Canada Entrepreneur Program

Entrepreneur Program

Experienced business people who wish to own and manage their Canadian business actively are ideal applicants for the Entrepreneur category of Canadian immigration. FKIC immigration specialists are glad to help its clients establish a successful business in Canada that makes a positive contribution to the Canadian economy as well as create jobs there.

We carefully review your documents related to business, experience in managing the business and personal net worth. Evaluation on business and personal objectives are also done before filing your immigration application for permanent resident visa. We assure that you are filing in the most suitable of the three Canadian business categories, namely, entrepreneur, self-employed or investor.

Being a Canadian Entrepreneur, you are not expected to seek employment and may not be permitted to work in Canada. This also implies that ideally you should initiate business in specific areas that contribute to the business environment of the region where Entrepreneur visa holders settle in Canada. You must know that the visa granted under this category is a conditional one and you must comply with some post-landing requirements for three years in order to get the PR (Permanent Resident) status.

FKIC Immigration advisors prepare, file and manage your entrepreneur application with CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada). We also equip you with extensive tips and suitable answers for expected interview questions that form a very critical stage of the application approval process.

Federal Business and Investor Immigration to Canada

Canada seeks out individuals with business experience, who are willing to make an investment in Canada or own and actively manage a business in Canada. Under the Federal business immigration programs, individuals are selected for Canadian immigration visas based on their ability to create jobs and contribute to a strong and prosperous Canadian economy.

If the applicant can demonstrate they meet the criteria associated with the specific category, their application will be assessed in relation to the following factors: age, work experience & language proficiency. The Federal business immigration categories do not require applicants to submit results of an approved language proficiency test. There are several ways to qualify for immigration to Canada under the business class:

Federal Immigrant Investor Venture Capital (IIVC) Pilot Program
The IIVC program aims to bring rich and experienced business immigrants to Canada to actively invest in and advance the Canadian economy. As a pilot program during 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will offer permanent residence status to 50-60 immigrant investors and their families.

To be eligible for the program, the candidate must meet four requirements with regards to language, education, net worth and a non-guaranteed investment.

Language Skills:
• Proven proficiency in English or French in speaking, reading, listening and writing – to be confirmed either by a language test approved by CIC
• Original language test results, of no more than 2 years old, must be included in application

Education:
• Completed post-secondary degree, certificate or diploma from Canada
• Foreign educational credential to be validated by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an organization designated by the CIC

Personal Net Worth:
• Net worth of at least $10 million CAD, originating from lawful and profit-making businesses
• If the application is deemed complete by the CIC, a due diligence report from a designated service provider will be required to prove the origins or your personal net worth.

Non-Guaranteed Investment:
• Investment of $2 million CAD, paid to the IIVC fund for a period of 15 years, to be invested in Canadian start-ups with high growth potential
Candidates with a net worth of at least $50 million CAD, proven to be obtained legally, can submit a request to be exempted from the education requirement. Net worth stemming from inheritance or value of primary residences will not count toward the $10 million CAD required for eligibility.
As with all Canadian immigration programs, if you are inadmissible to enter Canada, you are ineligible for the IIVC Pilot Program.

Federal Self-Employed Program
The Self-Employed class of the Federal business immigration program is designed to attract individuals that have the intent and ability to come to Canada and establish themselves economically. In order to qualify as Self-Employed, the applicant must have the required artistic, cultural, or farm management experience that will allow them to be self-employed and make a meaningful contribution to Canadian society.

The required experience for a self-employed person is two years of relevant experience, which can be broken down into:
• Two 1-year periods of self-employed experience in cultural or athletic activities, within the 5 years preceding an application.
• Two 1-year periods of experience in participation at a world class level in cultural or athletic activities, within the 5 years preceding an application.
• Two 1-year periods of experience in farm management.

Quebec Business Immigration and Investor Immigration

Update: This program currently has an imposed cap and is now accepting 1900 instead of 1500 applications for the investor program program.
The rules regarding the maximum number of applications that are received by the Ministère do not in any way reflect a change in Québec’s immigration objectives. By limiting the number of applications received, the Ministère is able to process a greater number of pending applications and reduce processing times.

