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What is NAFTA?

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a trade agreement between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The goals of NAFTA were to ease restrictions on trade and investments between the three countries. NAFTA is mostly associated with the lowering of tariffs of commercial goods. While this is an important goal of the agreement, NAFTA also eases access to citizens of Canada, Mexico, and the United States who wish to work, send workers or invest in one of the other signatory nations. Only CITIZENS of the United States, Canada, and Mexico are covered by NAFTA.

Four different categories were set up by NAFTA to allow entry by citizens of the signatory countries. These are: Business Visitors, Traders or Investors, Intra-Company Transferees, and Professionals.

Business visitors: A business visitor is someone who will be performing commercial activities listed in NAFTA. These include: Sales; After-Sales service; Distribution; Research and Design; Marketing; and Growth, Manufacturing and Production; it also includes General service personnel including tourism personnel, public relations and advertising consultants and others performing commercial functions. In order to be approved entry under NAFTA, business visitors, although they would be working in a NAFTA signatory country, must not be entering that country’s labour market.

Traders or Investors: Traders or Investors are individuals who will be trading substantial amounts of goods or services or investing a substantial amount of capital in one of the signatory countries for an organization that is of US, Mexican, or Canadian nationality. The goods or services that are traded or the capital invested must be of commercial nature and be for a profit-making organization.

Intra-Company Transferee: An intra-company transferee is an employee of an American, Canadian, or Mexican company who will be transferred to a parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate of their employer. The employee must be employed in an executive or managerial capacity, or in one that qualifies as specialized knowledge.

Professionals:  A professional is a businessperson who is an American, Canadian, or Mexican citizen who will be entering the United States, Canada, or Mexico to work at a professional level. The applicant must meet any municipal, provincial, state, or federal requirements in order to be admitted as a professional under NAFTA.

What NAFTA DOESN’T do:

NAFTA does not guarantee entry into the signatory country. An applicant must meet admissibility requirements of the country that he or she is intending to enter.

NAFTA does not allow for a person to immigrate permanently. While someone can extend NAFTA status, one cannot obtain citizenship under NAFTA status.

Why use NAFTA?

NAFTA allows for an easier and less expensive entry into Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Citizens do not have to go through the regular process of acquiring a work permit through a consular office. Instead, they can complete the process on the day they travel into Canada, Mexico or the United States.

For example: Maurizio is an Italian citizen who is a permanent resident in Canada. He works as an professional accountant in Toronto and has been hired by an American firm in Dallas to work as their accountant for 2 years. Maurizio would have to submit an application to the US Consulate in Toronto (wait period of about 8-10 weeks to get appointment at the US Consulate), gather all the documents, take pictures, and pay a $100 fee to get an H-1B visa. If approved, Maurizio can then enter the US. Maurizio cannot use NAFTA because he is not a Canadian citizen.

Andrea is a Canadian citizen who works as nutritionist in Toronto. She has been hired to work as a nutritionist at a health centre office in Pittsburgh and she is to begin working the following Monday. Andrea can use NAFTA. The Sunday before she begins work in Pittsburgh, Andrea drives to the US border with all her documents, submits her application to the border officials, and pays a fee of $50. If she is approved, Andrea can then drive down to Pittsburgh and begin work the following day.

Who do we serve?

Immigroup will help US or Mexican citizens who wish to enter Canada.
Immigroup will help Canadian citizens who wish to enter the United States.  

What will we do for you?

Entering Canada:

Business Visitor: Immigroup will assist you in gathering all the necessary documents and preparing them for submission. Immigroup will also write a letter to Canadian Immigration officials explaining your situation.

Trader/Investor: Immigroup will help fill out the necessary forms and gather all the documentation required by the Canadian government. Immigroup will instruct you on where to submit your application and present a letter to the visa-issuing office explaining your situation.

Intra-Company Transferee: Immigroup will assist you in gathering all the necessary documents and preparing them for submission. Immigroup will also write a letter to Canadian Immigration officials explaining your situation.

Professionals: Immigroup will help you gather all the documents you need and issue a letter to border services explaining your reason for submission.

Entering the US:

B-1 Business Visitors: Immigroup will help you gather all the necessary documents and prepare them for submission. We will also write a letter to US officials explaining your situation and your case for application.

E-1/2 Traders/Investors: Immigroup will set up an appointment with the US Consulate and will help you fill out all the necessary forms and gather all the paperwork for submission.

L-1 Intra-Company Transferees: Immigroup will help you and your employer fill out all the necessary forms and gather all the required documents. We will also issue a letter explaining your case to US border officials.

TN Professionals: Immigroup will help you gather all the documents you need and issue a letter to border services explaining your reason for submission.

If your entry attempt is denied, Immigroup will refund your funds provided that you show the letter of refusal from government authorities. This guarantee is not valid if you were denied entry because you did not meet admissibility requirements.