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.