General Agreement on Trade in Services
If a foreign national is a citizen of a member nation and they are a professional, they may be eligible for a work permit under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).
There are currently 164 member nations, including the following:
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain, Kingdom of
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei Darussalam
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Congo
- Costa Rica
- Cŏte d’Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- European Union
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong, China
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Korea, Republic of
- Kuwait, the State of
- Kyrgyz Republic
- Lao People’s Democratic Republic
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao, China
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Moldova, Republic of
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and Grenadines
- Samoa
- Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Solomon Island
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Chinese Taipei
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
To qualify for a work permit as a professional under GATS, a foreign national must demonstrate that they:
- Are a citizen of a member nation or the right of permanent residence in Australia and / or New Zealand;
- Will be delivering a service pursuant to a signed contract between a consumer in Canada and a service provider in a member nation;
- Will be working in an eligible occupation;
- Possess the professional qualifications to work in the aforementioned occupation;
- Have had their qualifications recognized by the relevant professional association in Canada (if required); and
- Are not providing a service in the education, health services, or recreational, cultural and sports sectors.
The eligible occupations are as follows:
- Agrologists
- Architects
- Engineers
- Foreign Legal Consultants
- Forestry Professionals
- Geomatics Professionals
- Land Surveyors
- Senior Computer Specialists
- Urban Planners
If a foreign national is applying for a work permit as a Foreign Legal Consultant, Urban Planner, or Senior Computer Specialist, the foreign service provider must not have a commercial presence in Canada and the consumer in Canada must be engaged in substantive business. Further, the Canadian company must not be a personnel placement or personnel supply agency.
If a foreign national does not require a temporary resident visa (TRV) to enter Canada, they may apply for a work permit at a Canadian port-of-entry (e.g. international airport, land crossing, etc.). However, if a foreign national does require a TRV to enter Canada, they must apply for a TRV and work permit at a Canadian visa office abroad prior to travelling to Canada.
A professional may be issued a work permit which is valid for up to 90 consecutive days within a 12 month period.