The following table shows the intake dates and maximum number of applications for Quebec Business Immigration. Any application received after the attainment of this maximum will be returned to the applicant.

Businesspeople
• Investors* The maximum number of applications that can be received is 1900.** May 30, 2016 to February 28, 2017
• Entrepreneurs* The maximum number of applications that can be received has been attained. April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017
• Self-employed workers The maximum number of applications that can be received has been attained. April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017
• Permanent workers*** The maximum number of applications that can be received has been attained. April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017

The province of Quebec is seeking individuals with business experience who are willing to make an investment in Canada or own and actively manage a business in Canada for permanent residency. Under the Quebec business immigration programs, individuals are selected based on their ability to create jobs and contribute to a strong and prosperous economy.

If the applicant can demonstrate that they meet the criteria associated with the specific category, their application will be assessed in relation to the following factors: age, education, work experience & language proficiency. None of the Quebec business immigration categories require applicants to submit results of an approved language proficiency test. However, all applicants will have to demonstrate at least beginner proficiency or a willingness to learn French. There are several ways to qualify under the Quebec business immigration programs and each stream carries a unique set of requirements.

Quebec Investor Immigration Category:
This program currently has an imposed cap and is accepting 1900 applications for the investor program. There is an additional cap of 1200 applications for each country. This restriction does not apply to applications who are able to demonstrate an advanced intermediate knowledge of French through the results of a standardized test.

To qualify under the Quebec Investor program, an applicant must be able to demonstrate the following:
• A market value net worth of at least $1,600,000 CAD. The applicant must be able to demonstrate that their net worth was legally obtained more than six months prior to the filing of the application.

• At least two years of business management experience within the preceding 5 years from the date the application is filed. The applicant must have had work authorization and/or legal status when they acquired their business management experience. Unauthorized work experience will not count for this program.

• Willingness to invest $800,000 CAN with a broker or trust company authorized to participate in the QIIP. Applicants must sign an agreement to this effect.

• Intent to settle in Quebec
“Business experience” for the purposes of the Quebec Investor Immigration category means that the applicant’s work experience involves the planning, management and control of both the finances of the business AND some portion of the human and/or material resources.
Managerial experience in any of the following business will count:

• Farm management, commercial business, industrial management, professional businesses (if the business had a staff of at least two full time employees other than the applicant), international organizations, foreign governments or any of their departments or agencies.
If the applicant can demonstrate that they meets these criteria, their application will be assed by an Immigration Quebec officer who will also consider the following factors: age, education, work experience & language proficiency.

Quebec Business Immigration: Entrepreneurs

NOTE: This program currently has an imposed cap of 50 applications together with the Self-Employed Worker Category.
Immigration Quebec has a designated program for individuals seeking to reside in the province of Quebec and purchase, invest in or create a business in Quebec. In order to qualify for this program, the applicant will have to demonstrate the following:

• A minimum $300,000 CAD net worth, including the principal applicant’s spouse’s assets, which has been legally obtained

• At least two years of full-time business management experience in a business where the applicant controls at least 25% of the equity, within the five years preceding the date of application.

For the work experience to qualify, the entrepreneur must have had duties and responsibilities related to the planning, management and control of resources (human, financial & material). Managerial experience only refers to the proportion of time the applicant actually spent managing, if they had other duties, their managerial experience was not full time.

Applicants may only qualify for points for language proficiency if they can demonstrate at least an advanced intermediate knowledge of oral and written French.

The applicant must have the intention to purchase or set up a new business venture in Quebec. The applicant must present a plan whereby they explain how they will manage and operate a business in which they possess at least 25% of the equity, having a minimum value of $100,000 CAD. It is important to note that this Quebec business immigration program’s minimum investment is significantly lower than any of the other provincial Canadian immigration programs for entrepreneurs.

The Immigration Quebec officer will also assess the applicant’s age, the duration and nature of their work experience (besides their business management experience), their language skills and their personal suitability including knowledge about the province of Quebec.

