Canada has free trade agreements (FTAs) with more than 50 countries. These relationships maintain favorable commercial terms between Canada and other Member States and remove barriers to doing business between them. Often involves the movement of temporary business personnel and workers to and from Canada.
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What are the advantages of FTAs?
The FTA allows business people from signatories to enter and work in Canada temporarily. These individuals require a work permit to enter Canada, but are not required to obtain a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The LMIA is the Government of Canada’s internal assessment to determine the impact of hiring foreign workers on the Canadian labor market. Being an LMIA exemption makes the process of obtaining a work permit under the FTA program easier and faster.
These individuals are given the opportunity to work and may even migrate to Canada with Permanent Residency (PR). Individuals applying for a PR may cite their work experience in Canada on their immigration application. This is an experience the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada (IRCC) appreciates when evaluating candidates. He is one of the best ways to increase your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The CRS is the primary method by which candidates for the Express Entry pool are judged. The program’s Express Entry system is the primary channel used by the federal government to welcome economic class immigrants to Canada and includes the Canada Experience Class (CEC), the Commonwealth Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Commonwealth Skilled Labor Program. FSTP).
Which FTAs does Canada participate in?
Among the FTAs that Canada has signed are:
- Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) (formerly North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)) — between Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
- Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) between Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and Canada.
- Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) — between Canada and EU Member States.When
- General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) – for all members of the World Trade Organization.
There are also several other FTAs. Citizens of these signatories may be eligible to obtain expedited and expedited work permits under the terms of their specific agreements with Canada.
How do I apply for a work permit under the FTA program?
The process of applying through one of these FTA programs will vary depending on the specific path chosen, but is generally included in the normal process of applying for a temporary work permit. Typically, either employers or employees can apply directly to these programs.
Some programs (such as CUSMA) do not require Mexican and United States citizens to obtain a temporary visa to enter Canada, so work permit applications may be processed at the port of entry.
When applying, candidates should be clear about the program they want to apply for, that they have all the required documents, and that they are eligible for the program.
Which immigration programs are workers working under the FTA program covered?
Once workers gain work experience in Canada under the FTA program, they are eligible for a number of PR programs if they wish to pursue PR in Canada. These include:
Economic migration is a major goal of the Canadian government for the next few years. Canada will welcome over 431,000 new permanent residents in 2022 alone under its economic class immigration program. To meet ongoing market and labor demand.
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