Welcome to your guide for business immigration programs in Canada, including the Start-Up Visa! Look no further than this page to find out about entrepreneur, business and investment immigration programs Canada has to offer.
Canada operates programs at federal, provincial and territorial level. If you are business-minded and want to immigrate to Canada, the chances are there is a program here for you.
The diverse Canadian economy has many opportunities for success for business immigrants.
Canada offers established and widely-used business immigration programs that offer direct and indirect permanent resident status.
In Canada, business immigrants can enjoy the benefits of a modern Canadian economy, a national health care program, affordable first-class education and a national pension system that provides measurable annual income upon retirement.
The various entrepreneur and self-employed business immigration programs are aimed at individuals with a mid-range personal net worth who intend to establish and operate a business in Canada, the Quebec Investor visa is suited for those with a high net worth and French language ability who wish to make a passive investment with no obligation to establish a business in the Canadian economy.
Quebec’s is Canada’s only remaining investor visa. Other investor visa immigration programs were previously operated at both federal and provincial level, but have since been abolished.
Wealthy business immigrants may buy or establish a new business in Canada and qualify for a temporary work visa. Canada’s federal government used to have federal ‘owner-operator’ policies that offered Labour Market Impact Assessment exemptions, but these have been abolished. Still, it remains possible to move to Canada this way, and business immigrants may qualify for permanent residency after some time in the country.
At the federal level, there are several business immigration programs:
The Start-Up Visa Program was established in 2013 and grants permanent residency and work permits to qualified business immigrants.
The program aims to recruit entrepreneurs and link them with private sector business in Canada.
After spending some time in Canada, candidates and their families can transition to permanent residency.
The federal Self-Employed Visa Canada is designed for individuals with relevant self-employment experience who wish to become permanent residents after setting up a business in Canada.
To qualify, applicants must demonstrate both the intention and the ability to create their own employment, significantly contributing to Canada’s cultural, artistic, or athletic sectors.
Successful business immigrants typically have at least two years of relevant experience within the five years preceding their application, either through self-employment in cultural or athletic fields or by participating at a world-class level in these activities.
Although not a formal business program, Buy a Business and Move to Canada allows wealthy immigrants to move to Canada via Ottawa’s temporary work permit. Previous LMIA exemptions for this pathway have been abolished.
However, candidates can still buy an established business and qualify for a work permit via the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
The Quebec Immigrant Investor visa is passive in nature, meaning that candidates are not required to establish or actively manage a business in the province.
Rather, the program requires an investment of $1.2 million into a prescribed (government guaranteed) investment, hence the name investor visa. Applicants for this investor visa must have the intention of settling in the French-speaking province of Quebec.
Successful investor visa applicants are issued a selection certificate from Quebec for Canada immigration, which allows them to obtain Canadian permanent residency following health and criminality examinations by federal immigration authorities.
The primary requirements are:
The Quebec Immigrant Entrepreneur Program aims to recruit individuals who have the skills and experience to operate a business in the province. The conditions to apply are different depending on the chosen stream.
This stream consists of managing a business in Quebec that the candidate created alone or with other partners (of which only 3 can be foreign nationals), with support from a business accelerator, a business incubator or a university entrepreneurship centre.
To apply under this stream, the entrepreneur must control at least 25% of the shares of a new enterprise, or at least 51% of an acquired enterprise, which must have a value equivalent or higher than the funds needed to start the business project.
The candidate must prove that they have legally acquired a net worth of $900,000, alone or with their spouse if applicable.
To qualify under the Quebec Self-Employed Program , applicants must meet the following conditions:
Requirements
1) Registration
Complete an online registration including a short business in Canada concept and pay a non-refundable fee of $300. Candidates are scored on the information they provide and are placed in a pool for six months or 180 days, or until they receive an invitation.
2) Invitation
British Columbia carries out regular draws, on average one each month for the Entrepreneur stream. Candidates who are invited to apply have four months to submit a complete application. The score takes into account English language ability, age and Canadian work experience. Candidates can improve their score while in the pool, including by submitting a new business in Canada concept.
3) Net Worth Review
Candidates receiving an invitation to apply will have their net worth reviewed by a qualified supplier, who is a professional chartered accountant. The review includes the amount and source of funds and supporting documents. The candidate is responsible for all costs.
4) Application
Candidates have four months, or 120 days, to submit an application once an invitation is received. Candidates may be required to attend an interview. Approved applicants must sign a performance agreement with B.C. They then have 20 months, or 610 days to implement their business proposal.
5) Building the Business
Candidates get a letter of support from B.C. to apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for a two-year work permit. Candidates and their dependents must arrive in B.C. with a valid work permit within 12 months, or 365 days, of receiving a letter of confirmation. The 20 months to implement the business starts when the candidate lands. At the end of the period, candidates must submit a final report to the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program.
6) Nomination for Permanent Residency
Candidates who meet the terms of their performance agreement are nominated for Canadian permanent residency by B.C.
Dependents (if applicable) will also receive nominations.
The British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Stream aims to attract entrepreneurs to rural parts of the province.
Key Features
1) Community Involvement
Participation communities are actively involved in attracting foreign entrepreneurs and helping them settle after arrival.
2) BC PNP Referrals
Communities can refer foreign entrepreneurs to the BC PNP. The candidates must have visited the community and have a business proposal aligned with its economic priorities.
