Canadian Immigration Xperts

Professionals

A professional is described as a business person who is seeking to engage in a business activity at a professional level in one of the many listed professions under the NAFTA provision. These include accountants, engineers, etc. Applicants of this category are not subject to the job validation process of the HRDSC but they do however require an work permit.

Qualifications

To qualify as a professional under NAFTA, the foreign worker must meet certain requirements.

Firstly, he or she must be seeking to work in one of the listed occupations by NAFTA.

Secondly, he or she must be qualified to work in that occupation with the necessary education requirements and other alternative credentials.

Thirdly, he or she must have a pre-arranged employment with a Canadian enterprise that matches the qualifications the individual possesses.

Immigration Documents and Length of Stay

If granted approval on your application, there is no set time limit on your stay in Canada as a professional. The temporary entry may be extended as long as the applicant can demonstrate that his or her stay is indeed going to remain temporary.

The only immigration document issued to the professional worker is an work permit. This is issued at the port of entry and can have a maximum length of one year. Extensions can be applied for in one year increments and their approval is at the discretion of an immigration officer.