Simplified Comparison of 3 Business Immigration Pathways

Canada is very open to applicants for business immigration.

Canada always welcomes immigrants who can bring innovations, create jobs for Canadians, and contribute to the economy. Applying as a business immigrant is genuinely easier than you might think. Here are 3 different pathways for business immigration that you may want to explore:

#1: Expand Your Business
You can expand any business in your home country into Canada. When you do so, you can send yourself to Canada as a senior manager in order to spearhead the expansion.

The Pros are: (a) You can bring your family with you. Your spouse can get an open work permit while your children can study for free; (b) Processing is relatively faster compared to other business immigration pathways.

The biggest Con is: You will initially only get a work permit since the purpose of your visit is business expansion. You usually need to work in the company for 12 months before you can apply for permanent residency.

#2: Start a New Company
Canada’s Start-Up Visa Program invites prospective businessmen with innovative business ideas to start their companies in Canada. This can be a business team of up to 5 people.

The Pros are: (a) You can bring your family with you. Your spouse can again get a work permit while your children can avail of free education; (b) Your application will be processed for permanent residency right away, so you land in Canada as an immigrant with permanent resident status.

The biggest Con is: You need to pitch your business idea to designated venture capitalists or angel investors. You must be backed by one of these in order to apply. (We can help you with this.)

#3: Buy a Canadian Business
You can also choose to buy an existing Canadian business and apply for business immigration with a specific province or territory. In this scenario, your application will be evaluated by the province or territory and not directly by the federal government.

The Pros are: (a) Your family can again accompany you; (b) You normally get a high level of support from the local government.

The biggest Con is: You will first be given a work permit and must establish the business in the next 2 years. After this time, the provincial government will assess the state of your business and then nominate you for permanent residency. Only then can you apply for immigration.

Are you thinking about applying as an immigrant for business immigration? If yes but you are not sure what business immigration program you should apply for, you can contact us for a consultation so we can assess your situation and give you our recommendations.

Got other questions? Send us a message here.

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