Business Immigration
Canadian business immigration programs are for individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada permanently with the skill and experience to assist in growing local markets.
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The categories in this stream are designed to develop and benefit the Canadian economy via entrepreneurs and self-employed persons who can make considerable contributions to the country.
Start-Up Visa
If you are interested in applying for permanent residence under the start-up visa program, you must meet a number of requirements, including:
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having a qualifying business
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getting a letter of support from a designated organization
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meeting language proficiency requirements
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having enough money to settle in Canada
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What is a qualifying business
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each applicant must hold 10% or more of the voting rights attached to all shares of the corporation outstanding at the time (up to 5 people can apply as owners); and
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the applicants and designated organization must jointly hold more than 50% of the total voting rights attached to all shares of the corporation outstanding at that time
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There are also requirements that must be met at the time permanent residence is obtained, such as:
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the applicants must provide active and ongoing management of the business from within Canada
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the essential operations of the business must occur within Canada
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the business must be incorporated in Canada
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Designated organizations
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Designated organizations are business organizations that have been approved to invest in start-up businesses via the start-up visa program. Every designated organization has its own requirements and you may be required to present your business idea in person or submit a detailed business plan.
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There are 3 types of designated organizations that you can get a letter of support from:
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venture capital funds
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angel investor groups
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business incubators
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To find out more about which organizations you can contact for a letter of support, you can visit the Government of Canada Website.
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Language proficiency
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In order to meet the language proficiency requirement, you are required to take a test from an approved agency and meet the minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 in English or French in all four assessment areas of speaking, reading, listening and writing.
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Settlement funds
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Start-up visa immigrants are not provided with financial support from the Canadian government. As such, you are required to show enough money to support yourself and your dependents once you arrive here. This money cannot be borrowed from someone else and the amount you are required to bring is dependent on your family size based on the Low-Income Cut Off (LICO), which is updated yearly.
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Self-Employed Persons
The self-employed persons program is geared towards those who who have relevant experience in cultural or athletic activities and are willing and able to make a significant contribution to Canada's cultural or athletic life. Immigrating to Canada as a self-employed person requires you to:
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have relevant experience
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have the ability to be self-employed in Canada
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meet the program's selection criteria
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meet medical, security and other conditions of the program
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What is relevant experience
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The Canadian government defines relevant experience as at least 2 years of experience in cultural activities or athletics at a world-class level, or self-employment in cultural or athletic activities. You must have a minimum of:​
What are cultural and athletic activities
Cultural and athletic activities are the types of activities that people behind the scenes are involved in, such as music teachers, painters, illustrators, film makers, freelance journalists, choreographers, set designers, coaches, trainers, etc. You can find a extensive list of occupations that fall under this category by visiting the National Occupational Classification page on EDSC's website. If you participate in these activities at a world-class level, then you are well-known internationally and perform at the highest level of your discipline.
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Intention and ability to be self-employed in Canada
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Your intention and ability to be self-employed in Canada is assessed through various things such as:
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whether your financial assets allow you to establish yourself economically in Canada
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whether you have enough funds to create an employment opportunity for yourself and support yourself and your family in Canada
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Demonstrating that your participation in cultural or athletic activities provides enough financial support to you and your family is a good indicator that you have the willingness and ability to be self-employed in Canada.
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Making significant contributions to specific economic activities in Canada
The definition of 'significant contribution' is at the discretion of the officer assessing your application for permanent residence. The intention is that the applicant can enrich Canadian culture and athletics by being self-employed in Canada. This can be in the form of contributing to the Canadian population in various ways. For instance, a music teacher settling in a small Canadian town may bring significant contributions locally.
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Selection criteria
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The selection criteria for this program is based on:
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experience
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education
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age
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language ability
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adaptability
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In order to meet the eligibility requirements, you must score a minimum of 35 points with a maximum score of 100.
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Quebec Economic Programs
Per the Canada-Quebec Accord, the province of Quebec is responsible for selecting applicants who wish to reside there permanently, while the Canadian federal government is responsible for determining a candidate's admissibility and defining the categories and classes of immigration.
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The Quebec ministry that deals with immigration to Quebec is called the Ministere de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Integration (MIFI). This ministry is responsible for:
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assessing skilled workers, investors, entrepreneurs, and self-employed applicants against the Quebec selection criteria
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issuing a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) if an applicant meets the Quebec selection criteria; the CSQ is a certificate issued by MIDI, showing that an applicant has been selected by the province of Quebec
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Your CSQ must be valid when you submit your application for permanent residence to IRCC.
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There are 4 programs that fall within the Quebec economic class:
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Quebec skilled workers
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Quebec immigrant investor
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Quebec entrepreneur
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Quebec self-employed persons
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The objective of these programs is to promote immigration to the province of Quebec, to maximize the economic benefits of selection, to manage the volume of immigration based on the province's needs and capacity for integration, and to select economic immigrants who are most adaptable to the Quebec labour market.
