Business Visa to Canada

A Business visitor is someone who comes to Canada for international business activities without directly entering the Canadian labor market like meeting people from companies doing business with their country, observing site visits or if a Canadian Company invited them for training in product use, sales and other business transaction functions. For such purposes, they do not need a work permit to come to Canada. But Business visitors must prove that their main source of income and their main place of business are outside Canada.

You are 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

How to show you are a Business Visitor

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 (managing, not doing hands-on labour)
• 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

What you need to enter Canada

If you are a business visitor, you need either a visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to come to Canada. You may also need to provide your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) if applying for a visitor visa.

What to bring with you to Canada

Make sure that you have the following documents when you arrive at the border (don’t pack them in your suitcase)

• a passport or travel document that is valid for your entire stay
• a valid visitor visa, if applicable
• if you need an eTA, you must travel using the same passport you used in your application
• letters of support from your parent company and a letter of invitation from the Canadian host business or a Letter of Recognition from the Canada Border Services Agency
• other documents such as warranty or service agreements, or contracts, if relevant to your visit
• 24-hour contact details of your business host in Canada
• proof that you have enough money for both your stay in Canada and your return home

Business visitors and business people are not the same. Business people come to do work in Canada under a free trade agreement. Foreign nationals will not be considered a business visitor if they are doing work for a Canadian Company like employee sent by a foreign company to fulfill a contract with a Canadian Company. Such persons may need to get a work permit.

Business visitors and business people are not the same. Business people come to do work in Canada under a free trade agreement. Business people come to do business under a free trade agreement. Business people can enter and work in Canada if they qualify under one of these agreements:

• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
• Other Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
• General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)