3) Community Concierge
Participating communities have access to the services of a dedicated BC PNP Community Concierge.
4) Invitations and Prioritization
Referred candidates register is a separate BC PNP pool. Monthly invitations are issued to the best scoring candidates. Those invited received priority processing.
Community Requirements
Candidate Requirements
The B.C. Entrepreneur Immigration – Strategic Projects stream assists foreign-controlled companies establishing an eligible business in B.C. with the timely entry of foreign key managerial, professional or technical staff who intend to become permanent residents of Canada and settle in B.C.
Company Requirements
Application Process
The Farm Stream is managed by the AAIP in close collaboration with the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and targets applicants with farm management skills and sufficient financial resources to invest in a farming business in Alberta.
The Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is aimed at qualified foreign-educated graduates from outside Canada, who wish to receive permanent residency upon launching start-up enterprises in Alberta.
The Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is aimed at international graduates from Alberta post-secondary institutions who want to establish or operate a business in the province.
The Rural Entrepreneur Stream is aimed at entrepreneurs who want to start a business or buy an existing business in a rural Alberta community.
The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program has two main business categories: the Entrepreneur stream and the International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream .
Under the Entrepreneur Stream, s uccessful candidates initially come to Canada on a temporary work permit.
They become eligible to apply for nomination after a minimum of 6 months spent establishing their business.
The expression of interest must meet the following minimum entry requirements:
Candidates enter a pool where they receive a score. The top-scoring candidates are invited to submit an application.
Applications must include:
Requirements To Submit an EOI
Requirements For Business Establishment
The Manitoba Business Investor Stream is aimed at qualified international business investors and entrepreneurs. Candidates are initially issued with a temporary work permit and must have the intent and ability to start or purchase a business in Manitoba within two years of arrival. There are pathways for entrepreneurs and for farm investors.
For applicants wanting to open a business in Manitoba. Candidates are initially issued with a temporary work permit. They are nominated for permanent residency after establishing a business meeting the conditions of a Business Performance Agreement. Priority is given to candidates starting businesses outside Winnipeg.
For applicants wanting to open and operate a farm in rural Manitoba. Candidates are initially issued with a temporary work permit. They are nominated for permanent residency after establishing a business meeting the conditions of a Business Performance Agreement.
After suspending the operation of its Entrepreneur Stream in 2024, Ontario no longer operates a business immigration program. Here are more Ontario immigration options .
The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program operates business immigration program streams for entrepreneurs and post-graduate entrepreneurs aimed at professionals and graduates from New Brunswick institutions.
Individuals applying under the P.E.I. Work Permit Stream must obtain a Canadian work permit and work for a P.E.I. business for a certain amount of time as designated in a Performance Agreement.
After the Performance Agreement is fulfilled, the applicant must make a minimum $150,000 investment in the business and commit to managing the business on a daily basis from within P.E.I.
Previously, Prince Edward Island operated direct permanent residency business streams, but these were closed in September 2018 over immigration fraud concerns.
The Northwest Territories Business Stream is aimed at entrepreneurs with business expertise and investment capital, who wish to purchase or start a business in the region.
Have a personal net worth of:
The Nova Scotia entrepreneur streams target candidates with business ownership or senior management experience. They must live in Nova Scotia, either start a new business or buy an existing business, and actively participate in the day-to-day management of that business.
Under the Entrepreneur stream, candidates are first issued a temporary work permit before applying for permanent residency after operating the business for a year. The stream uses an Expression of Interest format, where candidates in a pool are invited to apply.
Candidate Requirements
The International Graduate Entrepreneur stream is similar to the Entrepreneur stream, only aimed at recent graduates from a Nova Scotia university or the Nova Scotia Community College.
International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream: Candidate Requirements
The provincial government can now issue ITAs to strategically chosen candidates, in support of key sectors.
Newfoundland & Labrador operates immigration programs aimed at entrepreneurs and international graduate entrepreneurs.
The Yukon Business Nominee Program allows entrepreneurs to own and operate their business in Yukon.
Candidates initially come to Yukon on a two-year work permit, before being nominated for permanent residency if they successfully establish their business.
The Quebec Investor Visa – which is Canada’s only remaining investor visa – requires a passive investment of $1.2 million into a prescribed (government guaranteed) investment for a period of five years bearing no interest. This visa is for high-net-worth individuals who speak French and wish to settle in Quebec.
The eligibility criteria for all the programs offering a Canada business visa vary – both among themselves and in terms of the different streams that are offered under them. For example, Stream 1 of the Quebec Immigrant Entrepreneur Program requires the management of a business in Quebec that the candidate created alone or with other partners (only 3 of whom can be foreigners), with support from a business accelerator, a business incubator, or a university entrepreneurship centre. Stream 2, on the other hand, requires that the entrepreneur have a legally acquired net worth of $900,000 and control at least 25% of the shares of a new enterprise, or at least 51% of an acquired enterprise. It is important to check the specific eligibility requirements for the program you are interested in.
The Quebec Investor Visa is Canada’s only straight investment immigration program. While other investor visa immigration programs were previously operated at both federal and provincial levels, they have since been abolished.
Many federal and provincial business immigration Canada programs allow individuals with a mid-range personal net worth to come to Canada on a temporary work permit and eventually acquire a Canada PR. These include the Start-Up Visa, the Self-Employed Visa (federal and Quebec), Quebec Entrepreneur, and the various Provincial Nominee Entrepreneur Programs
