Corporate/Business Visa
Entrepreneurs, investors, businesspeople, and skilled workers can apply for immigration to Canada under various categories.
I. Start-up Visa Program
This program is for immigrant entrepreneurs who have the skill and potential to build businesses in Canada that are ground-breaking, can generate employment, and compete on a global scale.
Who can apply:
To be eligible for the Start-up Visa Program, one must have a qualifying business, get a letter of support from a qualifying organization, meet the language requirements, and bring enough money to settle.
Each application can be made for only one class and the class cannot be changed once the application is submitted. The criteria you must meet to qualify are different for each class.
II. Work Permits
Each year, more than 1,80,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages. A work permit is needed for most temporary jobs in Canada.
If you want to work in Canada, please take note:
- Your employer may need to get a labour market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC). An LMIA confirms that there is no Canadian or permanent resident available, and the employer can fill the job with a foreign worker.
- However, some jobs do not require an LMIA. Our consultant can help you find out if you need one.
- You must meet the general requirements for entering Canada, studying there and for getting a work permit. Therefore, you must get a temporary resident visa.
- Work permits are not immigration documents and don’t allow you to live in Canada permanently. To secure permanent residence, you must qualify under an immigration category, such as Express Entry.
III. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Under Chapter 16 of the NAFTA, citizens of Canada, the United States and Mexico who conduct business or investment activities can gain quicker, easier temporary entry into the three countries. Such business people that are covered by NAFTA do not need the LMIA. However, they must comply with the general provisions on temporary entry to Canada.
NAFTA applies to four specific categories of business people:
- Business Visitors: If you are temporarily visiting Canada on a business trip.
- Professionals: That fall under skilled category.
- Intra-Company Transfers: Those who have worked continuously for at least one year in the preceding three years for the same or affiliated employer in the USA or Mexico fall under Intra-Company Transfer category. They may be transferred to Canada to work temporarily for the same or an affiliate employer. They are to work in a capacity that is managerial, executive, or that which involves specialised knowledge. They require a work permit.
- Traders and Investors: Who are looking to invest in business in Canada.
II. Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program:
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program is a partnership between the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island that lets the Atlantic employers hire qualified candidates for jobs that they haven’t been able to fill locally. You can be abroad or living in Canada temporarily to apply for it, but you must have a job offer before you can apply.
Depending on the job that you’ll have in the Atlantic province, your skills, experience, education, your ability to communicate in English or French, your ability to support yourself and your family in Canada, and your intent to reside in the Atlantic province, employers can hire you through any one of three programs in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program:
- Atlantic High-Skilled Program
- Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program
- Atlantic International Graduate Program
You will also need to get a settlement plan and a Certificate of Endorsement from the province before you can submit your application.
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