Business Visitor Worker Status Visa allows you to enter and stay in Canada as a business visitor if you are coming to Canada for a temporary period and only to engage in business activities. Foreign nationals who are coming to Canada purely to engage in international business activities and are not entering the Canadian labour market are business visitors.

There are many reasons why a person might come to Canada as a business visitor:

• Attend conferences, conventions or fairs, board of directors’ meetings,
• Commercial/advertising purposes
• After-sales service (as part of warranty or sales agreement)
• Supervisors supervising an installation or dismantling machinery, or equipment purchased outside Canada,
• For training purposes and installation activities to train prospective users or maintenance staff for the equipment obtained outside Canada
• Being trained by a Canadian parent company for work outside Canada
• Training employees of a foreign company contracting Canadian companies,
• Employees of short-term temporary residents
• Employees of foreign companies contracting Canadian companies,
• Cooperative programs based on research and surveys.

The Canadian work experience gained on business visitor status cannot be considered in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) calculation.

Business visitor is a person attending a business meeting, trade convention, non-selling public exhibitions or engaging in procurement of Canadian good and services. Some categories also include activities of people providing after-sales services, foreign government officials not accredited to Canada, some foreign nationals in the commercial production industry (advertising, film industry).

Business visitors are authorized to work in Canada without a work permit.

Business Visitor Worker Status Eligibility and Requirements

Before entering Canada, business visitors must demonstrate their eligibility to:

• Show their business, main source of profit or income is outside Canada,
• Stay in Canada for less then 06 months,
• Have no plans to engage into Canadian labour market,
• Have proof to support their business visitation,

Meet the general requirements to enter Canada (valid passport, enough funds to support for their stay and return, leave Canada after the end of visit, not have a criminal, security, or health risk to Canadians).

Business visitors entering Canada to conduct business is of high importance for the economic growth of the country.

All business visitors entering Canada or Canadian business visitors entering other countries for same reasons, have trade agreements and partnerships to make the entry fluent and without unnecessary delays upon arrival.

It is in Canada’s best interest that international business visitors can come to Canada for their business ventures and meet only the basic requirements on entry.

Business Visitor Worker Status Process

Business visitors are encouraged to have the basic required documents when arriving and entering Canada for their business purposes. If the documents presented upon entry are sufficient, they are granted to enter Canada without any delays. Usually, they need to shortly demonstrate they have the documents to prove their business intention. If the business visitor is required to apply for an eTA (electronic travel authorization) or a visa to enter Canada, they submit all the required data and/or documents prior to coming.

Business visitor should have all the basic required documents ready to show at the point of entry to make the processing fast and efficient.

Sometimes a business visitor may be requested to provide fingerprints and photo (biometrics), usually they are requested when applying for a visitor visa. Biometrics data is part of the process.

There is a difference between business visitors and business people. Business people come to Canada to do work in Canada under a free trade agreement.

Business Visitor Worker Status Supporting Documents

International business visitors need to provide certain documentation as follows:

• Valid passport or travel document
• Valid visitor visa or eTA (electronic travel authorization), using the same passport as in the application
• Supporting letters and/or invitation letters or a letter of Recognition (CBSA– Canada Border Services Agency)
• Other relevant documents to show the nature of their business visit
• Proof of sufficient funds for their stay and return
• Contact details of their business host in Canada (24 hours availability)

Always prepare your visit in advance to avoid any delays at the border.

Business visitors need to ensure to have all required documents in advance, beside the travel documentation, they need to show they have sufficient funds and supporting letters for their business visit.

Have documents ready and with you at all times and keep them in you hand luggage.