods or services for a foreign business or government
  • Taking orders for goods or services,
  • Going to meetings, conferences, conventions or trade fairs,
  • Being trained by a Canadian parent company that you work for outside Canada
  • Training employees of a Canadian branch of a foreign company or
  • Being trained by a Canadian company that has sold you equipment or services.
What You Will Need at the Border

As this visa can be obtained a Port of Entry, some basic documents will be required to carry on your person at the very least. Some of these documents are;

  • A valid passport or travel document that will be valid until the end of your stay
  • if applicable, a temporary resident visa
  • Letters of support from your business and a letter of invitation from the Canadian host business or a Letter of Recognition from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
  • 24-hour contact details of your business host in Canada and
  • Proof that you have enough money for both your stay in Canada and your return home.

What You will Need

In order to be successful as a Business Visitor, you will need to demonstrate two main points:
  1. Your main business or business you are acting on is outside of Canada and that all income generation will occur outside of Canada, meaning you are paid by a foreign company and that any money you make while in Canada will be earned outside of Canada;
  2. You have no criminal background and are otherwise of sound health.

You will need to adequately convince an Immigration Officer of the above or they may require you to first obtain other status documents like a work permit before performing your intended business related duties in Canada.

How We Can Help

If you have been sent by your employer to conduct Business Visitor related duties in Canada, your travels are critical to your employment. That being said, being successful in your application has an impact on your professional success. Applying as a Business Visitor is easier said than done. If an Officer is unsatisfied with your paper work, they have the discretion to refuse you entry.

We will assist you:
  • Draft the necessary forms;
  • Draft appropriate supporting documentation like employment reference letters;
  • Assist you with gathering important documents like contracts, agreements, proof of your intended purpose in Canada;
  • Help demonstrate how you meet the conditions of a Business Visitor and do not require a Work Permit for your intended work related duties in Canada;
  • Compile the strongest possible case as per your unique situation;
  • Prepare you for making an application at a Port of Entry; and
  • Of course, be with you every step of the way.

For more information on Business Visitors, feel free to browse our vast collection of information on the subject or contact us directly at 1-877-622-8182 or 416 477 2570. You can also email at Info@ToImmigrate.com.

A business visa may be given to a person who would like to enter Canada, on temporary bases, for reason related to his or her business.

The visitor may be required to show the following:

  • First and foremost you have to be admissible both medically and criminally
  • You would have to show that the length of your stay is less than 6 months
  • You have to show your intention to return home to your business
  • showing your income and profits from your home country may be helpful
  • You have to ensure the officer of the fact that you do not intend to stay in Canada or work here longer than your business meeting or conference.
  • You would be required present your passport and travel documents

It is important to note that a business visa does not have a separate application. If you are not from a visa exempt country, you would have to submit the same application as the temporary resident visa. Visiting for business reason increases your credibility, as it gives you a valid reason to tell the officer and gain entry into Canada.

It is very important that you submit the right documents that provide proof of your business back home, and prove that your visit is temporary. For instance, having an invitation letter for your business meeting may help you with your case.

I hope this helped, if you have any questions about what is required, and what kind of documents you may be able to provide. You can contact us and our team of experienced professionals will be happy to help you.

When you visit Canada as a business visitor, there are a few things you need to show. Some of these include,

  • Showing that you will leave at the end of your visit
  • Showing that your reasons are for business purposes
  • Showing that you will not be joining the Canadian labour market
  • Showing that you have the means to provide for yourself while you are in Canada and the means to go back home

It is important for most visitors to show that they will leave at the end of their authorized stay. You can show this by providing a copy of your return flight ticket or a detailed itinerary.

Showing that your reasons are for business purposes can fall into,

  • Looking for ways to develop your business
  • Investing
  • Advancing your current business relations

Essentially, officers are looking to see that business visitors have income that are provided by sources outside of Canada and are not seeking to compete with Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Financial stability can be proven by showing an account statement. If you have a return ticket, then you do not have to show that you have the funds to go back home since you already have that covered.

Generally, as a visitor, the standard is that you can only stay in Canada for up to six months. If you do end up staying longer, as a business visitor, you could considered a temporary worker and will be required to apply for a work permit to stay for longer.

It is important to note that there are no actual business visitor applications. You will need to complete a temporary resident visa application which will ask you to provide details about your visit to Canada; this is where you would indicate your purpose.

At Akrami & Associates, we can provide you with assistance regarding your eligibility and any application process that is applicable. Give us a call today and let one of our legal representatives assist you.

A business visitor falls under one of the following sub-categories:

  • After-sales/lease service
  • Intra-company training and Installation activities
  • Attendees of board of director’s meetings
  • Employees of short-term temporary residents

After-sales/lease services

After-sales/lease services include those provided by persons repairing and servicing, supervising installers, and setting up and testing commercial or industrial equipment. After-sales/lease service also includes situations where the sales/lease agreement or purchase order is for a software upgrade to operate previously sold or leased equipment, a service person coming to Canada to install, configure, or give training on the upgraded software should receive consideration as a business visitor, as long as the after–sales/lease service activity is clearly articulated in the new sales/lease agreement or purchase order.

