Canada and Colombia Have a Deal — And Most People Don’t Know About It

There’s a lesser-known route to working in Canada that a lot of Colombian nationals completely overlook. Under the Canada–Colombia Free Trade Agreement, certain professionals, business owners, and corporate employees can obtain a Canadian work permit without their employer going through the standard Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process.

That matters more than it sounds. Normally, a Canadian employer has to prove that no local candidate was available before hiring someone from abroad — a process that is costly, slow, and often a dealbreaker for smaller companies. The FTA removes that requirement entirely for qualifying Colombians.If you fall into one of the categories below, you have a real, treaty-backed pathway to live and work legally in Canada.

Work Permit Pathways for Colombian Nationals

The Canada–Colombia Free Trade Agreement provides six dedicated work permit streams under Canada’s International Mobility Program. Each is designed for a specific professional profile. Importantly, none of them require a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

1. Treaty Traders (LMIA Exemption Code: F10)

This stream is for Colombian nationals who are actively engaged in the substantial trade of goods or services between Canada and Colombia. You must hold a senior or essential role within the enterprise, and the majority of that trade must flow between the two countries. Volume and your specific role both factor into the assessment.

2. Treaty Investors (LMIA Exemption Code: F11)

This pathway applies to Colombian nationals who are committing substantial capital to a Canadian enterprise and will be actively developing or directing that business. The investment must be real and at risk — passive funding does not qualify. You need to be meaningfully involved in the operations of the enterprise.

3. Professionals and Technicians (LMIA Exemption Code: F12)

Qualified professionals in designated occupations — including engineers, accountants, scientists, and related fields — can apply under this stream if they have a prearranged service contract with a Canadian employer or client. The key requirement is that the contract must be in place before you apply. Speculative applications are not accepted under this category.

4. Intra-Company Transferees — Executives and Senior Managers (LMIA Exemption Code: F13)

If your company has operations in both Colombia and Canada, and you are being transferred to the Canadian entity in a genuine executive or senior managerial role, this stream is available to you. You must have worked for the company for at least one year, and both the Colombian and Canadian entities must be actively operating at the time of application.

5. Intra-Company Transferees — Management Trainees (LMIA Exemption Code: F14)

This category covers employees being transferred to Canada as part of a structured training program designed to prepare them for management or executive roles. The training program must be documented and credible. A management title without a genuine development track behind it will not satisfy the requirements.

6. Intra-Company Transferees — Specialized Knowledge Workers (LMIA Exemption Code: F15)

This stream applies to employees who possess advanced, proprietary knowledge of their company’s products, services, systems, or processes — knowledge that is not widely available and that the Canadian operation specifically requires. This category is scrutinized closely by immigration officers, so the application needs to clearly demonstrate that the knowledge is genuinely specialized and not simply general professional experience.

Spousal Open Work Permit (LMIA Exemption Code: T25)

Spouses and common-law partners of Colombian nationals applying under any of the six streams above may be eligible for an open work permit. Unlike the principal applicant’s permit, an open work permit allows the holder to work for any employer in Canada. It is typically issued for the same duration as the principal applicant’s permit.

What the Application Process Looks Like

The process under the IMP follows a fairly consistent path regardless of which stream you apply under.

• Determine which FTA stream applies to your professional profile and situation.
• Secure a Canadian job offer, service contract, or confirm your intra-company transfer arrangement.
• Your Canadian employer submits a formal Offer of Employment through the IRCC Employer Portal and pays the associated compliance fee.
• You submit your work permit application online through IRCC with the required supporting documentation.
• Once approved, you travel to Canada and begin working legally under the terms of your permit.

In practice, the employer portal step is where many applications run into problems. Document requirements also vary depending on which stream you are applying under, and a misclassified application can lead to weeks of delay or an outright refusal.

How Sana Immigration Can Help

The Canada–Colombia FTA pathways are genuinely useful — but they are not straightforward to navigate on your own. A significant number of applications under these streams are refused not because the applicant was ineligible, but because the wrong stream was selected, the employer made an error on their end, or the supporting documents failed to make the right case.

At Sana Immigration, we work with you from the start to make sure none of that happens.

• Correct stream identification. We assess your profile carefully and match you to the right FTA category from the beginning.
• Full application preparation. We prepare your complete work permit application, including the employer’s Offer of Employment submission and all supporting documents.
• Employer guidance. Many Canadian employers are unfamiliar with the IMP process. We walk them through every step to ensure their submission is accurate and complete.
• Family inclusion. We identify whether your spouse or dependants qualify for accompanying work or study permits so your whole family can make the move together.
• Long-term planning. A work permit is often the first step toward permanent residence in Canada. We keep that bigger picture in mind from day one.

We also provide bilingual support in English and Spanish throughout the entire process.

Book a Consultation with Sana Immigration

If you are a Colombian national and one of these pathways sounds like it could apply to you, the right first step is a proper assessment. Book a consultation with Sana Immigration and we will give you a clear, honest answer about where you stand, which stream fits your situation, and what the process will look like from start to finish.

Visit sanaimmigration.ca to get started.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information based on the Canada–Colombia Free Trade Agreement under Canada’s International Mobility Program. It does not constitute legal immigration advice. Immigration rules are subject to change and every case is unique. Please speak with a licensed immigration consultant before making any decisions. Sana Immigration is not affiliated with the Government of Canada or IRCC.