Canadian Immigration Xperts

Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs must have business experience. They must have managed a qualifying business and controlled a percentage of equity of a qualifying business for at least two years within the five years prior to the date of the application.

The entrepreneur class of immigrants must have a net worth of at least CDN $ 300,000.00. They must also have the intention and the ability to:

1. Control a percentage of equity of a qualifying Canadian business equal to or greater than 331/3%;
2. Provide active and ongoing management of the qualifying Canadian business;
3. Create at least one full-time job equivalent for one or more Canadian citizens of permanent residency (this does not include the applicant/entrepreneur or their family members);

At the time of the arrival in Canada as a permanent resident of this country, the entrepreneur is required to sign a declaration stating that he or she intends and will be able to meet the conditions of their permanent residency. In case such conditions are not met during the period of 2 years after they have become a permanent resident of Canada, the immigrant`s visa of the entrepreneur class and that of his family members’ might be canceled.


It is important to note that within three years of becoming a permanent resident, the entrepreneur must have controlled and have actively managed a qualifying Canadian business for at least one year. This business must also have created employment opportunities for at least one Canadian citizen or permanent resident, other then the immigrant`s family member;

All family members are admitted under the same condition as the entrepreneur class applicant and the conditions are removed once the entrepreneur satisfies the conditions.

Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, the province of Quebec operates its own immigrant entrepreneur program. To find out more about Quebec’s own rules and regulations for Businesspeople Entrepreneur applications, please click here.