Travel is one of many reasons we love the tradeshow industry. Even if the tradeshow services you provide are local to a city, you’re going to travel to other states, provinces, or countries, whether as an exhibitor, or as an attendee. If you’re based in the U.S. or Canada, you’ll definitely be heading to each other’s countries often.
The trade relationship between the U.S. and Canada is vital, historic, and big. Canada is America’s second largest trade partner (first is Mexico by just over 25 billion dollars) and America is Canada’s first by a long shot. Current political rhetoric aside, both countries’ economies are important to each other; their industries are intertwined, especially the tradeshow industry.
With all the news about immigration going on lately, it’s understandable to be concerned about visa requirements when visiting either country. For Americans and Canadians visiting each other, the answers can be simple, nuanced, or a bit of preparation.
To start, Americans and Canadians enjoy certain special statuses when it comes to visa requirements to visit each other. In the world of international travel, nationalities will generally be visa exempt, or visa required.
To visit Canada, if your country is visa exempt, you will need a visitor visa, called a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). If your country is visa exempt, you will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). The good news for Americans and permanent residents of the U.S. is you don’t need either if you’re just visiting. If you’re attending a tradeshow, have a copy of the convention invitation letter, proof of accommodation, sufficient funds for the visit, and a return ticket to present at the border.
To visit the U.S., tourists need a B-2 visa, but tradeshows are considered business visits, so even if you’re vacationing while on business, you’ll need the B-1, which is the temporary business visitor visa. This visa allows you to enter the U.S. to do things like attend conferences, conventions, and professional seminars, consult with business partners, or meet with clients. Canadians can get a B-1 with convention registration papers, proof of accommodation, and a travel itinerary.
Of course, you need a valid passport regardless. Make sure it will be valid for the entire time you’re stating that you’ll be visiting. In both cases, you cannot work. For Canada, you cannot enter the labor market, i.e. be paid by a Canadian business for work. You can buy Canadian goods or services for a foreign business or government and take orders for goods or services, the sort of thing that can occur at a tradeshow, but if you get paid by a Canadian business for work, that’s something different.
The U.S. is similar, Canadians should not be paid for work by an American company while they’re visiting. One way to show you’re not working is to show your actual source of income is outside the respective country you’re visiting.
Now what if you are more than just attending? Are you bringing in a booth? Are you showing product as samples? Are you actively selling? This is where things can change.
If you’re bringing a booth and product samples into Canada or the U.S., customs declarations will be needed, even if you’re just bringing everything back. One option is an ATA carnet, this is a sort of passport for goods and can actually be good for up to a year. You’ll find it indispensable for back and forth movement during a busy tradeshow year. Another tool at your disposal are customs brokers. They exist, and their job is to help people getting material goods in and out of different countries.
Is your staff going to be setting up your booth or selling? If so, they may need a work permit. Even setting up a booth can be considered “work” that falls under a work permit in Canada. In the U.S. you may need an employment visa for set up, and an H2-B for selling. One way to avoid the employment visa is to hire local labor or use venue labor (if available) to build your booth. Also, if you are going to build your booth, remember that you should probably declare your tools at entry.
For Canadians visiting the U.S. that are selling, don’t forget the possibility of state sales tax. Look into the tradeshow’s state or city sales tax laws. For example, the city of Las Vegas does not have any sales tax, but both the state of Nevada and Clark County do. Some states (like California and Illinois) will have some tradeshow sales tax exemptions, but some will not.
The USMCA (U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement, or CUSMA in Canada and T-MEC in Mexico) which replaced NAFTA, makes a lot of things easier for Americans, Canadians, and Mexicans when conducting business in each other’s countries. But this article is by no means exhaustive, and things can change without notice. Contact the host country’s proper offices when prepping your tradeshow visit to another USMCA country. When contacting those offices for information consider:
- Are you just attending?
- Are you bringing and setting up a booth?
- Are you selling product, or just taking orders?
- Are you going to more than one tradeshow?
Checklist for travel:
- Valid passport (minimum 6-month validity)
- Invitation letter or exhibitor confirmation
- Proof of business outside host country
- Return flight/reservation & accommodation proof
- Financial means for stay
- Event floor plan or booth contract (optional but useful at border)
- Customs documentation for materials/equipment
Websites:
To visit the U.S. www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/business
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA): 1-800-461-9999
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP): 1-877-CBP-5511
Image Credit: Adobe Stock
This story originally appeared in the Q1 2026 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 38. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/exhibit_city_news_-_jan_feb_mar_2026/38.
