Apply for Canada-Peru FTA Work Permit
The Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (Canada-Peru FTA) simplifies entry of qualified persons to Canada through so called ‘Canada-Peru FTA Work Permit.’
Under certain conditions, Canadian employers may hire citizens and permanent residents of Peru without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This significantly shortens the application process.
How Can Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement Help My Business?
Similar to most of Canada’s free trade agreements, the Canada-Peru FTA is modeled on the NAFTA agreement. Consequently, there are four main groups of persons who are eligible to apply:
- Business Visitors
- Professionals/Technicians
- Intra-Company Transferees
- Trades/Investors
Canadian employers may hire citizens and permanent residents of Peru primarily through the Professional/Technician and Intra-Company Transferee categories. Although similar to NAFTA, there are some important differences. Continue reading for Canada-Peru specific requirements and then refer to the NAFTA agreement for the general requirements.
Professionals and Technicians
In order to qualify, professionals and technicians from Peru must seek a pre-arranged employment in Canada. In other words, applicants must have an employment offer from a Canadian employer to qualify.
As for the nature of the employment, one options is to become salaried employees of a Canadian company. Alternatively, a contract must be signed with the professional’s/technician’s employer in Peru, on whose behalf the person will provide services to the company in Canada.
Criteria for Professionals:
- a professional is a person who is engaged in a specialty occupation.
- a specialty occupation is an occupation that falls within the National Occupation Classification (NOC) levels 0 and A.
- the professional meets requirements as defined in the NOC.
- the occupation is not on the list of disallowed occupations (Negative List).
Criteria for Technicians:
- a technician is a person whose occupation is included in the list (Positive List)
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Negative List - Professionals Not Covered
All Health, Education, and Social Services occupations and related occupations:
- Managers in Health, Education, Social & Community Services
- Physicians, Dentists, Optometrists, Chiropractors, Other Health Professions
- Pharmacists, Dietitians & Nutritionists
- Therapy & Assessment Professionals
- Nurse Supervisors & Registered Nurses
- Psychologists/Social Workers
- University Professors & Assistants
- College & Other Vocational Instructors
- Secondary/Elementary School Teachers & Counsellors
All Professional occupations related to Cultural Industries, including:
- Managers in Libraries, Archives, Museums and Art Galleries
- Managers in Publishing, Motion Pictures, Broadcasting and Performing Arts
- Pharmacists, Dietitians & Nutritionists
Other Professional occupations
- Recreation, Sports and Fitness Program and Service Directors
- Managers in Telecommunication Carriers
- Managers in Postal and Courier Services
- Managers in Manufacturing
- Managers in Utilities
- Managers in Construction and Transportation
- Judges, Lawyers and Notaries except Foreign Legal Consultants
Positive List - Technicians that are covered
Positive List - Technicians that are covered
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Technologists and Technicians
- Construction Inspectors and Estimators
- Electrical and Electronics engineering Technologists and Technicians (includes electronic service technicians)
- Electricians (includes industrial electricians)
- Plumbers
- Industrial Instrument Technicians and Mechanics
- Aircraft Instrument, Electrical and Avionics Mechanics, Technicians and Inspectors
- Underground Production and Development Miners
- Oil and Gas Well Drillers, Servicers and Testers
- Graphic Designers and Illustrators
- Interior Designers
- Chefs
- Computer and Information System Technicians
- International Purchasing and Selling Agents
Supervisors in the following:
- Machinists and Related Technicians that are covered Occupations
- Printing and Related Occupations
- Mining and Quarrying
- Oil and Gas Drilling and Service
- Mineral and Metal Processing
- Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities
- Food, Beverage and Tobacco Processing
- Plastic and Rubber Products Manufacturing
- Forest Products Processing
- Textile Processing
Contractors and Supervisors in the following:
- Electrical Trades and Telecommunications Occupations
- Pipefitting Trades
- Metal Forming
- Shaping and Erecting Trades
- Carpentry Trades
- Mechanic Trades
- Heavy Construction Equipment Crews
- Other Construction Trades
- Installers, Repairers and Servicers
- Machinists and Related Technicians that are covered Occupations
Intra-Company Transferees
In order to qualify for Canada-Peru FTA work permit as an intra-company transferee, the applicant must be employed by a Peruvian company and be transferring to a Canadian company that have a parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate relationship to its Peruvian counterpart.
The Peruvian applicant must be employed continuously by the company in Peru for six months (as opposed to one year for NAFTA) within the three-year period immediately preceding the date of application for admission.
Furthermore, the applicant must be employed in an executive or managerial position or one involving “specialized knowledge.” Compared to NAFTA, the Canada-Peru FTA expands the intra-company transferee category to include ‘Management Trainee on Professional Development.’
Management Trainee on Professional Development
Management trainee on professional development must be an employee of a Peruvian company. He or she must hold a post-secondary degree and intend to take a temporary work assignment to gain knowledge and experience in a Canadian company in preparation for a senior leadership position within the Peruvian company.