Client industry:
Media
Client location:
Multinational
Business immigration services:
- Strategy
- Inter-governmental relations
- Labour Market Benefits Plan
- Executive relocation
- Customs and international trade
- Cross-border tax advice
- Privacy
Client challenge
When a media company with a mission to reinvent the way people work decided to reinvent its own way of working, the result was to relocate the CEO, COO and 400 employees from offices in the U.K. and U.S. to a new head office in Toronto. The challenge was to minimize disruption to company operations and the lives of the top execs and their families.
Our approach
This opportunity allowed the BLG Beyond Business Immigration team to combine two things we love: strategic thinking and white glove service.
We negotiated beneficial plans and streamlined approvals, thanks to our understanding of requirements in the originating countries, familiarity with Canadian business immigration programs (including the Global Talent Stream and Labour Market Benefits Plans), and knowledge of options under trade agreements.
Where a clear path did not already exist, we were happy to break new ground with the help of relationships with high-level government officials, including at the Privy Council Office, IRCC's NHQ in Ottawa and the High Commissions in London and Canadian Consulate General in New York.
When it came to easing the cross-border transition for the CEO and COO, no task was too small. We used our international trade expertise to resolve a significant issue regarding the movement of personal goods and effects. Our senior team members met the executives and their families on the tarmac when they arrived in Toronto by private jet to ensure there were no customs problems.
Client results
The first 400 employees and two executives arrived well within the company’s hoped-for timeline, and we made sure we were available any time to answer questions and complete tasks, whether requests came from the C-suite, human resources, general counsel or a member of the global mobility team. Cost may not have been a concern for relocating the executives, but when it came to relocating talent below the C-level, we were able to provide predictable pricing and help the client’s legal team develop the skills to take over much of the repeatable work.
The relationship continues today, as new executives and employees join the company from all over the world. Through it all we’ve used our contacts, reputation and savvy to give the company access to business immigration opportunities they didn’t have before — including new approaches that the Canadian government adopted using our client as a test case.