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What is a business visitor?

A business visitor is someone who comes to Canada:

  • for international business activities
  • without directly entering the Canadian labour market

Examples of this include someone who comes to Canada:

  • to meet people from companies doing business with their country
  • to observe site visits
  • because a Canadian company invited them for training in:
    • product use
    • sales
    • other business transaction functions

They don’t need a work permit to come to Canada.

Business visitors must prove that their main source of income and their main place of business are outside Canada.

You aren’t considered a business visitor, and may need to get a work permit, if you’re doing work for a Canadian company. For example, you’re an employee sent by a foreign company to fulfill a contract with a Canadian company.

Business visitors and business people are not the same. Business people come to do work in Canada under a free trade agreement. Learn more about business people.

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