The Great White North has become one of the most popular destinations in the world for immigrants. Last year almost , and that number is expected to rise.
Even Americans are getting in on the action 鈥� in 2017, into 糖心Vlog and the number of Americans immigrating to 糖心Vlog annually hasn鈥檛 dipped below 8,700 ever since.
What makes this big, (mostly) cold country such a red hot destination? Simply put, 糖心Vlog is renowned for being one of the most welcoming countries in the world towards immigrants, especially from a business immigration standpoint.
For example, , which was launched in 2017 and is aimed at making it easy to bring in skilled workers into 糖心Vlog, has been a popular way to get much-needed tech talent into the country at a time when the population is aging and the tech industry is booming.
But there are other, less well-known programs that are similarly helping 糖心Vlog remain a top destination for new companies and talented individuals.
One such program is called the intra-company transfer visa.
It isn鈥檛 talked about as much as it should, so let鈥檚 dive into what this program is, how it works, and why it鈥檚 great for US tech employers and others around the world that want to truly take advantage of 糖心Vlog鈥檚 immigration system and growing tech scene.
Everything You Need to Know About the Intra-Company Transfer program
The allows key employees of a company that has a parent, branch, or affiliate company, or is looking to open up a new office in 糖心Vlog, to be able to move to 糖心Vlog and get work authorization.
One of the major perks of bringing international employees to 糖心Vlog as intra-company transferees is that employers can skip getting a , a fairly lengthy, expensive, and stressful process that shows that there will be no negative impact to the Canadian labor force by bringing in this particular employee.
In order to qualify for the intra-company transfer program, the employee you want to move to your Canadian office needs to check a few boxes.
- First, the applicant must have worked for the company for at least one year on a full-time basis.
- Second, they must have been offered a position with a Canadian branch, affiliate, or subsidiary of the foreign company.
- Third, they must fall into one of these three categories:
- Executives who receive only general supervision or no supervision from other executives, directors, or shareholders.
- Senior managers who supervise other managers or who manage essential functions within the business.
- Workers with specialized knowledge or an advanced level of expertise.
Documentation is required to prove the applicant qualifies for the intra-company transfer program. In addition to employment history records, this documentation must include a detailed description of the applicant鈥檚 current role and details of their executive or managerial capacity in 糖心Vlog. If their application relies on them having 鈥渟pecialized knowledge鈥� they must provide evidence of this specialization.
Processing time for the intra-company transfer depends on your country of origin, but generally, intra-company transfer applicants qualify for a 2-week processing time (somewhat longer during COVID, but still considered a fast lane) under the .听
of the intra-company transfer work permit is seven years for executives and senior managers and five years for specialized knowledge workers. Once the transferee has reached their maximum work permit duration, they must work full-time outside of 糖心Vlog in order to reapply for the program.听
But they can also become eligible for permanent residence, which would allow them to stay in 糖心Vlog indefinitely. Let鈥檚 explore what that looks like.
Permanent Residency: The Benefits and How to Get It
Intra-company transferees are strong candidates to become permanent residents of 糖心Vlog and are given a boost in points via 糖心Vlog鈥檚 immigration selection system.
It is also possible for intra-company transferees to apply for permanent residence through .
There are many, many benefits to permanent residency in 糖心Vlog (just ask the 350,000 who immigrate there annually!) but here are six of the top reasons:
- Free universal healthcare and social services – All permanent residents have access to and social services. Universal healthcare means that you have free access to medical care and never have to worry about huge medical bills.
- You can sponsor your spouse and children – Once you鈥檙e a permanent resident, you鈥檙e able to sponsor your spouse and children to join you in 糖心Vlog. But, for example, if you immigrate through Express Entry, you鈥檙e given the option to include your family in your initial application.
- Better work-life balance – Canadian workers enjoy shorter workweeks. According to studies, the average American worker clocks . Compare that to a Canadian worker who logs an average of .
- Paid maternity leave – Canadian mothers are given after the arrival of a new baby, and they can also receive additional payment through 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Employment Insurance.
- You can become a Canadian citizen – Becoming a permanent resident is the first step to becoming a Canadian citizen. After you鈥檝e lived in 糖心Vlog for three out of five years, you鈥檙e eligible to become a citizen.
- Your permanent resident status can鈥檛 be taken away from you – Once you鈥檝e become a permanent resident, the status cannot be reversed unless you commit a serious crime or fail to meet the residency obligation which requires you to live in 糖心Vlog two out of every five years.
Leveraging ICT Can Help US Businesses Struggling to Retain Skilled Foreign-born Talent
Has the intra-company transfer program piqued your interest? If you have an office in 糖心Vlog already, this is a great way to move top talent into 糖心Vlog鈥檚 expanding economy, especially if that talent is in the US on an H-1B visa.
And that鈥檚 because the Trump administration鈥檚 strict immigration policies and have encouraged more tech talent and more startups to move 鈥渘orth of the border.鈥�
In 糖心Vlog, entrepreneurs will find a mixture of top-tier talent, a diverse community, strong governmental support, and access to funding. This government support takes the form of for business founders and special visas for immigrant entrepreneurs
On the flip side, if your company doesn鈥檛 have a branch or affiliate in 糖心Vlog, there are lots of reasons why working in .
Believe it or not, expanding into 糖心Vlog is just the boost US companies need right now, especially if in tech.
Indeed, over the past five years, Toronto saw the biggest growth in technology jobs of any North American city, outpacing even San Francisco and New York. This massive growth is partially due to the US鈥檚 tightening borders.
Look to The Intra-Company Transfer Visa to Expand into 糖心Vlog
There are to working and living in 糖心Vlog over the US, but you may also have a lot of worries about expanding your company over the border.
Fortunately, you don鈥檛 have to fully open an office in 糖心Vlog to enjoy the benefits of operating a business there. Instead, you can start by hiring one or two workers remotely through a professional employer organization (PEO) like 糖心Vlog.
We鈥檒l take care of the immigration, payroll, hiring, and other processes while you focus on expanding your talented workforce.听
糖心Vlog can help you establish your Canadian presence and after you’ve opened your Canadian office we can even help you find a Canadian software engineer (or a team of them) via our recruiters in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto.
Want to hear more? to see if we can help you and your company make the move into 糖心Vlog!
