US Workers Find Easier Path to Move to Canada
Who qualifies under CUSMA?
If you’re an American citizen thinking about working in Canada, you’ve got some significant advantages thanks to the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). That’s what Canada calls the USMCA free trade agreement, and it makes moving north for work considerably easier for certain professionals.
The biggest advantage? You can skip the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which is typically a major roadblock that delays the process for most foreign workers coming to Canada. For eligible U.S. citizens in specific business categories, this exemption speeds things up dramatically.
Keep in mind that CUSMA facilitation only applies to actual U.S. and Mexican citizens, not permanent residents. The agreement covers four main types of workers: professionals, intra-company transferees, traders, and investors.
Basic requirements for everyone
Before getting into the specific categories, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) expects all CUSMA applicants to meet some baseline requirements for any temporary resident or work permit. You’ll need to show that you’ll leave Canada when your work permit expires, and that you have enough money to support yourself and any family members coming with you.
You also need to stay on the right side of the law, meaning no serious criminal history and no security risks. IRCC may require a medical exam to confirm you’re in good health, and you can’t plan to work for an ineligible employer. You’ll need to provide whatever documents the officers request.
Something that sets CUSMA apart is that these categories are explicitly allowed to apply from inside Canada if other conditions are met. Certain visa-exempt travelers can even apply directly at a port of entry when they’re eligible.
The professional category
IRCC describes the professional category as professional-level work in occupations specifically listed in CUSMA’s appendix. This falls under the International Mobility Program (IMP).
To qualify, you need to be a U.S. or Mexican citizen working in an occupation that appears on the CUSMA professional list. You must be qualified for your profession through the appropriate degree or certification in a related educational program, and you need pre-arranged employment with a Canadian employer.
Your employer has some responsibilities too. They need to submit an offer of employment through the ESDC Employer Portal, pay the $230 employer compliance fee, and provide you with the offer of employment number.
General professionals covered
The list includes accountants, architects, computer systems analysts, disaster relief insurance claims adjusters, economists, engineers, foresters, graphic designers, hotel managers, industrial designers, interior designers, land surveyors, landscape architects, lawyers (including notaries in Quebec), librarians, management consultants, mathematicians (including statisticians and actuaries), range managers and conservationists, research assistants working in post-secondary institutions, scientific technicians and technologists, social workers, silviculturists (including forestry specialists), technical publications writers, urban planners (including geographers), and vocational counsellors.
Medical and allied professionals
Medical professionals who qualify include dentists, dietitians, medical laboratory technologists, nutritionists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physicians (for teaching or research only), physiotherapists and physical therapists, psychologists, recreational therapists, registered nurses, and veterinarians.
Scientists
The scientist category covers agriculturists (including agronomists), animal breeders, animal scientists, apiculturists, astronomers, biochemists, biologists (including plant pathologists), chemists, dairy scientists, entomologists, epidemiologists, geneticists, geologists, geochemists, geophysicists, horticulturists, meteorologists, pharmacologists, physicists (including oceanographers), plant breeders, poultry scientists, soil scientists, and zoologists.
Teachers
Teachers who qualify are instructors at colleges, seminaries, and universities.
Work permits for professionals under CUSMA are typically valid for up to three years, and you can usually extend them for additional three-year periods.
Intra-company transferees
The ICT category is for U.S. or Mexican citizens being transferred to a related Canadian entity from their American or Mexican employer. The company must be multinational and actively doing business in Canada.
You need to be a U.S. or Mexican citizen in an executive, managerial, or specialized knowledge role. You must be transferring to a Canadian enterprise that has a qualifying relationship with the foreign enterprise, and you need to have been employed continuously for at least one year full-time in the last three years before applying.
Work permits for ICTs under CUSMA generally last up to three years. You can get extensions up to two years at a time, but there are maximum limits. If you have specialized knowledge, the total maximum is five years. For managers and executives, it’s seven years.
Traders
Traders carry on substantial trade in goods or services between Canada and the U.S. or Mexico.
To qualify as a trader, you need to be a U.S. or Mexican citizen, and the employing enterprise must have U.S. or Mexican nationality. Your activities need to involve substantial trade, principally with the U.S. or Mexico. Your role should be supervisory or executive, or involve essential skills. You’ll also need to complete form IMM 5321 (the Trader/Investor form).
Work permits for traders under CUSMA are normally limited to one year, with extensions up to two years.
Investors
Investors are looking to establish, develop, or administer an investment with substantial capital, or provide key advice and technical services.
As an investor, you need to be a U.S. or Mexican citizen who has made, or is actively making, a substantial investment in Canada. You need an offer of employment submitted through the Employer Portal or an authorized alternate means from a Canadian enterprise with significant U.S. or Mexican ownership. Your duties should be solely to develop and direct the enterprise, and your role should be executive, supervisory, or involve essential skills. Like traders, you need to complete form IMM 5321.