Since this Quebec business immigration program is designed for those individuals intending to operate a business in Quebec, the business plan describing the proposed business venture is the essential element to this program. The plan must describe how the agricultural, commercial or industrial business venture will employ at least one other resident of Quebec, besides the applicant and the family members included on their application. This position created for a Quebec resident must be on a full-time and permanent basis (minimum 30 hours per week).

Quebec Business Immigration: Self-Employed

NOTE: This program currently has an imposed cap of 50 applications together with the Quebec Entrepreneur Immigration Program.

This program is for self-employed individuals who seek to practice their profession in Quebec. Most of the other Quebec business programs do not permit a person who has obtained their work experience through self-employment to qualify. To apply under this program, applicants must demonstrate:

• A minimum net worth of $100,000 CAD, which can include the assets of applicant’s spouse.
• Intention to practice their profession in a self-employed capacity.
• The applicant is required to demonstrate at least two years of self-employment in the five years preceding the application date.

There are no restrictions on the type of occupation the self-employed individual can practice in Quebec, so long as they have the appropriate authorization in regulated occupation. This is different from the Federal Self-Employed program, which limits its programs to self-employed individuals in certain professions. 

In addition to the aforementioned criteria, an Immigration Quebec officer will assess the application based on the following criteria:

• Age, work experience, English and French language proficiency & personal suitability and knowledge about the province of Quebec
• Principal applicants may only qualify for points for language proficiency if they can demonstrate at least an advanced intermediate knowledge of oral and written French. Spouses are subject to the language threshold for oral French only.

To find out more about Quebec Business Immigration and to learn how FKIC can help you with your application, fill out our assessment form.

Canada PNP Business Immigration

Many of Canada’s provinces have their own Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). A PNP allows a province to nominate an applicant for immigration to Canada to settle in that province, and based on the province’s economic needs.

Within those Provincial Nominee Programs, business immigration categories exist for individuals starting or investing in a Canadian business venture. The minimum investment and net worth requirements vary from province to province as each PNP business immigration program creates the requirements that best suit that particular province.

Every PNP business immigration program requires the applicant to create a detailed business plan. The plan must explain the type of business being purchased or established, as well as detailed financial projections demonstrating the purchase of the business will benefit the local economy and labor market.

Another feature unique to all of the PNP business immigration programs is the requirement for business management experience. Certain provinces establish a minimum number of years of work experience in this capacity, ranging from 2 – 5 years of full time experience. Other provinces state that it is a requirement but do not impose minimums.

All of the PNP business immigration programs require that the applicant participate in the day-to-day management of the business. In some cases a performance agreement is required, which will impose other benchmarks or requirements. Each program also has additional selection criteria which ranges from language requirements to age requirements. With the exception of Ontario & Quebec, all of the other PNP business immigration programs have either optional or required government deposits, which ensures the applicant will make the investment that they committed to in their application.

Where the PNP business immigration programs differ is in the minimum net worth requirements, the minimum investment requirements and whether or not an exploratory visit is required. These are often the defining factors when determining the best program for you. Below is a table that illustrates the differences in the various PNP business immigration programs:

Canada Work Visa – How to get Work Visa for Canada

Recently, changes have been made to the way a person must apply for a Canada Work Visa. The fact still remains however, that in almost every case, a job offer is required. In addition, most Canada work visas also require labor market verification, known as a Labor Market Opinion (LMO). Once an employer wishing to hire a foreign worker obtains a positive LMO they may apply for a Canada work visa.
There are certain categories of Canada work visas that do not require an LMO. These categories are generally based on reciprocal treaties, the transfer of senior employees, or individuals who have been preliminarily selected for Canadian permanent residence but have not yet received their visa.

It is important that the foreign national applying for a Canada work visa have the credentials to perform the job in Canada. If the position is one of Canada’s regulated occupations, the foreign worker must be certified to practice their profession in Canada before they apply for their Canada work visa.

Where to Get a Canada Work Visa

For individuals who are residents or citizens of countries that do not require a visitor’s visa to enter Canada (TRV), a Canada work visa can be obtained at the border (as long as the necessary prerequisites are in place).

If you are from a country that requires a visitor’s visa then you must apply for your Canada work visa at the visa office responsible for your country. For more information on how long it takes to obtain a Canada work visa from a Canadian visa office, click here.

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