What is ICT visa?

ICT visa in Canada is one of the ways considered for migrating to Canada, especially for individuals working in an international company and wanting to transfer to one of the branches or affiliated companies in Canada. This method allows them to continue their job and at the same time immigrate to Canada.

Some advantages of ICT visa in Canada include:

High flexibility: This visa allows employers to transfer their employees between branches and affiliated companies without the need for an LMIA approval.

Protection of employee rights: Employees transferred to Canada with an ICT visa usually have similar rights and benefits as their home company in Canada.

Faster path to permanent residence: After a specified period, immigrants with an ICT visa can apply for permanent residency in Canada without needing a renewed LMIA approval.

Conditions for Intra-Company Transfer Visa in Canada or ICT

For Employees:

Work Experience: Employees must have at least one year of full-time work experience in their foreign company. This work experience must be within the past three years.

Job Position: Employees must be transferred to Canada in the same company and in the same role they had in their home country.

Occupational Expertise: The employee’s job must fall under one of these three classifications: Executive Manager, Senior Manager, or Specialized Knowledge Worker.

For Companies: Office Address: The company’s office in Canada must be specified and verifiable.

Business Plan: The company must have a realistic and defendable plan regarding its business activities in Canada.

Financial Capability: The company must have the financial capacity to start its business operations in Canada and pay its employees’ salaries.

Scale of Operations: If the company intends to transfer its high-level managers to Canada, it must demonstrate that its operations in Canada will be large enough to require managerial work.

Role of Specialized Employee: The company must be able to demonstrate that the specialized employee plays a key and essential role in the company’s business activities in Canada and that their activities are under the direction of a Canadian manager.

Overall, these conditions for obtaining an Intra-Company Transfer visa in Canada for both parties involved, i.e., employees and companies, are crucial and must be carefully observed.

Financial Assurance for ICT Visa Canada

To obtain an ICT visa for Canada, you must have valid and sufficient financial assurance to cover your living expenses in Canada. For assessing financial assurance, the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) table is typically used as a standard. LICO establishes the poverty line for urban areas with a minimum population of half a million.

For short-term visas, applicants are generally expected to have at least an amount equivalent to 12 months of LICO in their bank account. This amount should be sufficient to cover your living expenses in Canada, including housing rent, food, transportation, and other daily expenses.

In essence, the level of financial assurance should enable you to live in Canada without financial difficulties or burdens during your stay. According to Canadian immigration authorities, you must demonstrate that you have sufficient financial capability to live in the country.

Meeting Investment Expenses: To cover investment expenses or start a business in Canada, you may need to provide proof of financial assurance. This financial proof can be provided through various documents, including:

Bank letter and three-month bank statement or even one to two-month statement from short-term accounts.
Bank letter from long-term accounts along with financial source if required.
Financial assurance proof through currency or valuation accounts, along with financial source presentation.
Bank letter and official property assessment (if you own properties or registered assets in a country outside Canada).
Official property assessment.

The use of valid and acceptable financial documents generally depends on the type and extent of your investment. You can also ensure that your documents are sufficient to prove financial assurance and meet relevant requirements by consulting immigration experts or immigration lawyers.

Types of ICT Work Visas

Are you looking for opportunities to migrate to Canada? Canada’s Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) program is a way for experienced managers and employees to transfer to Canada as key members of international companies. This program utilizes three types of work visas for different individuals:

Executive Manager Work Visa: This visa is for individuals who manage a company or a significant part of it and are supervised by higher-level managers of the company.

Senior Manager Work Visa: This visa is for individuals who manage a department or a specific section of a company and oversee other managers and employees.

Specialized Worker Work Visa: This visa is for employees with specialized knowledge in fields that the host company requires, as well as the ability to communicate with international markets.

By using these programs, you can bring your experience and expertise to Canada and participate in its diverse and dynamic work environment.

Startups in the ICT Canada Program

A startup company is a business that has been established in Canada for less than a year. These companies, compared to other Canadian companies using the ICT program, do not have the condition of being “actively conducting business” because a short period has passed since their establishment. While business owners, executives, senior managers, or their employees obtain ICT work visas with specialized knowledge and, upon arrival in Canada, establish and develop the business and actively engage in it.

Organizing and structuring a startup company must be done before applying to transfer business owners, managers, and specialized employees to Canada. This action is necessary because applying for an ICT work visa is subject to having a job offer from a Canadian company. Therefore, that company must be registered in Canada and have a CRA business number.