Hello,

I am a US citizen looking to transfer my position to an office in Ontario. I work in a specialized high-tech job (database administration), and have held this position for 13 years. I have worked for my employer for 16 years. My employer is ok with this transfer and will allow me to migrate and perform my current job there, but I am not sure at this time if I will be responsible for seeking a work permit on my own. This transfer date is tentatively eight weeks from now.

I read on this site that under NAFTA, an intra-company transfer is a valid reason to obtain a work permit. I should also qualify for a skilled worker visa according to questionnaires I have filled out on similar sites. Can anyone advise me how to proceed?

Also, once I am in Canada to legally work, I plan to marry my fiancée, a Canadian citizen. Will this help me in any way?

With this all as background, what is the best way to proceed? Where should I begin?

-Brian

Pursuing the work permit first would be advisable. At best, a permanent resident case will take 6 months to complete, assuming eligibility, whereas the work permit could be concluded within as little as one day depending on the case. Once in Canada with the work permit, you would then have the option of pursuing the permanent resident status through available programs such as Skilled Worker or potentially Family Class.