A business visitor is a foreign national who comes to Canada for international business activities without entering the Canadian labour market. Attending meetings and conferences, negotiating contracts, visiting a Canadian parent company or subsidiary, receiving training from a Canadian company that sold you equipment, and providing after-sales service under a contract are typical examples.
Citizens of visa-required countries need a Temporary Resident Visa for these trips; visa-exempt travellers arriving by air need an eTA. In both cases you must satisfy the officer that your activities qualify as business visitor activities, that your primary source of income and main place of business remain outside Canada, and that you will not be paid by a Canadian source for what you do here.
IRCC does not offer a faster queue for business travellers, and we will never tell you otherwise. What we can do is prepare an application so complete and clearly documented that an officer can assess it without asking for more, which is the only reliable way to avoid delays.
Who this is for
- Executives, managers and professionals attending meetings, negotiations or corporate events in Canada
- Exhibitors, buyers and delegates at trade shows, conferences and industry events
- Employees of foreign companies visiting a Canadian parent, branch, subsidiary or client site
- Technicians and staff receiving training, or providing after-sales service, under a contract with a Canadian company
- Canadian businesses hosting foreign partners, suppliers or customers who need a properly documented invitation
What we do
- Confirm that your planned activities qualify as business visitor activities and do not require a work permit
- Draft or review the invitation letter from the Canadian company, covering the purpose, dates, activities and who covers the costs
- Prepare the letter from your employer confirming your role, salary, continued employment and that you remain paid from outside Canada
- Assemble evidence of the business relationship: contracts, correspondence, event registrations and corporate records
- Complete the TRV or eTA application, file it online and coordinate biometrics where required
- Prepare a port of entry package so you can answer the border officer’s questions clearly and quickly
How it works
- 1
Activity review
We look at what you will actually do in Canada and confirm it falls within business visitor rules. If a work permit is needed instead, we tell you before you apply.
- 2
Corporate documentation
We draft the Canadian invitation and the foreign employer letter, and collect the contracts or registrations that prove the business purpose.
- 3
Application and filing
We prepare the forms, write the submission letter and file the application online, then guide you through biometrics if required.
- 4
Entry preparation
We give you an organized package for the border and brief you on the questions officers ask business visitors, so your entry is straightforward.