The Owner/Operator Immigration Pathway – Business Immigration to Canada via Business Purchase
Canada embraces the free market and the entrepreneurial spirit of its people. As one of the most multinational countries in the world and one of the most developed economies, Canada allows its residents to closely do business with foreigners, and also allows foreigners to acquire an existing or open a new business in Canada. Buying or starting a business in Canada can enable a foreign national to obtain a permanent residence in Canada. A foreigner who has bought or created a business in Canada is called a Business Owner/Operator.
A number of market factors lead to an opportunity for talented foreigners with a proven track-record to leverage the immigration programs Canada has to offer. As a discount labour market neighbouring the USA, the earning potential can be significant for those who can pay costs in CAD yet secure revenues in USD. Furthermore, Canada boasts some of the most stable investment sectors in the world, as well as robust social programs including universal health-care. Like many prosperous countries, Canada also suffers from low birth-rates, lending to policies that allow those who bring value to enter the market with the full support of the Canadian government.
Canada remains one of the top markets for building wealth and quality of life globally. However, we will assess your situation to ensure that you have the skills and resources to benefit from your new life here.
What requirements the Owner/Operator pathway has?
The Business Owner/Operator can immigrate to Canada by going through the following steps:
- Create a new or buy an existing business in Canada.
- Own at least 50.1% of the company’s total shares and have sufficient operating capital to cover the salary for the director who will be the subject of the Labor Market Impact Assessment.
- Receive a positive Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the government.
- Get a work permit to run a business.
- Meet the conditions of at least one of the immigration programs.
Owner/Operator Immigration Pathway is not an immigration program. It is a combination of legal regulations that allows foreign businessmen to become permanent residents of Canada!
Who is eligible for the Owner/Operator Immigration Pathway?
In most cases, there are three categories of foreign entrepreneurs who can immigrate through the Owner/Operator Immigration Pathway:
- Foreign entrepreneurs that own an established business outside Canada who wish to expand their business in Canada.
- Foreign entrepreneurs who possess funds to launch a brand-new business in Canada.
- Foreign entrepreneurs who possess funds to purchase an existing business in Canada.
Immigration through the Owner/Operator Immigration Pathway is possible after obtaining a Canadian business and applying for a permanent residence under one of the federal or provincial immigration programs.
Business consulting support from our partners
Immigration Canada PRO collaborates with a range of business consulting experts across Canada. Our partners possess years of experience in dealing with regulatory bodies, Canada Revenue Agency, federal, provincial, and municipal authorities, to help you purchase existing or establish a new business in Canada.
Do you want to move to Canada as a business owner/operator? Contact our company for advice, and we will help you with business immigration to Canada!
Immigration through the Owner/Operator Immigration Pathway consists of the following steps:
During our pre-qualification process, we will ask questions to learn more about you and assess your specific situation. We will develop our understanding to construct a specific immigration scenario for you so you can decide for yourself if it is the right fit for you at this stage in your life. Our goal is to only take clients who will experience a significant benefit from undertaking this journey. At this stage, our experts will help you conduct market analysis to determine which business you can acquire or create, which province is best for your business, and what are the legal procedures for registering the property with the Canadian government.
Once the market research is completed, you must become a registered Canadian business owner. In order to meet the requirements set by the government, you must own 50.1% of the company’s shares. We will specialize in our approach to your business, asset, and skill back-ground to provide options best-suited to you.
In order to act as a business owner of the Canadian company, a foreign national must obtain a permit from the government. The Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) assesses the applications for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This document allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers. To have legal grounds to apply for a Work Permit in Canada, the Owner/Operator must obtain a positive or neutral LMIA.
Based on the positive or neutral LMIA, a foreign national can apply for a work permit in Canada. In this case, an applicant simultaneously acts both as an employer and an employee, as the company hires its director to run the business. The Owner/Operator work permit is usually issued for a period of two years, which is enough to obtain grounds for the permanent residence application of the entrepreneur and his family.
At this stage, depending on your situation we will advise the proper immigration path. Immigration for Business Owners/Operators is possible both via Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Workers and Canadian Experience Class, as well as via different streams of Provincial Nominee Program. In the case of the provincial immigration strategy, we will first apply for a provincial nomination and then apply for permanent residence. In some cases, Owners/Operators need to obtain at least one year of Canadian work experience to qualify for some immigration programs.
Applying for a permanent residence in Canada is the final stage of the whole process. Our immigration experts will prepare all the necessary documentation. The Owner/Operator and his family will have to provide biometric data, undergo medical checks, obtain criminal records, collect certificates of language proficiency, and other documents. The application will include documents of all family members and will be sent to Immigration Canada for verification. The government takes 6-8 months to process the application through the Express Entry and up to 12-24 months to process the application through the Provincial Nominee Program. During the processing of the PR application, the Owner/Operator can extend the work permit for him and his family members.
As soon as all checks are completed, the applicant will receive an electronic notification requesting him to send passports or copies of passports to the local Canadian visa office. After 3-4 weeks you will get the Confirmation of the Permanent Residency and family members will be able to obtain permanent resident status in Canada.
Work and Study Permits for the Family of the Owner/Operator
Owners/Operators can bring their spouses or common-law partners as well as their dependent children to Canada with you! Spouses of Business Owners/Operators can get an open work permit, which allows them to legally work in Canada. Dependent children of Business Owners/Operators can get a study permit to attend a public school in Canada for the whole duration of the Owner/Operator’s work permit.
Getting a Canadian Citizenship
Once you obtain permanent resident status, you need to live three out of five years within Canada as a permanent resident to be eligible for Canadian Citizenship. Moreover, the Government of Canada counts the time you lived in Canada as a temporary resident as half a day for up to 365 days to meet the three-year residency requirement. This means that Owners/Operators could become eligible for Canadian Citizenship faster if they lived in Canada for two or more years in the status of the temporary resident.
The Owner/Operator Immigration Pathway is a great alternative for foreign entrepreneurs who cannot immigrate through other economic immigration programs or who don’t want to wait a long time before being able to relocate to Canada. If you have sufficient financial resources to purchase or establish a business in Canada, we can help you to obtain Canadian permanent residence!
Why Should Foreign Entrepreneurs Work with Immigration Canada PRO?
Our team members have over six years of experience dealing with Employment and Social Development Canada in the Labour Market Impact Assessment applications and with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in the Temporary and Permanent Residence applications. Several hundreds of foreign nationals have successfully immigrated to Canada with our help.
If you still have questions regarding the Owner/Operator Immigration Pathway or would like to assess your chances to move to Canada, please contact us!
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