What Business and Investor Immigration programs are available in Canada?
Although immigration to Canada is mostly the jurisdiction of the Federal Government in Canada, each of Canada’s provinces has its own small immigration program whereby the provincial government can nominate individuals for immigration to their province based on their own specific criteria. Once nominated by a province, the individual can apply for permanent residence through the federal immigration program. These Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP’s) usually break down into a skilled worker category and a business immigration category.
This is an exclusive type of applications within the TFWP whereby a self- employed individual wishing to enter Canada can do so by purchasing or establishing a business. A foreign national would be an Owner-Operator if they establish that they have a controlling interest in the business and cannot be fired/dismissed (only answerable to themselves). Controlling interest according to guidelines and policy can be established by either: purchasing a business and be involved in its day-to-day operations (being a sole proprietor), by being the majority shareholder (least 50.1% total shares) or by providing an official document confirming that they hold the majority interest (even if they don’t hold 50.1% of total shares).
There is no minimum specified percentage of shares to be held by a foreign national to be considered an Owner-Operator. In cases, where there are multiple owners of a business, the largest shareholder or the equal shareholder designated as the “employer” must apply for LMIAs to Service Canada for the other co-owners as “workers”.
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