NAFTA allows business people of Canada, Mexico, and the United States to get a fast entry into each other’s countries for business or investment reasons. 

There are four (4) categories of business participants under NAFTA: 

1. NAFTA Business visitors:

 can stay up to six (6) months in Canada and they do not need a work permit. A business visitor is someone who visits Canada to take part in global business activities without being a part of the Canadian labour market.

2. NAFTA Intra-company transferees:

need an LMIA-exempt work permit is required. An intra-company transferee is a person who transfers from one NAFTA state to Canada but within the company. They necessarily have worked on an ongoing basis for at least 1 year in the last 3 years, for the same or a related employer and need a work permit.

3. NAFTA Professionals:

must be suitable to work in one of the NAFTA set jobs, have a Canadian business job offer in that sphere and need an LMIA-exempt work permit. 

Professionals are business persons who enter to provide pre-arranged professional services — either as a salaried employee of a Canadian enterprise, through a contract between the business person and a Canadian employer, or through a contract between the American or Mexican employer of the business person and a Canadian enterprise. Professionals enter to provide services in the field for which they are qualified.

4. Traders and investors:

are persons who are involved in planning, as a supervisor or executive, or in a role that involves essential skills in a field of trade between Canada and their country. They must also meet any other rules of NAFTA and need an LMIA-exempt work permit.