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CANADA-KOREA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

The Canadian FTA work permit

If your occupation is one of those designated under the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA), you can obtain a work permit for Canada quickly and without an LMIA.

LMIA
Not required
Language test
None
Minimum investment
None
Spouse
Open work permit

What is the FTA work permit (Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement)?

If your occupation is one of those designated under the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA), you can obtain a work permit for Canada quickly and without an LMIA.

Your spouse is also eligible for an open work permit, and your children can attend public school free of charge.

CATEGORIES

FTA work permit categories

  • TYPE 1

    Independent Professionals

    Freelancers or self-employed professionals who contract directly with a Canadian client and perform the work in Canada.

  • TYPE 2

    Contract Service Supplier

    A Korean employer signs a contract with a Canadian company and sends an employee to Canada to carry out the work under that contract.

Eligible occupations — only those designated for each category qualify

  • Management consultant
  • Accountant
  • Architect
  • Computer programmer & developer
  • Software engineer & designer

ELIGIBILITY

FTA work permit eligibility

The FTA categories are open only to citizens of the Republic of Korea.

  1. 01

    Meets the requirements of the occupation

    You must hold the qualifications or certification the occupation requires, and be able to evidence relevant experience and expertise.

  2. 02

    A job offer from a Canadian employer

    Before entering Canada you must submit a job offer setting out the working conditions, duties and salary.

  3. 03

    No language test required

    Business-level English is still needed in practice.

  4. 04

    No minimum investment

BENEFITS

Advantages of the Canadian FTA work permit

  • LMIA exempt

    You can apply without a Labour Market Impact Assessment, which keeps the process simple.

  • Fast work permit issuance

    Processing is shorter than for an LMIA-based permit, so you can enter Canada sooner.

  • Family benefits

    Free Canadian health coverage. Your spouse receives an open work permit and can work freely, and children under 18 attend public school at no cost.

  • A path to permanent residence

    Canadian work experience opens the door to several permanent residence programs, which helps if you plan to settle long term.

OUR PROCESS

How SP Consulting handles your FTA work permit

One-stop service from checking your occupation against the FTA list through to permanent residence

  1. 1

    Coordinated support from our Canadian head office and our Gangnam branch

  2. 2

    Full handling of the process, from employer portal registration to filing the application

  3. 3

    Spouse and dependent applications filed alongside yours

  4. 4

    Support with tax registration and payroll set-up for the Canadian entity

  5. 5

    Dedicated case management, from permit extensions to your permanent residence strategy

A happier move to Canada, made together with SP Consulting.

Ask us anything about immigrating to Canada. We treat every client’s move as if it were our own.

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