News Star newspaper

Going to Canada on business visit

Sesan Adetunbi
It is known worldwide that Nigerians are business-oriented and they are always on the look out for business opportunities outside the shores of the country. They are among the several hundreds of thousands who visit Canada annually for business purposes. While the number of Nigerian visitors to Canada increases, there are more who find it increasingly difficult to procure visa to engage in the many business opportunities that abound over there. Many businessmen and women, including students are having their hopes dashed almost on a daily basis because they have not been able to convince the Canadian authorities in Nigeria that they are qualified to enter their country to pursue their dreams. For those who are eager to go to Canada on a business visit there are some things you need to know so that your passage can be smooth. The authorities will want to know if you really know why you want to visit their country. You should be able to define who a business visitor is. A business visitor is someone who goes to Canada (or any other country) to engage in international business activities without directly entering the Canadian labour market. Anyone who goes to Canada to meet with representatives of companies doing business with their country would be considered a business visitor. A person invited to Canada by a Canadian company for training in product use, sales or other functions related to business transaction would also be included. Business visitors must prove that their main source of income and their main place of business are outside Canada. As a Nigerian, you are qualified to apply as a business visitor if you plan to visit Canada temporarily to look for new business opportunities, to invest or to advance existing business relationships. You have to apply for a temporary resident visa just like any other visitor to Canada. There is no separate application or special visa for business visitors. Business visitors usually stay in Canada for a few days or a few weeks. To be considered a business visitor, you must show that you intend to stay for less than six months and do not plan to enter the Canadian labour market, your main place of business and source of income is located outside Canada, profits from your business will accrue outside Canada, you can provide documents that support your application and you meet Canada’s basic entry requirements such as having a valid traveling document, having enough money for your stay and to return home, planning to leave Canada at the end of your visit, and posing no criminal, security or health risks to Canadians.
Cross-border business can also include activities like buying Canadian goods or services for a foreign business or government, taking orders for goods or services, attending meetings, conferences, conventions or trade fairs, providing after-sales service ( mainly supervision, not hands-on labour ), being trained by a Canadian parent company you work for outside Canada, training employees of a Canadian subsidiary of a foreign company, or being trained by a Canadian company that has sold you equipments or services.
If you plan to stay longer than six months or intend to work in Canada, you may be considered as a temporary worker and you will have to apply for a work permit. If you need a temporary resident visa, as a business visitor, you must submit certain documents when applying, like, a letter of invitation from your potential business partner in Canada and a 24-hour contact detail of that person. You will also need identification cards or proof of employment. If your visa is granted and you get to Canada, you will be greeted by an officer of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The CBSA is responsible for protecting the borders and points of entry to Canada. The CBSA officer will ask you the purpose of your visit and confirm that you meet the requirements for admission to Canada. You will not be allowed into Canada if you give false or incomplete information, if you do not satisfy the officer that you are eligible for entry into Canada. You will also have to satisfy the officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your authorized stay there.
When you get to Canada, you may want to change the conditions of your visit. It is possible in special cases. Most visitors are allowed to stay in Canada for no more than six months but, in some cases, they can stay longer. The date that you must leave Canada will be stamped in your passport. If you have a study or a work permit, the same expiry date will also be stamped in it. If you decide you want to stay longer, you can apply for an extension. You must send your application to extend your stay at least 30 days before your Temporary Resident Visa expires. If you stay longer than allowed by your visa, you will lose your temporary resident status and would be asked to leave.
You may also want to stay in Canada as a permanent resident, but you must leave the country and apply from Nigeria. You can apply to become a permanent resident from inside Canada if you are a refugee or a protected person, a spouse or common-law partner of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, a live-in care giver, or you hold a valid Temporary Residence Permit.
There are no special visas for business visitors. Every temporary resident, except people from countries exempted by Canadian law, must get a temporary resident visa before entering into Canada. If you have a temporary resident visa that you used for a recent business visit to Canada, you can use it for holidays there if it is a multiple-entry visa, and the visa has not expired. Also, you can use your multiple-entry visa which you have used for some other purposes, to travel for business, if you have documents that support your business visit to Canada. A business visitor who wants to work in Canada will need a work permit.