Moving to Canada from Australia: what you need to know
Australian citizens don’t need a visitor visa to enter Canada. If you fly, you need an eTA. To work or run a business here, you need a work permit, and the right one depends on your plan: transferring within a company, starting or buying a business, or taking a job with a Canadian employer.
This guide covers the main routes for Australian entrepreneurs, investors and companies, what officers look for, and how a work permit can lead to permanent residence.
Key takeaway
Start with your business, not the permit. Your company structure, your role and your timeline decide which route fits.
Do Australians need a visa to come to Canada?
Australian citizens have an easy entry path, but a few rules matter. Source: IRCC entry requirements by country and IRCC eTA guidance for permit applicants.
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No visitor visa
Australian citizens don’t need a visitor visa. You do need a valid passport.
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eTA to fly
If you fly to Canada, you need an eTA. If you arrive by land or sea, you don’t.
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Work permit first
If you apply for a work permit before you travel, your eTA is issued automatically when the permit is approved.
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Port of entry option
Some Australians can apply for an employer-specific permit at a Canadian port of entry. Your employer needs a positive LMIA, or an offer of employment number for an LMIA-exempt job.
Which work permit route fits you?
Most Australian business clients use one of three routes. Which one fits depends on whether you already own a company abroad, plan to run your own Canadian business, or have a Canadian employer hiring you.
| Intra-Company Transfer | Entrepreneur (C11) | LMIA-based permit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Owners and employees of a company abroad who transfer to a related Canadian company | Business owners who will actively run a business in Canada | People with a job offer from a Canadian employer |
| LMIA needed? | No | No | Yes, the employer needs a positive LMIA |
| Key test | A qualifying relationship between the companies, an executive, senior manager or specialized-knowledge role, and 1 year of work for the company abroad | Your business must give Canada a significant benefit | The employer must get the LMIA before you apply |
Each route has more conditions than this table shows. A lawyer should confirm which one applies to you.
How does an Intra-Company Transfer work for Australian companies?
An ICT lets you move to a related Canadian company without an LMIA. IRCC looks closely at both companies and at your role. Source: IRCC: intra-company transfer. For the full picture, read our Intra-Company Transfer guide.
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A multinational company
You transfer to a parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate in Canada.
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A qualifying relationship
Both companies must do business, in Canada and abroad. A mailing address or shared workspace in Canada does not count.
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The right role
Executive, senior managerial or specialized knowledge. Specialized knowledge means advanced expertise in your company’s own products, services or methods.
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1 year abroad
You must have worked continuously for the company outside Canada for at least 1 year in the 3 years before you apply. Some exceptions apply.
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A temporary stay
You must come to Canada temporarily, even if you later plan to apply for permanent residence.
Trade agreement route
IRCC lists Australia among the countries covered by the CPTPP trade agreement. We confirm whether it applies to your role.
What are your options as an Australian entrepreneur in 2026?
Several federal entrepreneur routes have changed. Source: IRCC notice on measures for entrepreneurs. Our entrepreneur work permit guide and provincial nominee guide go deeper.
C11 entrepreneur work permit
Who it fits
Owners who will actively run a business in Canada and can show a significant benefit to Canada.
PR note
IRCC does not count self-employed work toward the Canadian Experience Class.
Start-Up Visa
Status
IRCC stopped accepting new applications on December 31, 2025, with a narrow exception for applicants who hold a 2025 commitment from a designated organization.
What is next
IRCC said it is setting up a targeted entrepreneur pilot and would share details in 2026. Check IRCC for the current status.
Self-Employed Persons Program
Status
IRCC has paused applications until further notice.
Our advice
Don’t plan around it. Compare the other routes first.
Provincial entrepreneur streams
Who it fits
Entrepreneurs whose plan is tied to one province. Each province sets its own rules.
Before you apply
Check the stream’s current intake on the province’s own website.
Can a work permit lead to permanent residence?
Sometimes. Work experience in Canada can count toward the Canadian Experience Class under Express Entry, but only if it meets IRCC’s rules. Source: IRCC: Canadian Experience Class. Read our Express Entry guide for how the system works.
Paid skilled work for an employer
The rule
At least 1 year (1,560 hours) of paid work in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, done in Canada while authorized, within the 3 years before you apply.
Example
Work under an Intra-Company Transfer permit, if it meets these conditions.
Self-employed work
The rule
IRCC does not count self-employed work toward the Canadian Experience Class.
What to do
If you plan to run your own business, plan your permanent residence route before you choose your permit.
No guarantee
Meeting the minimum work experience does not guarantee permanent residence. Each application is assessed on its own facts.
What do officers look at in a business immigration file?
These are the three areas we focus on with our clients. No outcome is guaranteed.
Officers look closely at your financial evidence. Personal and business bank statements, shares, savings statements and tax returns can all help. Show amounts in Canadian dollars. We advise showing the full investment amount plus money for running costs.
Show your academic background, management experience, industry expertise and transferable skills. Letters of recommendation, proof of company ownership and training certificates all support your file.
Forming a company and writing a business plan may not be enough. Officers want to see that you have taken real steps and put money at risk, for example by buying a business or signing a lease.
What weakens an Australian application?
In our practice, files most often run into trouble in these two areas.
Not enough available funds
Why it hurts
The officer can’t see that you can fund the business and support yourself.
What works instead
Document every source of funds clearly, and keep personal and business money traceable.
A business that doesn’t look viable
Why it hurts
A plan with no real steps behind it reads as an idea, not a business.
What works instead
Show contracts, premises, suppliers or purchases that prove the plan is under way.
Can you use Canada’s healthcare system on a work permit?
Healthcare is run by each province, so the rules differ. In Ontario, permanent residents and some work permit holders qualify for OHIP, and spouses and dependants may qualify too. Check the rules for your province before you move. Source: Ontario: apply for OHIP.
Frequently asked questions: moving to Canada from Australia
Australian citizens don’t need a visitor visa. If they fly, they need an eTA. To work in Canada they need a work permit.
Some Australians can apply at a port of entry for an employer-specific permit. The employer needs a positive LMIA, or an offer of employment number for an LMIA-exempt job. You also need the documents and proof of funds for your permit type.
It can. Paid skilled work in Canada may count toward the Canadian Experience Class, which needs 1 year (1,560 hours) in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 within the last 3 years. Meeting the minimum does not guarantee permanent residence.
Not for the Canadian Experience Class. IRCC does not count self-employed work. If you will run your own business, plan your permanent residence route early.
IRCC stopped accepting new Start-Up Visa applications on December 31, 2025, with a narrow exception for applicants who hold a 2025 commitment from a designated organization. Check IRCC for the current status of its planned entrepreneur pilot.
IRCC lists Australia among the countries covered by the CPTPP. Whether it applies depends on your role and your company, so we confirm it case by case.
Not for an Intra-Company Transfer or a C11 entrepreneur permit. If a Canadian employer is hiring you under the LMIA stream, the employer needs a positive LMIA first.
Keep reading
- Intra-Company Transfer program
- Entrepreneur work permit programs
- Provincial Nominee Programs
- Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
- Express Entry for business immigrants
- Moving to Canada from the UK
Official sources: IRCC entry requirements, IRCC intra-company transfers, IRCC entrepreneur notice, IRCC Canadian Experience Class.