Work permits for investors are commonly issued for one year, with extensions up to two years possible.
Where and how to apply
Since U.S. citizens are visa-exempt to Canada, IRCC notes that you can apply at a port of entry if you meet eligibility requirements. Keep in mind that entry for foreign nationals is ultimately determined by the reviewing immigration officer’s judgment, so entry isn’t guaranteed.
If you’re already in Canada, you should know that IRCC has tightened rules around applying at a port of entry for people already in the country. This includes limits on “flagpoling” for immigration services.
Many employers and applicants choose to apply online anyway, especially for regulated professions or complex corporate structures. This allows the package to be reviewed in a more controlled way.
Bringing your family to Canada
Spousal open work permits
CUSMA is a trade agreement designed to facilitate the entry of principal workers to Canada, but spouses and common-law partners may be eligible for an open work permit (OWP) under IRCC policy, depending on the worker’s situation and occupation.
Open work permits are valuable because they allow holders to work for most employers in most industries. They’re not tied to any one employer or occupation, giving foreign workers much more freedom in Canada’s labour market.
Under IRCC’s current rules for spouses and common-law partners of high-skilled workers not on specific PR pathways, the principal worker needs to hold a valid work permit or approval (or be authorized to work without a permit in some cases). They must have work authorization valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives the spouse’s OWP application. The principal worker must be living or planning to live in Canada while working, and must be employed in TEER 0 or 1, or certain eligible TEER 2 or 3 occupations.
The Training Education Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) framework is part of Canada’s National Occupation Classification (NOC) system and is used to assess the level of occupations. TEER 0 represents the highest level (managerial roles) and TEER 5 represents the lowest skilled positions.
Under CUSMA, spouses also have their own requirements to meet. They must meet the standard eligibility criteria for a work permit and be in a genuine relationship with the CUSMA work permit holder. If they’re in Canada, they must be holding valid temporary resident status, in Canada on maintained status, or eligible to restore their status as a visitor, worker, or student.
If you or your spouse don’t meet these conditions, your spouse won’t qualify and will need to pursue another work permit option.
Children and schooling
Minor children can study at preschool, primary, or secondary levels without a study permit in certain situations. This includes when they’re in Canada accompanied by a parent who is authorized to work or study in Canada.
If you obtain a work permit through CUSMA, your child will be able to study without needing a study permit as long as they’re under the age of majority. Children who are over this age and looking to begin post-secondary studies in Canada must seek a study permit to do so.
IRCC notes that provinces and territories set the age of majority.
Using CUSMA experience as a stepping stone to permanent residence
A CUSMA work permit is temporary, but it can be strategically powerful. Canadian skilled work experience is highly valued in Canada’s permanent residence programs. It’s often greatly rewarded and frequently serves as an essential prerequisite.
Two key examples of PR pathways that CUSMA work permit holders can pursue are Express Entry programs and immigration programs under the relevant Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Express Entry and the Canadian Experience Class
Express Entry is Canada’s main PR pathway for skilled workers looking to settle permanently in the country. Candidates submit profiles that are assessed and scored using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). You receive a score based on this criteria and must wait until you’re “drawn” in a selection with a cutoff score below your own to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for PR.
The primary program under Express Entry for candidates with Canadian work experience is the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), which IRCC has indicated is a priority program in 2026.
IRCC’s CEC skilled work experience requirements include work in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3, gained in Canada while authorized to work. It must be paid work, not volunteer or unpaid internship positions. You need at least one year or 1,560 hours in the three years before applying.
Based on their own entry requirements, including previous work experience in the U.S., and their ability to extend their stay in Canada, CUSMA work permit holders can qualify for this program quickly and can score highly under the CRS.
In the CRS, Canadian work experience can contribute meaningful points. You can earn up to 70 or 80 points for Canadian work experience in the core human capital section, depending on whether you have a spouse or partner included in your application.
Provincial Nominee Programs
Every province and territory in Canada except for Nunavut and Quebec runs its own PNP. These encompass specific streams and pathways aimed at nominating newcomers to their province who meet their labour market and immigration goals.
If you’re working in Canada on a CUSMA work permit, building recent, in-province work experience and often maintaining an ongoing job with a local employer can put you in a strong position for that province or territory’s PNP streams. These programs are often designed specifically to select candidates who have work experience in their region.
If a province or territory nominates you, you can use this nomination to directly apply to IRCC for permanent residence.
For Express Entry-aligned nominations (also called “enhanced” nominations), IRCC notes you’ll receive 600 additional CRS points. This can significantly improve your chances of being invited to apply for PR.
A core part of PNP is intent to reside. You apply to the province or territory where you want to settle, and provinces consider whether you really plan to live there. In the Express Entry PNP process, you must check the requirements for the province where you want to live and work.
