NAFTA Professional Work Permits

Canada Work Permits | Temporary Residence Canada

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) allows qualified American and Mexican professionals to work in Canada. In order to qualify for this work permit, the foreign worker must

• be a citizen of Mexico or the US;
• be entering Canada to privide pre-arranged professional services in an occupation identified in the NAFTA; and
• have the necessary education and/or experience for the position, as stipulated in the NAFTA.

In many cases, this work permit can be applied for directly at the port-of-entry and is now available for up to three years at a time!

Please note that only US and Mexican Citizens are allowed to apply under this category; it is not available to permanent residents or green card holders.

Is a NAFTA Professional Work Permit Right for You?

Qualifying American and Mexican citizens are encouraged to utilize the NAFTA Professional work permit category when possible. It can often be applied for and obtained directly at the port-of-entry and is valid for up to three years at a time.

That being said, the NAFTA Professional work permit has very precise eligibility requirements and must be well presented in order to be successful. At the Bomza Law Group, we have helped many NAFTA Professional applicants successfully obtain Canadian work permits under this category. If you have a job offer with a Canadian company and are an American or Mexican citizen, we invite you to contact the Canadian immigration lawyers at the Bomza Law Group at 1-800-993-9971 or by clicking on the “Contact Us” button, to determine your best mode of entry and to learn how we can help you achieve your goals.

List of NAFTA Professions

Qualifying professions are outlined in the NAFTA at Appendix 1603.D.1. They are as follows:

General Professionals

• Accountant
• Architect
• Computer Systems Analyst
• Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster
• Economist
• Engineer
• Forester
• Graphic Designer
• Hotel Manager
• Industrial Designer
• Interior Designer
• Land Surveyor
• Landscape Architect
• Lawyer (including Notary in the Province of Quebec)
• Librarian
• Management Consultant
• Mathematician (including Statistician)
• Range Manager/Range Conservationalist
• Research Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution)
• Scientific Technician/Technologist
• Social Worker
• Sylviculturist (including Forestry Specialist)
• Technical Publications Writer
• Urban Planner (including Geographer)
• Vocational Counsellor

Scientists

• Agriculturist (including Agronomist)
• Animal Breeder
• Animal Scientist
• Apiculturist
• Astronomer
• Biochemist
• Biologist
• Chemist
• Dairy Scientist
• Entomologist
• Epidemiologist
• Geneticist
• Geologist
• Geochemist
• Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United States)
• Horticulturist
• Meteorologist
• Pharmacologist
• Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada)
• Plant Breeder
• Poultry Scientist
• Soil Scientist
• Zoologist

Medical/Allied Professionals

• Dentist
• Dietician
• Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada)/Medical Technologist (Mexico and the United States)
• Nutritionist
• Occupational Therapist
• Pharmacist
• Physician (teaching or research only)
• Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist
• Psychologist
• Recreational Therapist
• Registered Nurse
• Veterinarian

Teachers

• College
• Seminary
• University