Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement – R204(a) – Agreements and arrangements – International Mobility Program

This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.

Important: The LMIA exemption code associated with this work permit category has changed. Please see Labour market impact assessment (LMIA) exemption codes – International Mobility Program for the correct codes

The Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was signed in 2008 and became effective August 1, 2009. Chapter 12 of the Agreement entitled Temporary Entry for Business Persons is modeled on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) but contains some differences, which are highlighted below.

These differences include:

1) Permanent residents

The inclusion of the permanent residents (not only citizens) of each country in the Canada-Peru FTA is different from the NAFTA (see section 1.6). Therefore, proof of permanent resident status is also an accepted document for presentation in support of an application.

2) Business visitors (see sections 2.2, 2.6 and 2.7)

• the addition of “Meetings and Consultations” to the categories of Business Visitors;
• the inclusion of after-lease servicing in addition to after-sales servicing; and
• under General Service, the addition of:
  • cook personnel (cooks and assistants) attending or participating in gastronomic events or exhibitions, or consulting with business associates;
  • information and communication technology service providers attending meetings, seminars or conferences, or engaged in consultations with business associates; and
  • franchise traders and developers who seek to offer their services.

  3) Intra-company transferees (see section 4):

  • employed continuously by the enterprise for six months (versus one year for NAFTA) within the three-year period immediately preceding the date of application for admission; and
  • the intra-company transferees category has expanded to include a new category of “management trainee on professional development”, meaning an employee with a post-secondary degree who is on a temporary work assignment intended to broaden that employee’s knowledge of and experience in a company in preparation for a senior leadership position within the company.

  4) Professionals and Technicians (see section 3.2):

  • professionals are listed using a negative list, meaning that all professionals that meet the general definition of professionals are covered, except for the professionals included in the list in the chart below.
    Note:
    
    • Professional means a national of a Party who is engaged in a specialty occupation.
    • A professional specialty occupation shall mean an occupation which falls within the Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) categories 0 and 1 under the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
    • These requirements shall be those defined in the NOC.

    Professionals – NOT covered

    All Health, Education, and Social Services occupations and related occupations:

    • Managers in Health/Education/Social & Community Services
    • Physicians/Dentists/Optometrists/Chiropractors/Other Health Professions
    • Pharmacists, Dietitians & Nutritionists
    • Therapy & Assessment Professionals
    • Nurse Supervisors & Registered Nurses
    • Psychologists/Social Workers
    • University Professors & Assistants
    • College & Other Vocational Instructors
    • Secondary/Elementary School Teachers & Counsellors

    All Professional occupations related to Cultural Industries, including:

    • Managers in Libraries, Archives, Museums and Art Galleries
    • Managers in Publishing, Motion Pictures, Broadcasting and Performing Arts
    • Creative & Performing Artists

    Other Professional occupations

    • Recreation, Sports and Fitness Program and Service Directors
    • Managers in Telecommunication Carriers
    • Managers in Postal and Courier Services
    • Managers in Manufacturing
    • Managers in Utilities
    • Managers in Construction and Transportation
    • Judges, Lawyers and Notaries except Foreign Legal Consultants

    Technicians that are covered

    • Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
    • Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
    • Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Technologists and Technicians
    • Construction Inspectors and Estimators
    • Engineering Inspectors, Testers and Regulatory Officers
    • Electrical and Electronics engineering Technologists and Technicians (includes electronic service technicians)
    • Electricians (includes industrial electricians)
    • Plumbers
    • Industrial Instrument Technicians and Mechanics
    • Aircraft Instrument, Electrical and Avionics Mechanics, Technicians and Inspectors
    • Underground Production and Development Miners
    • Oil and Gas Well Drillers, Servicers and Testers
    • Graphic Designers and Illustrators
    • Interior Designers
    • Chefs
    • Computer and Information System Technicians
    • International Purchasing and Selling Agents

    Supervisors in the following:

    • Machinists and Related Technicians that are covered Occupations
    • Printing and Related Occupations
    • Mining and Quarrying
    • Oil and Gas Drilling and Service
    • Mineral and Metal Processing
    • Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities
    • Food, Beverage and Tobacco Processing,
    • Plastic and Rubber Products Manufacturing
    • Forest Products Processing
    • Textile Processing

    Contractors and Supervisors in the following:

    • Electrical Trades and Telecommunications Occupations
    • Pipefitting Trades
    • Metal Forming
    • Shaping and Erecting Trades
    • Carpentry Trades
    • Mechanic Trades
    • Heavy Construction Equipment Crews
    • Other Construction Trades
    • Installers, Repairers and Servicers