The world is changing, and so are the rules surrounding visas to visit it. In Canada, visas aren’t typically required to enter, though you will need one if you’re planning on staying more than six months or if you plan on working in the country during your visit. The Top 5 Canadian Visas You Need to Know About
This list of the top five Canadian visas includes three that you’ll most likely be using and two others that you should at least be aware of in case your situation changes in the future.
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1) International Student Visa
In order to study in Canada, all students must first apply for a study permit, which is an authorization from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that allows you to come to Canada. With your study permit, you can enter Canada as a student before your visa application has been finalized. Once approved by CIC, you can apply for a study visa at a Canadian embassy or consulate outside of Canada.
The length of time it takes depends on where you live and what country you’re applying from; however, usually once we submit all required documents it takes less than 10 business days! Be sure to double check everything with your local embassy’s processing times before applying though as they may vary slightly.
2) Post-Graduation Work Permit
If you’re an international student with a STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) degree and you want to stay in Canada after graduation, your best bet is a Post-Graduation Work Permit. After three years of study in Canada on a valid student visa, you can apply for an open work permit.
Depending on where your university is located and what degree you earn, it might be as simple as finishing up one last class—or getting your dissertation published—to get that open work permit.
Most students have three years from their original entry date into Canada to apply for their open work permit; if they don’t get it by then, they can only reapply for another three-year post-graduation study period.
3) Intra-Company Transfer Visa
The Intra-Company Transfer Visa is designed for companies who wish to transfer an employee or a group of employees between one or more offices in Canada.
The applicants do not need to be a part of a parent-subsidiary relationship with their employer. The ICT Visa is available in all of Canada’s provinces and territories except for Nunavut, NWT, Yukon and PEI.
The visa allows applicants who qualify for it to enter Canada as temporary residents and stay up to three years at a time depending on how long they have been working for their company.
4) NAFTA Professionals Visa
The NAFTA Professionals Visa is targeted at professionals who need to travel regularly for work. This visa allows citizens of Canada, Mexico and any country that is a signatory to NAFTA (United States, Chile, Colombia and Peru) to live and work in Canada.
If you are from a country that is not a signatory but have job offers from companies in one of these countries, you can apply for a NAFTA Investor Visa. To be eligible for these visas, you must have at least one year of experience working in your profession; however, under special circumstances (such as when no Canadians are qualified), applicants without experience may qualify if they possess certain education or professional qualifications.
Please note that some professions require additional licensing or approval before being able to practice in Canada.
5) Start-Up Visa Program
The start-up visa program enables foreign entrepreneurs who have secured a minimum investment of $200,000 from a designated venture capital fund or angel investor group in Canada to start a business.
The fund must be managed by a designated venture capital fund manager, which are set out in section 9.3 of IRPA and include venture capital corporations, labour sponsored investment funds and self-managed venture capital funds.
6) Temporary Foreign Worker Program
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) allows employers in Canada, who can’t find Canadians or permanent residents for available jobs, to hire foreign workers from outside Canada.
Under a TFWP work permit, foreign workers can work only for their employer and only in occupations stated on their work permit.