Business immigration to Canada

You can immigrate to Canada through business immigration programs. To do so, you must establish or buy a ready-made business in the country, or invest in the Canadian economy.

Canada attracts not only skilled specialists from abroad, but also entrepreneurs, self-employed persons and investors. People wishing to support the development of the Canadian economy by doing business or investing can settle in the country permanently and obtain Canadian citizenship in future.

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ranked Canada the 23rd country by ease of doing business. Canada offers many immigration programs and streams for businesspeople.

Work permit program for entrepreneurs

Canada has a unique and little-known program that is not a formal immigration program. It is a work permit program which is suitable for entrepreneurs who want to buy or start a new business in Canada and manage this business for future immigration.

Self-employed persons programs

Self-employed people can choose between two Canadian immigration programs:

Self-employed Persons program, which is open to people with cultural or athletic experience;
Quebec's Self-employed Worker program, which attracts entrepreneurs with a lot of capital.

Startup Program

Federal Startup Program operates in all Canadian provinces and territories except Quebec. It offers permanent residency to entrepreneurs with innovative businesses who have received support from one of Canada's foundations or business angels.

Provincial programs for entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs can immigrate to Canada through one of the streams of the provincial immigration programs for entrepreneurs or through the Quebec Entrepreneur Program. In most cases, the candidate must have between $250,000 and $900,000 CAD in personal capital, invest between $100,000 and $500,000 CAD in the local economy, and create one to several jobs for Canadians.

Programs for investors

Canada had one program for investors who are interested in passive investments: the Quebec Investor Program for people who have $2M CAD in equity, ready to invest $1.2M CAD and settle in Quebec. The investment amount is refundable. The program is suspended until April 2023.