Business Visitor Visa

Overview of the Business Visitor Visa

The Business Visitor Visa category allows foreign nationals to visit Canada temporarily for engaging in business activities with Canadian firms. Eligible individuals can explore business opportunities, interact with Canadian business counterparts, and attend trade conferences. It's important to note that this visa does not permit holders to engage in employment within Canada. The Business Visitor Visa is ideal for travellers who wish to experience Canadian culture, visit landmarks, and enjoy leisure activities alongside their business pursuits.

Permitted Activities for Business Visitor Visa Holders

Business visitors are foreign nationals who enter Canada to engage in international business activities without entering the Canadian labour market. For instance, this includes individuals visiting to meet with Canadian clients of a company based abroad, aiming to expand, invest in, or enhance business relationships.

Visitors may also enter Canada for site observations or to receive invitations from Canadian companies for training on product usage, sales, or other business-related functions. Depending on the nature of their business and nationality, some business visitors can conduct business or trade activities in Canada without requiring a work permit.

Reasons for visiting Canada on a Business Visitor Visa include, but are not limited to:

• Attending business meetings, conferences, conventions, fairs, etc.
• Procuring Canadian goods or services for a foreign entity.
• Engaging in activities by foreign government officials not accredited to Canada.
• Participating in commercial production activities within advertising or the film or recording industries, including studio use.
• Receiving training from a Canadian parent company for work to be performed outside of Canada.
• Training employees at a Canadian subsidiary of a foreign company.
• Performing installation, servicing, setting up, and testing of commercial or industrial equipment (including software).
• Supervising workers engaged in the above services, typically at a ratio of one business visitor supervisor to five to ten workers.
• Repairing or servicing specialized equipment bought or leased outside Canada, contingent on being part of an original or extended sales agreement, lease/rental contract, warranty, or service contract.
• Installing, configuring, or providing training on upgraded software operating on previously sold or leased equipment under similar contractual conditions.
• Providing training on the use and maintenance of specialized equipment purchased outside of Canada.
• Delivering training to employees of a branch or subsidiary of the business visitor’s employer, with the stipulation that the employer is based outside of Canada.
• This category often includes individuals involved in After-Sales or Lease Services.

Business Visa Requirements for Canada

Business visitors to Canada must demonstrate the following:

• Their visit will last no longer than six months.
• They do not intend to enter the Canadian labour market.
• Their primary place of business and the source of income and profits are outside Canada.
• They possess supporting documents for their application.
• They meet Canada’s basic entry requirements, which include having a valid travel document (such as a passport), sufficient funds for their stay and return home, an intention to leave Canada at the end of their visit, and not posing a criminal, security, or health risk to Canadians.

Required Documents for a Business Visitor Visa to Canada

Applicants typically need to provide:

• A valid passport or travel document for the entire stay (recommended validity of at least six months).
• A valid visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), if applicable.
• A letter of invitation from a Canadian host organization.
• Letters of support from the applicant’s foreign (parent) company confirming full-time employment and the purpose of the visit.
• A verification letter stating the applicant's non-employment intent in Canada.
• Relevant documents like warranty or service agreements or contracts.
• A resume demonstrating the applicant’s experience and full-time employment status with the foreign company, specifically for conducting training on a particular product.
• 24-hour contact details of the business host in Canada.
• Proof of sufficient funds for the stay in Canada and return home.
  

Application Process for a Canada Business Visitor Visa

Business visitors require either a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an eTA to enter Canada. The application might necessitate fingerprints and a photo (biometrics). It’s important to note that there is no distinct visa category for business visitors, who must follow the standard procedure for obtaining a visitor visa or an eTA. Applicants should clarify that their visit is for international business activities and may need to provide proof of such activities upon arrival. Family members of business visitors must submit separate visitor visa applications.

Business Visitors Who May Require a Work Permit

Employees of a foreign company contracted to provide services to a Canadian entity typically require a work permit, possibly with a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). There are LMIA-exempt work permits available under certain Canada trade agreements for business people.

A service provider is not considered a business visitor if there is a contract between the Canadian company and the foreign worker’s employer, indicating labor market entry. For example, architects from an American firm working on-site for a Canadian project are not considered business visitors because their work involves entering the Canadian labor market.

Individuals intending to actively engage in the Canadian labor market may need a Temporary Work Permit. This includes business people looking to operate a business in Canada, who should apply for the Owner Operator LMIA, and key workers of affiliated companies eligible for an Intra-Company Transfer Work Permit, which is LMIA-exempt. Certain short-term workers in specific situations may work in Canada without a work permit but are not necessarily considered business visitors.

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