People with the ability, experience, and money to set up or invest in a business may qualify to immigrate to Canada under several distinct pathways – each with its own eligibility, process and timeline. At the federal level and across the provinces, the emphasis is on active involvement, economic benefits to Canada, and clear value creation.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is constantly reviewing its programs and its quota for the number of applications it will accept under each category. Therefore, it is important to confirm that applications are being accepted before beginning the process.

Key Pathways

Here are the main pathways business people wishing to immigrate to Canada should consider:

1. Start-up Visa Program (SUV) for innovative entrepreneurs

IRCC began the Start-up Visa Program in 2013. The pathway enables foreign entrepreneurs to obtain permanent residence by launching an innovative, scalable business in Canada with the backing of a government-designated organization.

To be eligible to receive a start-up visa for a business venture, an applicant must:

• prove their business idea is supported by a IRCC designated investor organization through a Letter of Support;
• active involvement in the business;
• meet the language requirements;
• meet the education requirements; and
• have sufficient settlement funds.

Minimum investments: while historic minimum investment amounts are still cited ($200,000 to apply for a start-up fund if the investment comes from a designated Canadian venture capital (VC) fund / $75,000 from a designated Canadian angel investor group), many cases now proceed with incubators that require little or no direct investment.

Work-permit stage: successful applicants can obtain an open work permit after submitting their permanent residence applications, enabling them to come to Canada and build the startup business.

2. Entrepreneur Work Permit Pathway

This pathway is for business owners who will come to Canada to operate.

• The C11 Entrepreneur Work Permit (under the International Mobility Program) allows entrepreneurs to enter Canada to start or buy a business, without requiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
• Key criteria: ownership of at least 51% of a Canadian business; the business must generate clear economic, cultural or social benefit to Canada; funds to sustain operations; the applicant must be actively involved.
• There is no direct permanent-residence (PR) guarantee under this permit alone. Applicants often transition to PR via a provincial nominee program (PNP/entrepreneur stream) or other federal PR option.

3. Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) – Entrepreneur / Business Owner Streams

Many Canadian provinces now offer dedicated entrepreneur-immigration streams under their PNPs. These vary widely, including investment thresholds, net-worth requirements, job-creation expectations, and geographic focus (often outside major metropolitan areas). Often, an initial work permit ties to the province’s business-establishment requirement, followed by nomination and then application for PR.

4. Intra-Company Transfers (ICT) / Global Mobility & Business Start-up Within Canada

For owners or senior executives of foreign-based companies looking to establish or expand a Canadian branch, the intra-company transfer route remains important. While not always labelled as a “business immigration” category per se, these pathways often lead into business operations in Canada and could result in eventual permanent residence.

Note: These can be less suited for pure “investor” cases; the applicant must be actively engaged in Canada.

5. Self-Employed Persons Program

Under this pathway, self-employed people must establish or purchase a business in Canada (in cultural, athletic or farm sectors) that will keep them employed and contribute significantly to Canada’s economic, cultural, or artistic life. However, this category has seen limited intake and is no longer a primary route for most business people. Many jurisdictions have paused or reduced this stream. So, one needs to confirm current intake status with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) before relying on this route.

6. Buying an Existing Canadian Business / Investor Variants

Many business immigrants choose to purchase an existing Canadian business rather than starting from scratch. This can align with PNP entrepreneur streams. However, passive investment without active management is not sufficient. The business must operate, the applicant must participate, and an economic benefit to Canada must be demonstrated.

Business Immigrant Application Process

While each program has its unique requirements, the general process for business immigration applications involves the following:

1. Pre-application analysis / eligibility check
2. Operational set-up / entry to Canada (if required)
3. Demonstrate business activity / compliance
4. Application for Permanent Residence (if not direct)
5. Become a Canadian Permanent Resident & (eventually) Citizen
   • Once PR is granted, you may live and work in Canada, gain access to social benefits, and, after meeting residency requirements, apply for Canadian citizenship if desired.
   • For business-owners, citizenship usually comes after meeting the standard residence requirement (e.g., 3 years in Canada in the last 5 years).
   • It is very important that, as a PR holder, you don’t commit any crimes in Canada or elsewhere, because this could lead to cancellation of your PR status and deportation.

Immigration Fees

Applicants must also pay a processing fee for themselves and any family members. The processing fee depends on how many people are included in the application. An Immigration Officer will assess the application to see if the basic eligibility standards are met. If any member of the applicants is found ineligible to apply, their processing fee will be refunded.

If they are eligible, the application will be sent for processing. The application will be assessed, and at this stage no refund on the fee will be given if the application is denied.

Additionally, there may a Right of Permanent Residence Fee per adult applicant. Applicants are also responsible for the fees charged for: the medical exam; a police certificate; and the language test.

Visit IRCC for a list of all application fees.

Get Help with Criminal Record Verification

Critical requirements often cause preventable refusals: Police clearance certificates from every country of residence (6+ months since age 18) must be obtained, authenticated, and submitted within strict validity windows. This is a process that can take 16+ weeks for some jurisdictions and destroy your application timeline if mishandled.

Each country has unique requirements. A single expired certificate discovered during final review can trigger a procedural fairness letter, adding 60-90 days to processing, or worse, result in outright refusal for misrepresentation if IRCC suspects deliberate omission.

Since a criminal record can delay and even prevent you from getting your immigration status in Canada, it is strongly advised to address this issue as early as possible. To erase your criminal record, call toll-free 1-888-808-3628 or   learn more at Pardon Partners.

More Information and Legal Help

More information about immigrating to Canada under the Business Class is available from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. To find foreign consulates and embassies in your province, click here.

For legal advice and assistance, contact Sobirovs Business Immigration lawyers. They help business owners, entrepreneurs, and investors obtain permanent residency and Canadian citizenship by setting up their businesses in Canada. To see recent changes in immigration programs, view “Canada Business Immigration Changes in 2025”.

								
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