Walk to the border.
Show your documents.
Start working.
Known as USMCA in the United States, CUSMA in Canada, and T-MEC in Mexico, the same treaty under three names. For qualifying professionals, executives, traders and investors, it is the fastest legal route to Canadian work authorization.
THE AGREEMENT · IN CONTEXT
The Canada, United States & Mexico Agreement
USMCA, CUSMA & T-MEC. One agreement, three names, one pathway to working in Canada.
If you searched for “TLCAN” or “NAFTA work permit” and ended up here, you are in the right place. The Canada, United States and Mexico Agreement replaced NAFTA on July 1, 2020, but its labour mobility chapter survived almost intact. Four categories of facilitated entry, 63 eligible professions, and an exemption from the Labour Market Impact Assessment all carried over. The agreement is currently under joint review and remains in force through at least 2036.
Two passports. One agreement.
CUSMA work permits are restricted by citizenship, not by residency. The line is clearer than most people think.U.S. or Mexican citizenship, with a job offer in hand.
Citizens of the two countries that signed the agreement, with pre-arranged work in a qualifying field.- Citizen of the United States or Mexico, including District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
- Pre-arranged Canadian job offer from a Canadian employer in a qualifying field.
- Profession on the Appendix 2 list, for the Professionals category. 63 occupations covered.
- Intra-company transfer from a U.S. or Mexican branch to a related Canadian entity.
- Required credentials met: degree, license, or experience as set out for your category.
Permanent residents and excluded territories.
CUSMA was negotiated for citizens of three specific countries. Other immigration statuses fall outside its scope.- U.S. green card holders who are not U.S. citizens. Citizenship is required, not residency.
- Mexican permanent residents who are not Mexican citizens, regardless of how long they have lived in Mexico.
- Citizens of Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, or U.S. Virgin Islands. Excluded by treaty.
- Self-employment or remote work for a U.S. employer while living in Canada. CUSMA requires real employment with a Canadian entity.
- Permanent residence applicants. CUSMA is strictly temporary, although work experience can later support PR applications.
Five categories of facilitated entry.
Each category has its own LMIA exemption code, eligibility criteria, and maximum duration. Chapter 16 of CUSMA defines the structure.- 01 Business Visitors LMIA code R186(a) Work permit exempt Duration Up to 6 months per visit
- 02 Professionals LMIA code T36 Duration Up to 3 years Renewable indefinitely
- 03 Intra-Company Transferees LMIA codes T37 · T38 Executives & senior managers (T37) · Specialized knowledge (T38) Duration Up to 7 years (T37) Up to 5 years (T38)
- 04 Traders LMIA code T34 Duration Up to 1 year Extensions in 2-year increments
- 05 Investors LMIA code T35 Duration Up to 1 year Extensions in 2-year increments
63 professions, by category.
Appendix 2 of Chapter 16 lists 63 specific occupations eligible for the CUSMA Professionals work permit (LMIA exemption code T36). Click each category to expand the full list.01 General Professional 25 professions
- Accountant
- Architect
- Computer Systems Analyst
- Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster
- Economist
- Engineer
- Forester
- Graphic Designer
- Hotel Manager
- Industrial Designer
- Interior Designer
- Land Surveyor
- Landscape Architect
- Lawyer
- Librarian
- Management Consultant
- Mathematician (incl. Statistician, Actuary)
- Range Manager / Range Conservationist
- Research Assistant
- Scientific Technician / Technologist
- Social Worker
- Sylviculturist
- Technical Publications Writer
- Urban Planner
- Vocational Counsellor
02 Medical & Allied Health 13 professions
- Dentist
- Dietitian
- Medical Laboratory Technologist
- Medical Technologist
- Nutritionist
- Occupational Therapist
- Pharmacist
- Physician (teaching or research only)
- Physiotherapist
- Psychologist
- Recreational Therapist
- Registered Nurse
- Veterinarian
03 Scientist 22 professions
- Agriculturist (Agronomist)
- Animal Breeder
- Animal Scientist
- Apiculturist
- Astronomer
- Biochemist
- Biologist
- Chemist
- Dairy Scientist
- Entomologist
- Epidemiologist
- Geneticist
- Geochemist
- Geologist
- Geophysicist (incl. Oceanographer)
- Horticulturist
- Meteorologist
- Pharmacologist
- Physicist
- Plant Breeder
- Poultry Scientist
- Soil Scientist
- Zoologist
04 Teacher 3 professions
- College
- Seminary
- University
Step by step
The application process
CUSMA work permits are submitted through one of two channels: at a Canadian port of entry, or in advance through an IRCC visa office. The process has four stages.
01
Confirm eligibility
Verify your citizenship (United States or Mexico), your category (Professional, Intra-Company Transferee, Trader, or Investor), and that the offered role qualifies. For Professionals, the occupation must appear in Appendix 2.
- Cost: No fee at this stage
- Timing: Self-paced
02
Prepare your package
Your Canadian employer submits an Offer of Employment through the IRCC Employer Portal and pays the compliance fee. You gather proof of citizenship, the job offer, credentials, and any required professional licenses.
- Employer cost: CAD $230 compliance fee
- Timing: 1 to 2 weeks
03
Submit your application
U.S. citizens may apply directly at a Canadian port of entry. Mexican citizens generally apply online through the IRCC portal, since most require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) as of February 2024. Biometrics may be required if not provided in the past 10 years.
