This article provides an overview of the permissible activities as a standard visitor in Canada.

Canada

Business Visitor Activities

You’re a business visitor if you:

• come to take part in international business activities without being part of the Canadian labour market

• are visiting Canada temporarily to

  • look for ways to grow your business

  • invest

  • advance your business relationships

A business visitor is defined as a foreign national who is not entering the Canadian labour market, as their business activities are international in scope, their main place of business and source of remuneration for the business activity is outside of Canada, and the accrual of profits remains outside of Canada.

Business visitors usually stay in Canada for a few days or a few weeks, but are able to stay for up to 6 months.

To qualify as a business visitor to Canada, you must show that:

• you plan to stay for less than 6 months

• you don’t 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 application

• you meet Canada’s basic entry requirements, because you

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport

• have enough money for your stay and to return home

• plan to leave Canada at the end of your visit

• are not a criminal, security or health risk to Canadians

Activities you may conduct as a business visitor 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

• giving after-sales service as part of a warranty or sales agreement

• being trained by a Canadian parent company that you work for outside Canada

• training employees of a Canadian branch of a foreign company

• being trained by a Canadian company that has sold you equipment or services

Under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, a U.S. or Mexican national may also take part in other activities, such as research, marketing and general services.

What is Considered Work?

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations define work as an activity for which wages are paid or commission is earned, or that is in direct competition with the activities of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the Canadian labor market.

Activities that compete directly with the activities of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the Canadian labour market refer to roles that a Canadian citizen or permanent resident should have an opportunity to do, or engaging in a business activity that is competitive in the marketplace.

Some examples of “work” include, but are not limited to:

• a foreign technician entering Canada to fulfill a contract, even when they will not be paid directly by the Canadian company for whom they are performing the work;

• self-employment, which could constitute a competitive economic activity such as opening fast-food franchise; and

• unpaid employment undertaken for the purpose of obtaining work experience, such as an internship or practicum.

Note that where an opportunity is not being ‘taken away’ from a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, examples of activities that are not considered work include, but are not limited to:

• volunteer work for which a person would not normally be remunerated, such as sitting on the board of a charity or religious institution or being on the telephone line at a crisis centre; or

• remote work done by a temporary resident whose employer is outside Canada and who is remunerated from outside Canada.

Similarly, there are other types of work that do not require a work permit, including but not limited to:

• military personnel;

• performing artists;

• guest speakers;

• religious leaders;

• expert witnesses;

• emergency service providers;

• and more.

Moreover, under the Global Skills Strategy, there are additional work permit exemptions for certain high-skilled work of a short-duration, including:

• short-term work permit exemption for high skilled work of 15 or 30 days; and

• short-term (120-day) work permit exemption for researchers.