Business immigration
Bring your venture — or your expertise — to Canada.
Canada actively invites entrepreneurs, investors, and self-employed professionals. We focus on the active federal and provincial programs and steer you away from the ones that closed years ago.
Who this is for
A quick way to see whether this category fits your situation.
- Founders with a scalable, innovative business idea
- Entrepreneurs with capital and management experience
- Self-employed athletes, artists and cultural professionals
- Owner-operators looking at provincial entrepreneur streams
- Investors targeting Quebec or provincial nominee business categories
Programs & pathways
Refreshed against the latest IRCC guidance. We'll match the right pathway to your goals and timeline.
Start-Up Visa (SUV)
Permanent residence for founders backed by a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator.
- Letter of Support from a designated organization
- Up to 5 essential co-founders per qualifying business
- CLB 5 in English or French (all four abilities)
- Proof of settlement funds
- Annual intake cap — a national cap of 10 per designated organization for new applications has been in effect since 2024; plan timing carefully
Self-Employed Persons Program
For people who can be self-employed in cultural or athletic activities in Canada.
- 2 years of relevant self-employment or world-class participation in the last 5 years
- Intention and ability to be self-employed in Canada
- Note: IRCC paused intake on this program in April 2024 — confirm current status before applying
Quebec entrepreneur & investor streams
Quebec runs its own business immigration programs under the Canada–Quebec Accord, with periodic intake windows for entrepreneurs and self-employed workers.
Provincial Nominee — Entrepreneur streams
Provinces such as BC, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, PEI and Nova Scotia run entrepreneur/owner-operator streams with their own net-worth, investment and job-creation thresholds.
- Two-step pathway: work permit → permanent residence after meeting performance terms
- Minimum net worth and investment vary by province (often CAD $200K–$600K+)
- Business establishment, job creation and active management requirements
Programs that are closed
The federal Immigrant Investor Program and federal Entrepreneur Program were terminated in 2014. The Immigrant Investor Venture Capital pilot closed in 2017. Avoid any consultant who offers these.
How we work
Strategy
We map your profile, capital and business idea to the right federal or provincial stream.
Designation / nomination
For SUV we approach designated organizations; for PNP we prepare your business plan and EOI.
Work permit (if applicable)
Most provincial streams begin with a 1–2 year work permit while you launch operations.
Permanent residence
Once performance criteria are met, we file your PR application.
Frequently asked
How much money do I need for the Start-Up Visa?+
There is no minimum investment for the applicant; designated VC funds must commit at least CAD $200,000 and angel groups CAD $75,000. You also need proof of personal settlement funds.
Is the federal Investor Program still open?+
No. It was terminated in 2014. Quebec's investor stream and provincial entrepreneur streams remain the main investment-based pathways.
Do I need to speak fluent English or French?+
Start-Up Visa requires CLB 5. PNP entrepreneur streams typically require CLB 4–5. Higher scores often translate into faster processing and more flexibility.
Ready to take the next step?
Book a one-on-one consultation. We'll review your situation and map out the strongest pathway for you.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca. Program rules and intake caps change — confirm current status before filing.