The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU will eliminate or reduce many trade barriers and increase Canada-EU market access. One of the projected impacts of CETA is the enhanced mobility of business people to work temporarily across Canada-EU borders, in particular for short-term business visitors, investors, professionals, technologists and intra-company transferees.
Though CETA has not yet been ratified by all parties, most of the agreement, including the section on labour mobility may come into force provisionally in 2017, as soon as the necessary regulatory changes are made by the Canadian government.
A CETA intra-company transferee is a person who has been employed by a EU-based enterprise or has been partners in a EU enterprise for at least one year and who is temporarily transferred to a subsidiary, branch, or head company of the enterprise in Canada. This natural person must belong to one of three categories:

1. senior personnel
2. specialists, or
3. graduate trainees

CETA provides that Canada is to allow the temporary employment of intra-corporate transferees from the EU without limitations on the total number of EU key personnel allowed temporary entry.

The permissible length of stay of intra-company transferees is :

1. for specialists and senior personnel: the lesser of three years or the length of the contract, with a possible extension of up to 18 months;
2. for graduate trainees: the lesser of one year or the length of the contract;

Please do not hesitate to contact us for additional information regarding CETA Intra-Company Transferees. We will publish information as it becomes available.