The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is an agreement that was signed by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, creating a North American trilateral trade bloc.
What is NAFTA?
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is an agreement that was signed by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, creating a North American trilateral trade bloc. The agreement came into effect on the 1st of January, 1994, superseding the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement. There have been 2 supplements to NAFTA over the years, namely the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) and the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC).
NAFTA has many provisions, including provisions touching on labour movement across the 3 countries. In Canada, U.S. and Mexican workers need a NAFTA work permit, which is the equivalent of the TN work permit in the U.S. Under the conditions of the agreement, no Labour Market Impact Assessment LMIA is required when hiring applications from partner countries.
Once you get a NAFTA permit, you can simply present yourself at the border, prove you are a citizen of either the U.S. or Mexico, prove that the job offer qualifies under NAFTA categories, and prove you meet other prescribed qualifications.
How we assist you to get a NAFTA Work Permit
There are about 60 categories of NAFTA professionals ranging from zoologists to accountants. The most popular professions that can move across the 3 countries under the agreement are system analysis, engineers, university teachers, dentists, software engineers, and registered nurses.
The general groups of people who can get NAFTA work permits are:
- Business visitors
- Intra-company transferees
- Traders and investors
- Professionals
Once you are issued with a NAFTA work permit, it will be valid for up to 3 years. If you require an extension, we will assist you with the application. Note there is no limit on the number of extensions you can get.
Your spouse can apply for an open work permit as you are applying if you are the principal NAFTA worker. Our NAFTA work permit consultant will assist your spouse with this application. Note that the work permit allows you to bring in your spouse and children.