Intra-company training and Installation activities

When a person is coming to provide training or installation of equipment for a branch or subsidiary company, they are considered to be business visitors. The same prohibition against hands-on building and construction work as for after-sales service applies. The foreign national should maintain their position in their home branch and not be paid by the Canadian branch above expenses. This provision may also apply to a trainer or specialized installer under an after- sales contract by the foreign branch (with the same conditions applying), as long as the service is provided company-wide and not just for the Canadian office.

Attendees of board of director meetings

A person attending meeting as member of a board of directors may enter as business visitor. Normally these people attend quarterly meetings. They are legally charged with responsibility to govern an organization or corporation.

Employees of short-term temporary residents

Persons employed in a personal capacity on a full-time basis by short term temporary residents, for example as a domestic servant, personal assistant or nanny (caregiver), would generally meet the business visitor criteria in R187(3)(a) and (b) and may enter as such. If the visiting employer extends their stay in Canada such that their employee is no longer considered to be working predominantly outside Canada or their employee’s primary source of remuneration can no longer be considered to be outside Canada, then that personal employee is no longer considered to be a business visitor and may be required to seek a work permit and an LMO to continue working. A stay of longer than 6 months would normally be found to exceed the threshold.

If any false or incomplete information given by business visitor, or if business visitor fails to satisfy his/her business purpose then he/she can be denied entry to the Canada , so it essential to satisfy the Immigration officer with all the your documentation and your business purpose.

You might find yourself in the position of wanting to visit Canada. Now you may be asking yourself for what reasons are you visiting? If your purpose for visiting Canada falls under the following,

  • You are visiting to look for ways to develop your business further;
  • You wish to make investments in Canada; or
  • You want to advance your business relations in Canada;

then you may wish to enter Canada as a business visitor. It is important to understand, first and foremost, that there are no separate business visitor applications. Everyone who requires a short-term visa to enter Canada may do so through a temporary resident visa application.
This being said, your purpose for coming to Canada is still relevant. As a business visitor, there are certain things you must be able to show a visa officer for you to successfully enter Canada. Some conditions that must be met include:

Conditions for Canadian Business Visa

  • Showing that you will be staying for less than six months
  • Showing that you will not be entering the Canadian labour market
  • Proving that your main place of business, and any earnings from that business, comes from a source outside of Canada
  • Providing documentation to support your application
  • Not being inadmissible
    • This may include,
      • Health reasons
      • Criminality issues
      • Security reasons

Some legitimate reasons you may be crossing as a business visitor include,

  • Attending meetings or conferences
  • Training employees employed by a foreign business who work for a Canadian branch
  • Buying Canadian goods or services for a foreign business

Basically, you need to show that your visit in Canada is for genuine business reasons that will not affect Canada’s labour market.
If you want additional information regarding the application process or an extensive explanation on what is required of you, contact Akrami & Associates today and let one of our knowledgeable legal representatives assist you.

As Canadian economy grows in demand there are thousands of people around the world that visit Canada to business with Canadian companies, in order to obtain business visitor status you must meet certain requirements to enter Canada:

  • You must apply for a temporary resident visa like any other visitor to Canada,
  • You plan to stay for less than six months,
  • You do not plan to enter the Canadian labour market,
  • Your main place of business, and source of income and profits, is outside Canada,
  • You have documents that support your business application and,

You must meet Canada's basic entry requirements which are:

  • Have valid travel document, for example; a passport
  • Have a valid travel document, such as a passport,
  • Have enough money for your stay for the business purposes and to return home,
  • Plan to leave Canada at the end of your business visit and
  • Are not criminal, security or health risks to Canadians.

Cross-Border business can include:

  • Buying Canadian goods or services for a foreign business or government
  • Taking orders for goods or services,
  • Going to meetings, conferences, conventions or trade fairs,
  • Being trained by a Canadian parent company that you work for outside Canada
  • Training employees of a Canadian branch of a foreign company or
  • Being trained by a Canadian company that has sold you equipment or services.

On Arrival Business Visitor must:

You must have must have all the documentation to show the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) officer that you are here on business purposes and you meet all the requirements for admission to Canada.

Some of these documents are;

  • A valid passport or travel document that will be valid until the end of your stay
  • if applicable, a temporary resident visa
  • Letters of support from your business and a letter of invitation from the Canadian host business or a Letter of Recognition from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
  • 24-hour contact details of your business host in Canada and
  • Proof that you have enough money for both your stay in Canada and your return home.

If any false or incomplete information given by business visitor, or if business visitor fails to satisfy his/her business purpose then he/she can be denied entry to the Canada , so it essential to satisfy the officer with all the your documentation and your business purpose.

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