Business travel to Canada has become increasingly difficult in recent years, with greater enforcement of work authorization by border officials and the introduction of new entry requirements for visa-exempt foreign nationals. Now more than ever, it is important for business travelers to plan in advance to make sure they are traveling to Canada with the appropriate visa authorizations and supporting documentation. If a business traveler arrives in Canada without the appropriate paperwork, the border official may deny entry and send the traveler back to the origin country, resulting in major headaches for both travelers and businesses, and potential restrictions on future travel. Further, with changes to the employer-sponsored work permit application process, it is no longer possible for a border official to process an employer-sponsored work permit at the border unless the employer has already submitted an online form and fee in support of the work permit application. As such, advanced planning and preparation are now critical components of business travel when a work permit is required to authorize activities in Canada.

Foreign nationals that enter Canada to engage in business activities may be eligible to enter as a business visitor, meaning that a work permit is not required to authorize business activities in Canada. However, entering as a business visitor has become significantly more difficult in recent years, and travelers are now subject to more scrutiny by Canadian border officials, regardless of the duration of their visit to Canada. The most important factor when determining whether an individual can enter as a business visitor is the activities that the individual will be performing while in Canada. In other words, an individual may require a work permit even if entering Canada for less than a day. If a business is sending one of its employees to Canada as a business visitor, it should ensure the traveler carries the appropriate documentation to demonstrate the nature of their activities in Canada. This may be in the form of an invitation letter from the Canadian business or an employer support letter from the foreign employer.

Generally, a business visitor's remuneration and principal place of employment, as well as the employer's principal place of business and accrual of profits, must remain outside Canada. There cannot be an intention to enter the Canadian labor market (i.e., no gainful employment in Canada), and the business visitor's activities must be international in scope. Most often, business visitor activities fall within the areas of research, design, growth, manufacturing, production, marketing, sales, distribution, and both general and after-sales services. Attending business or board meetings, conventions or conferences and negotiating contracts are common reasons for business entry. Border officials have enormous discretion when evaluating whether an individual qualifies for entry as a business visitor, so it is important for the traveler to carry supporting documentation to justify the purpose of their trip to Canada.

Once in Canada, business visitors may be able to submit an inland application to extend their stay in Canada as a business visitor, but cannot apply to change the conditions of their stay to foreign worker status. Generally, business visitors are permitted to enter Canada for up to six months at a time. However, the authorized length of stay may be more or less depending on the nature of the activities and the supporting documentation.

When the Global Skills Strategy (GSS) was introduced in the summer of 2017, another option for business travel became available in certain circumstances. Some individuals who are entering Canada to perform highly skilled, hands-on work for a very short period of time may be eligible for one of the work permit exemption categories under the GSS. Qualifying individuals must be working in a highly skilled position, and they must be seeking to enter Canada to work for a maximum of either 15 consecutive days within a six-month period, or 30 consecutive days within a 12-month period. Some eligible researchers may also qualify for a work permit exemption that would enable them to enter Canada for a period of 120 consecutive days within a 12-month period, depending on where their research is performed.

In Canada, a visa is an entry document called a temporary resident visa (TRV), which facilitates a traveler's entry into Canada. This is different from a status document, like a work permit or study permit. Not all travelers require a TRV to travel to Canada; some are visa-exempt and are not required to apply for a TRV before traveling to Canada. Visa-exempt travelers, with the exception of American passport holders, are still required to apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) before traveling to Canada. An eTA can be applied for online and is usually processed within minutes, and it will be electronically linked to the traveler's passport. US Green Card holders are also considered to be visa-exempt, but unlike American passport holders, they must have an eTA to enter Canada.

Foreign nationals traveling with a passport from one of the countries below are visa-exempt:

• *Citizens of these countries are eligible for an eTA if they've held a valid TRV within the past 10 months or if they currently hold a valid US nonimmigrant visa