- Work permit fee: CAD $155
- Biometrics (if required): CAD $85
04
Receive your work permit
At a port of entry, an officer issues the permit on the spot when approved. Online applicants receive a Letter of Introduction and collect the physical permit upon arrival in Canada. Current IRCC processing standards for International Mobility Program applications start at 2 weeks for complete submissions.
- At port of entry: Same day
- Online via IRCC: 2 to 12 weeks
For Mexican Citizens
Mexicans applying from Mexico, in 2026.
Since February 29, 2024, the rules for Mexican citizens travelling to Canada changed. The CUSMA framework still applies, but the practical pathway is different. Here is what you need to know before applying.
The TRV requirement
Mexico was a visa-exempt country until February 29, 2024. As of that moment, Mexican citizens who do not meet specific exceptions are required to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to travel to Canada, including for CUSMA work permit applications. The decision was made by the Canadian government to manage rising asylum claims and is not connected to CUSMA. The four work permit categories, the 63 eligible professions, and the LMIA exemption all remain unchanged.
The eTA exception
Some Mexican citizens are still eligible for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) instead of a TRV. The eTA is the simpler, faster pre-travel authorization. To qualify, three conditions must all be met:
You must be travelling to Canada by air, or transiting through a Canadian airport (the eTA does not cover entry by car, bus, train, or boat, those modes always require a TRV). The trip must be for a temporary stay, normally up to six months. And you must currently hold a valid United States nonimmigrant visa, or have held a Canadian Temporary Resident Visa within the past 10 years. Holding a previous eTA does not count as having held a TRV.
The U.S. nonimmigrant visa must be valid on the day you apply for the eTA, but it does not need to be valid on the day you travel to Canada. If none of these conditions apply, the TRV is required.
The Spousal Open Work Permit advantage
On January 21, 2025, Canada significantly tightened the rules for the Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP). Most spouses of foreign workers now qualify only if the principal worker holds a TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupation, or a select TEER 2 or 3 role on a published list. This change affected thousands of families across Canada.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, spouses and common-law partners of work permit holders under free-trade agreements, including CUSMA, are not impacted by these changes. They remain eligible for the SOWP under the terms of the agreement, regardless of the principal worker’s TEER classification. This exemption is one of the most valuable family benefits CUSMA still offers.
Recommendation
For most Mexican citizens, the IRCC online application is the safer route than attempting a port of entry application. Document review is more thorough, refusal risk is lower, and the TRV process is integrated into the same submission. Applying at a Canadian land border without a TRV in hand is rarely successful for Mexican citizens in 2026.
Beyond the Permit · Family & Permanent Residence
Beyond the work permit
CUSMA work permits are temporary by design, but the experience often opens two longer-term doors: bringing immediate family to Canada, and building toward permanent residence.
Bringing your family
Spouses and common-law partners of CUSMA work permit holders qualify for the Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP), which authorizes them to work for any Canadian employer for the same duration as the principal permit. As of January 21, 2025, IRCC restricted the SOWP for most other foreign workers, but spouses of CUSMA holders are explicitly exempt from those restrictions. The advantage was preserved by the agreement itself.
Dependent minor children of work permit holders can attend Canadian preschool, primary, or secondary school without their own study permit, although obtaining one is recommended for continuity once they reach the age of majority. Public school access for minors is regulated at the provincial level and most provinces extend free public schooling to children of work permit holders, with conditions that vary by province.
The path to permanent residence
CUSMA does not lead directly to permanent residence. The work permit is temporary by design, and renewals remain temporary. However, the time you spend working in Canada under CUSMA counts as Canadian work experience and can support a permanent residence application later.
The two most common pathways are the Canadian Experience Class through Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Programs.
The Canadian Experience Class requires at least 12 months (1,560 hours) of skilled Canadian work experience in the past three years, in an occupation classified as TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. Language requirements are CLB 7 for TEER 0 or 1 occupations and CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3. Self-employment and work experience gained as a full-time student do not count.
Provincial Nominee Programs operate streams that nominate skilled workers based on local labour market needs. Several provinces, including British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta, have streams that specifically target professionals and tech workers. A provincial nomination adds 600 points to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which generally results in an Invitation to Apply in the next Express Entry draw. Each program has its own criteria, occupation lists, and processing times.
Recommendation
The strategic question is rarely “can I get a CUSMA permit.” It is “what do I want this permit to lead to.” A CUSMA application planned with permanent residence in mind looks different from one planned for a single year of work. Discussing long-term goals at the beginning often changes the choice of category, the supporting documents, and even the city where you settle.
RCIC
Why hire an RCIC?
Under Canadian law, only Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs), lawyers, and Québec notaries are authorized to represent applicants before IRCC and provincial immigration authorities. Any other paid representation is unauthorized and puts the application at risk.
A licensed RCIC is accountable to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), bound by a strict code of professional conduct, and trained in current immigration law. For CUSMA applications specifically, this means correct category selection (Professional, Intra-Company Transferee, Trader, or Investor), accurate occupation mapping against Appendix 2, employer compliance through the IRCC Employer Portal, and proper documentation of citizenship and credentials before submission.
Megrez Immigration Consultants has operated as a licensed RCIC firm in Vancouver since 1996. Every CUSMA work permit file at the firm is structured, reviewed, and submitted under direct RCIC supervision.
Frequently Asked Questions about CUSMA
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