Business immigration
Canada business immigration is a Class of immigration whereby The Canadian government offer permanent residence for you and your family in exchange for an investment in Canada.
If you are an entrepreneur and have an innovative business proposal whereby the end result is the formation of a business in Canada, your prospects are very good for receiving Canadian permanent residence.
Canada welcomes Business immigration as a win win due to the fact that investors who create a new business in Canada are also bolstering and diversifying the Canadian economy and importantly creating new jobs for Canadians.
Business immigration programs
There are two main ways that investors can apply through.
- The first is a federal business immigration program program called the Start-up Business Class. The investor will need to create a start up business in Canada.
- The second option is to look into the many varied and different entrepreneurial, investor and business immigration programs offered by each of the ten Canadian provinces and three territories through a Provincial Nominee Program. The eligibility criteria and application procedure for each PNP varies.
What is the start-up business visa?
Canada’s start up visa program gives entrepreneurs the ability to immigrate to Canada by establishing a new business. Officially known as the Canada Start-up business class, informally it is referred to as the start-up visa program (SUV). Candidates for this immigration stream must show that their business is innovative, will create new jobs for Canadians and can compete on a global scale.
Why Choose Us?
- Tech-Driven Startups: Our expert technological team will develop and manage a startup on your behalf, leveraging cutting-edge technology to bring your vision to life.
- Diverse Team: Your startup team will comprise individuals from your own nationality, fostering a collaborative and culturally cohesive environment.
- Real Impact: We focus on building startups with the potential to make a meaningful impact on the world, offering you a realistic chance at achieving a successful exit.
- Active Participation: You play an integral role throughout the process, ensuring that your ideas and insights are incorporated into the startup’s development.
- Support Guarantee: We provide a guarantee that you will receive a support letter from a Canadian Venture Capital firm. If not, we offer a full refund of your investment.
- Permanent Residency Pathway: By actively running the tech company throughout your Permanent Residency application process, we maximize your chances of becoming a permanent resident of Canada.
- Choose us to embark on your journey to Canada with a dynamic and supportive approach that empowers you to realize your entrepreneurial dreams while securing your future in Canada.
- With just a $250,000 CAD investment, you can accomplish two significant objectives: first, secure permanent residence for your family, and second, make a promising investment with the potential for up to a 10-fold return on investment.”
Start-up visa business requirements
In order to qualify for the start-up visa program, you MUST meet four criteria:
- Have a qualifying business.
- A qualifying business is considered one that each applicant after getting a commitment from a designated organization holds at least 10% of the voting rights attached to the shares of the company. Voting rights are the right of business owner to vote within a given company. (Up to five people may apply as owners).
- Applicants and the designated organization hold more than 50% of the total voting rights attached to all shares of the corporation.
- Further qualifying requirements are that management of the business happens within Canada, the business is incorporated in Canada and that essential operations of the business happen within Canada.
- Have a letter of support from a designated organization.
- This is a business group that has been approved by the Canadian government to invest in or support a new start-up. You will need to demonstrate that you have the support of a venture fund, angel investor group or business incubator. Often referred to as a designated entity.
- You will need to convince the organization that you have a business idea worth supporting. The process of pitching your business idea will be different for each organization.
- Upon successfully pitching your idea to an approved organization, you will receive a letter of support which must be included in your start-up visa application.
- Meet the language requirements.
- In order to be eligible for a start-up visa, you must be able to reach Canadian Language Benchmark 5 in listening, reading, writing and speaking.
- The language test must be one that is authorized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- Your language test results must be included with your application.
- Have settlement funds sufficient to support you and your family.
- You must show that you are able to support your family after you arrive in Canada. See table below. Note * This table is adjusted yearly and is liable to change from time to time.
| Number of family members | Funds required (in Canadian dollars) |
| 1 | $ 13,213 |
| 2 | $ 16,449 |
| 3 | $ 20,222 |
| 4 | $ 24,553 |
| 5 | $ 27,847 |
| 6 | $ 31,407 |
| 7 | $ 34,967 |
| For each additional family member | $ 3,560 |
What is a designated entity?
Designated entities are private sector organizations that have been approved by the Canadian government in order to lend support for your start-up business idea. Designated entities are grouped into one of three types; A designated angel investor, a designated capital fund or a designated business incubator. You must receive the support known as a “commitment” from any of these government approved entities in order to be accepted into the start-up visa business program.
Commitment from a designated entity
In order to be eligible for your start-up visa to be processed you MUST receive a “letter of support” from at least one of the following;
- A designated angel investor group confirming that it will be investing at a minimum of $ 75,000 in a qualifying business. Two or more angel investor groups may also jointly invest together in your business at least $ 75,000 as well.
- A designated venture capital fund confirming that they intend to invest a minimum of $ 200,000 in a qualifying business. Two or more venture capital funds may also jointly invest a minimum of $ 200,000 in a qualifying business.
- A designated business incubator that confirms that it will be accepting your business in its program.
Provincial Nominee Program
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) for entrepreneurs is strategically crafted to attract talented individuals who can bring their skills and knowledge to Canada. Each of the ten provinces in Canada has implemented its own unique PNP, each with a focus on a specific industry crucial for the continuous growth of that province.
Central to this program is the submission of a compelling and sustainable business plan that not only makes sense but also generates employment opportunities for Canadians. To be eligible, entrepreneurs are typically required to demonstrate a minimum of 3 years of work experience, proficiency in English, and an investment ranging from $100,000 to $400,000, depending on the specific province. Additionally, they should have a net worth ranging from $200,000 to $800,000, varying by province.
Our evaluation of an entrepreneur’s profile encompasses an understanding of their industry, years of experience, net worth, planned investment, and English proficiency level. Armed with this information, we can provide clear and tailored advice on which provincial program is most suitable for their aspirations.
We can help:
If you wish to immigrate to Canada as an investor. Our business immigration experts are here to guide you with the often confusing process of immigrating to Canada through a business stream. Our business immigration consultants can save you time, headache and frustration at navigating a process which can be difficult to complete even for financially well established individuals.
