Business visitors do not require a work permit. To be eligible as a business visitor you must be someone who is coming to Canada for:
- for international business activities;
- without directly entering the Canadian labour market; and
- prove that their main source of income and their main place of business are outside Canada.
Some 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
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 such as NAFTA, FTAs, GATS.